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 »
When I began working in the marketing/advertising/design world, computers were something that only large corporations used – no such thing as a “personal” computer. If you wanted to create artwork that printed using more than one color, you needed Amberlith or Rubylith, and an X-acto knife. White Plaka and Liquid Paper were an illustrator’s best friends, and my biggest problem was keeping a set of Rapidograph pens free of India Ink clogs.
Have you seen T. Boone Pickens “Pickens Plan” ads? Unless you live sans-TV, you really can’t miss them. (That’s the big advantage of being a rich guy with a point to make – you can actually afford to get your message out there.) Pickens argues that the biggest threat to our national security is our dependence on foreign oil. I’m not sure that I agree with him that it’s the biggest threat, but it’s certainly in the top five, and it is arguably the biggest threat (other than Congress) to our long-term economic security.
Pickens is doing a masterful job in getting people to discuss energy policy, something that makes most people’s eyes glaze over faster than you can say “1040 long form.” Since Congress does nothing (ever, about anything), Pickens has used the biggest bully pulpit money can buy, and taken his case directly to We the People. Good for him. 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 »
It’s nothing new, but a surefire way to get the public’s attention is to use SEX. Sex sells. However, with everybody and their funny uncle using sex to sell now-a-days, many marketers have found that they need a little something “extra” to rise above the noise of cleavage, hot, sweaty bodies, and innuendo. (When marketing ethics and morals exit through the door, sex comes innuendo. Ba-dum-DUM.) The latest vendor to try something even more outrageous in the SexOlympics is…drum roll please…Old Spice. Read the rest of this entry »
What is spin? From a marketing frame of reference, spin can be defined as using marketing and public relations to influence public opinion in your favor, by way of slanting the argument. Spin is a fact of life. Some spin is opaque. Some is transparent. Some is so well-constructed that it’s virtually invisible. But spin is usually REactive, not PROactive. To be more accurate, spin is usually employed as damage control as a tool of defense, rather than as a offensive tool.
In recent years, we’ve seen spin that would make a top envious from organizations like the tobacco growers, automobile makers, and scads of politicians (who virtually invented spin). Last night, I saw a TV spot for a group that has decided to take spin to a new level, proactively seeking to change the hearts and minds of the great unwashed before they even get their hackles up regarding the group’s product. Read the rest of this entry »
The latest spot from Microsoft has been unleashed on an unsuspecting populace. The good news: it’s (a bit) funnier than the last spot. The bad news: it’s still brain-dead stupid. According to a Microsoft spokespersyn, there’s to be a whole series of these spots (Oh, the Humanity! The Horror!) and we’ll just have to wait for them to do the ‘reveal’ as to what in the HELL they’re on about.
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 »
When I began working in the marketing/advertising/design world, computers were something that only large corporations used – no such thing as a “personal” computer. If you wanted to create artwork that printed using more than one color, you needed Amberlith or Rubylith, and an X-acto knife. White Plaka and Liquid Paper were an illustrator’s best friends, and my biggest problem was keeping a set of Rapidograph pens free of India Ink clogs.
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