Seen the latest commercial from Microsoft? The spot claims to have found an “artist” who wants to find the right computer for video editing. I don’t wanna spoil the ending for you, but she chooses a PC over a Mac. Microsoft wants us to all believe that, in the words of Irving Berlin, “Anything you (Mac) can do, I (Windows) can do better.” Only one teensy, tiny little problem. It’s all a lie. Read the rest of this entry »
The game has defied my expectations, to say the least. Not so the spots – with only a couple of standouts (from the usual suspects) the Super ads have been anything but. Here’s my spin on the second part of the festivities…
Halftime/Second Half
The GOOD:
NBC: LMAO. Normally, network spots promoting their lineup of shows are pretty lame, or just embarrassing (like the NBC “I’m feelin’ allright” spot earlier). This one was funny, and somewhat reminiscent of the eTrade “Money Coming Out of His Wazoo” spot from the 2000 Super Bowl. Wouldn’t make me watch their shows – but a nice effort, nonetheless. Read the rest of this entry »
As a service to those that TiVO pas the spots to watch the game (both of you), here’s my crack analysis of the Super Bowl spots – at least the ones that stood out for me, for whatever reason.
First Half
The GOOD:
Doritos: Crystal Ball. I laughed out loud at this one. You could see it coming, and it was still funny. I like funny. Memorable. People will be talking about this one tomorrow.
Doritos: Crunch. Another laugh-out-loud, funny spot. Gotta get me some of those chips. So far, Doritos looks like the clear winner in the Super Bowl spot contest.
Castrol: EdgeMonkeys.com. Funny spot. Not sure if it sells oil, but it’s got enough connection to the product to make me remember the brand. Which is a good thing.
Pepsi Max: I’m Good. Very funny spot, as long as you like slapstick, physical comedy. (I do.) It’s definitely a spot that will appeal to guys…and 10 year old girls. Wives…not so much. The concept of a “cola for men” is a bit iffy to me, but I’m willing to listen.
eTrade: Golf. Loved it. The idea of this baby playing golf, with his excess of ‘tude? Classic. Read the rest of this entry »
Noticed a couple of new Glade spots in rotation, featuring the enigmatic Dori Kelly. I mention this for a couple of reasons – first, the product they are pushing – an air freshener with a motion detector that prevents wasting a lot of scent when nobody is there to appreciate it – is pretty cool. Second, I’ve been keeping an eye on my blog stats, and they are waaaaaay up, in no small part due to people hitting my site looking for information on the afore-mentioned Ms. Kelly. I’m not too proud to pander, in order to boost readership. Third (and more germane to this blog) I’m curious as to why SC Johnson (owners of the Glade brand) are not attempting to parlay interest in Dori Kelly into more publicity for their product. Read the rest of this entry »
As frequent readers of this blog (and it’s sister publication, Captain Digital Speaks! – www.captaindigital.net) I’m a big fan of commercials. Good commercials, that is. I don’t know if I’ve related this here, but my parents tell me that, as a toddler, I would run into the room for commercials, and leave the room when the shows came back on. That may sound weird, but not if you think about it for a second. Most national TV spots have the same production values, budgets, and talent as a 30 minute sitcom or in the cases of national brands, a one-hour drama.
Recently, I’ve seen a couple of spots that have been able to penetrate the general noise level and get my attention. They’ve done so, largely for a couple of reasons: Read the rest of this entry »
Did you ever wonder why Microsoft and marketing both start with “m” but just don’t go together? I’m just not quite certain if Microsoft has an aversion to marketing in the same way that, oh, say, Oprah has to Governor Palin. But if this latest excursion into television advertising is any indication, I’d say that “Microsoft” goes together with “marketing” like “Congress” goes with “bi-partisan cooperation.”
Let’s recap: On the one hand, you have Microsoft, probably The Most Successful Computer Company Ever.™ On the other hand, you have Apple, the Little Company That Could. Read the rest of this entry »
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