They say that every year, the Super Bowl ads are as anticipated as the game itself. This year, with Eli Manning and the New York Giants taking on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the ads would have to be spectacular. The game was all it should have been, and more. A real nail biter, right down to the last second. The ads, they didn't even get close to being mildly exciting. In fact, it has to be one the poorest showings ever for the advertising industry's biggest day of the year. Oh dear oh dear.
The usual suspects all had their ads in the pile, because they have to be seen to be seen. If Coca-Cola or Pepsi don't do something, there's an immediate reaction of "what's wrong, are they in financial trouble?" If the Budweiser Clydesdales don't trot onto the screen, there's uproar. If the Career Builder monkeys aren't causing havoc, the audience will create it.
Or will they? To be honest, none of the aforementioned advertisers have done recently anything that made even a small minority of the viewing public change their buying behaviors. Have you ever thrown away the Coke in your fridge and filled up on Pepsi after a Super Bowl spot? It takes a lot more than a flashy ad to do that. But the charade will continue, and we will get more and more ads that cost millions of dollars for the sole purpose of filling up time in between touchdowns.
Saying that, there were a few standouts this year. But it's only because the field was so weak. In other years, these ads would have been ignored, but this year they rose to the top. So here are the best five ads, in the opinion of not just About.com's Advertising channel, but the majority of advertising pundits.
The Best of Super Bowl 2012
This is about as simple and juvenile as you can get, but the reaction from the crowd was gut-busting. It seems that even in the days of endless animal videos on YouTube, there's still room for a little dog running around a dog track and beating the field. Actually, not just beating them, but moonwalking past the tape. Funny, definitely not smart, but it was memorable. Will it sell a lot of sneakers though? About as many as there are moonwalking dogs.
I genuinely liked this one for a number of reasons. First, it was sending up the oh-so-serious Twilight saga genre, which deserves it. Second, it was showcasing a product benefit, which is rare in any Super Bowl ad (although to be fair, the headlights are not actually filed with UV). And third, it did it all in style, with a delicate and humorous touch. If you haven't seen it, I won't give it away. Needless to say, this is not a car that vampires will be lining up for any time soon.
Chrysler - Half Time in America
Clint Eastwood's voice is unmistakable. It grabs you, with a gravitas that few actors have. And with the "Half Time in America" spot, for Chrysler, he makes a compelling and emotionally-charged call to arms for all Americans to pull together. Of course, it's already become something much more, with Republicans screaming that it's a veiled ad for the Obama administration. Which is ironic, considering the ad asks us all to pull together and the first reaction is to take sides. Oh dear. Still, a powerful, well-written spot, and the best one of the 2012 Super Bowl in my opinion.
Kia Optima - A Dream Car For Real Life
This one is pure Super Bowl fare. It could not have been made at any other time of the year, because it's all about spectacle and putting every cent up on the screen. From the gorgeous Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima (who was featured in an accompanying viral video lasting 5 hours) to Motley Crue and a cowboy riding a bucking rhino, it was sheer ridiculousness. Of course, one think you must do when spending this kind of money is get the branding in there, often. A quick poll around the office revealed that most people though this was for Hyundai. Shame. But, good fun, if empty fun.
Finally, another car ad, although you wouldn't have known it until the last few seconds. Beautifully shot and directed, with perfect performances by the two people involved (the girl being Romanian supermodel Catrinel Menghia) it's a prime example of the set up/pay off formula used so often in advertising. By saying the spot is for Fiat, I have already revealed the punch line, but it's still worth watching if you haven't already seen it.
And The Worst of the Bunch
Honda have produced some awesome spots in the past, including the wonderful 2-minute Rube Goldberg Cog ad. This one, however, reeks of desperation to "make a splash." And many people fell for it too, when the teaser came out. "Great, a new Ferris movie!" Nope. That just added to the disappointment, making the ad even more annoying. Looking into Matthew Broderick's blank eyes, it was easy to see his motivation for this one. A big, fat check. Fail.
We've seen Jerry Seinfeld in ads before, most notably with Bill Gates for Microsoft. Now, Seinfeld (who needs the money like the Sahara needs more sand) is at it again, this time roping in the Soup Nazi. It's just sad to see another beloved set of characters selling out for a car ad like this. Not only is it a concept car that's currently unavailable, it will also cost a fortune - something most of us don't have in this crippling economy. To see two millionaires battling it out for a car that's out of our league is just crass, especially when you see it next to the Chrysler ad with Clint Eastwood. Awful.
In my recent article about Super Bowl advertising tips, GoDaddy is mentioned specifically. The reason - it's always trying to go lower, featuring more nakedness and more pointless links to the service. They did not disappoint (well, they did) with this year's awful set of ads featuring sexy celebrities and semi-naked models. The only real link to the service GoDaddy provides is that the Internet is a massive playground for porn. And of course, GoDaddy again pokes you to go online and see "more." This is the kind of advertising that gives the industry a very bad name…as it should.
Maybe it should have been called Queen's Court, I'm sure it's a play on words that Elton John would have laughed at. But aside from the name, the ad itself is dire. The cardboard performances and the wafer-thin concept were bad enough (although Melanie Amaro's singing was fine). But to ad in Flava Flav at the end, and try and grab one more laugh, was quite the Hail Mary. And it didn't work. We expect better, Pepsi.
This spot was a winner in the Crash The Superbowl promotion. I'm still trying to figure out how it got into the finals, let alone making it to the actual day. The concept is as old as the hills, but if you are going to do an annoying kid coupled with retribution, the Rolo spot is hard to beat. This isn't close to being in that league, and the "oh, aren't we clever" shrugging pose at the end leaves the ultimate nasty taste in the mouth. This one should have won, by a landslide. It's still the winner in my book.
All screen grabs courtesy of Hulu AdZone