Ad Bowl XLI

Was anyone else totally bored by the lackluster Super Bowl commercials last night? It seems like they get worse and worse every year, or they are completely ineffective in enticing me to purchase the products the advertisers are selling. However, there were a few commercials that caught my attention and garnered my appreciation of their creativity.

One of the funniest commercials of the evening wasn't created by a team of advertising and marketing executives (the 21-year-old that created the commercial at least has a marketing degree), yet it was very effective in selling the product. Doritos created a contest called "Crash the Super Bowl" and this commercial was the winning entry. It was one of the few that made me laugh out loud last night. I also have to give it points for incorporating the product numerous times into the ad, highlighting the product's selling points, and creating memorable associations the consumer should have with the product (i.e. crunchy, bold, cheesy, etc.).

It's about time that advertisers pulled their heads out of the sand, and realized that males aren't the only ones watching the Super Bowl. In case you haven't noticed, Super Bowl ad space is largely dominated by beer, viagra, and potato chips. This commercial by Revlon, advertising their new line of color glazes, features Sheryl Crow on the "Not Fade Away" tour while they convince her to use the product. Now while this commercial is not exactly groundbreaking in creativity, it does stand alone amongst all of ads for cars, fast food, and soda. I feel a bit more justified and less ignored knowing that advertisers may finally begin to recognize that women like sports too. It also scored high with me because of the shot of the Briley Parkway interstate sign, a subtle shout-out to Nashville.

Super Bowl commercials aren't limited to consumer goods, and it's always nice to see one or two that resemble public service announcements. The American Heart Association issued a very creative plug for their Beat Your Risk website, in hopes that viewers will begin to take an active interest in their heart health, after all of the Superbowl-appropriate hot wings, queso dip, and taquitos disappear. I loved the "gotham-like, bad guys" theme of this commercial.

One of the most randomly original commercials came from an unlikely soure. It was totally unexpected, and I laughed out loud several times, especially when a reference was made to "save Holland." The message was clear and concise, and was one of the few commercials that triggered a memory of the product at hand.

Another commercial that I found really funny, was from Sprint, advertising their wireless broadband cards. I loved the "Connectile Dysfunction"play on words, and the cheeky parody of all of those uncomfortably embarrassing ED commercials.

Lastly, the NFL bid farewell to the football season with this sentimental tribute to its fans, featuring an ironic twist about no-longer-retiring quarterback, Brett Favre. Some of you may not know this about me, but I'm a closet GB Packers fan, from the days when the Titans didn't exist, and living in the state of Tennessee meant that pro sports were just a pipe dream (hence the reason that I am also a Cubs fan). I think it's hilarious that Favre announces on Feb. 2 that he will return for a 2007 season just 48 hours before this Superbowl ad airs alluding to his retirement. I'll be rootin' for him next season, and I'll pray for a Titans vs. Packers Super Bowl XLII.