The Best of the Bowl

Despite a barrage of layoffs in this hurting economy and the proclamation of the death of television advertising, Super Bowl XLIII delivered up a slew of 3 million dollar spots, showing us why there is nothing better than a good old fashioned high budget tv ad.

Despite many critics calling the ads mediocre this year, I found many to be captivating. The combination of the advertising and one of the greatest super bowls I’ve ever watched made it impossible to find bathroom breaks. Below are my top ten ads from the Super Bowl.

Honorable Mention. Career Builder – tips

Wieden + Kennedy

The “Hate your job” theme is starting to get a little redundant, with both Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com using it in their advertising for several years. However, this ad was memorable due to its fantastical clips, physical comedy, and repetition (honestly, does anyone not remember at least three of the scenes from this ad?). It felt like a children’s book to me. A children’s book of insanely disgruntled middle middle class employees.

10. GE – Smart Grid

BBDO

Maybe its my adoration of the gee-whiz technology of GE, or maybe its my excitement at new power technology, or maybe its just a soft spot in my heart for The Wizard of Oz. Whatever it is, this ad made me feel strangely emotional. Thats a pretty big success for a company advertising electric power.

9. Audi – Jason Statham

Venables Bell and Partners

I love the over the top action of the Transporter movies starring Jason Statham and his arsenal of Audis. Due to this, I think its astute of Audi to choose him as their “spokesman” in this ad. The ad had several great qualities; humorous yet subtle humor, high paced action, and cheeky jabs at competing luxury brands. The message was clear, Audi is the new standard of performance. It was delivered with excitement, humor, memorability, and originality.

8. Hyundai – Bosses

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

The old luxury standbys are getting attacked from every angle, even from lowly Hyundai. After years of increasing quality in their offerings, Hyundai has finally gotten critical approval for its luxury Genesis. The little guy beating the big guy theme in this ad is pretty likable, and the self-referential jab at the confusing pronunciation of the name Hyundai ends the ad perfectly. This ad seems to be the official announcement of Hyundai as a big time competitor in the car industry.

7. Heroes Football

Wow. I never knew how much I needed to see a scrimmage between football legends and superheroes. I was so pumped up by this ad I hardly knew what to do. By the time John Elway flew in and showed his all-American quarterback jaw, I was ready to give high fives to every one in the room. Its been a few seasons since I’ve watched Heroes, but this definitely reminded me while I love the show. I can only hope for more Elway cameos.

6. Gatorade – What G Means

TBWA/Chiat/Day

Gatorade’s rebranding campaign has been extremely interesting, and I hope to cover it in a future post. This finale of the mysterious “What is G?” campaign hit pretty hard. The combination of big name stars like Tiger and Peyton with more eclectic additions such as autistic basketball player Jason McElwain and dance crew Jabbawockeez shows an attempt to expand Gatorade’s appeal from die-hard sports players to those with a broader scope of passions. Memorable, emotional, and visually stunning.

5. Cars.com – David Abernathy

BBDO

Perhaps the most-hyped creative spot, the tale of David Abernathy delivered in originality, memorability, and humor. The Wes Anderson-esque description of David Abernathy’s confidence might have made the most well-remembered advertisement of the Super Bowl. But for all its creative genius, I realized it may have failed when my friends were discussing the ad, wondering who it was for again.

4. Pepsi – Refresh Anthem

TBWA/Chiat/Day

Nothing like a Bob Dylan song with emotional clips from the past juxtaposed with their modern day alternatives to get your heart pumping. While some of the comparisons were a little questionable (Will.i.am is the new Dylan?), I thought the ad delivered a great message in a consistent, emotional way. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and Pepsi will always be part of being cool.

3. Coke – Avatar

Wieden + Kennedy

Wieden + Kennedy seem to always know exactly what the public needs from Coca Cola. In an atmosphere where one can get crushed by the myriads of social networking and technology-enabled “connections”, the power of a real life connection is even more potent. What better catalyst for these face to face encounters than a shared bottle of Coke?

2. Hulu – Alec Baldwin

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

The edgiest product advertised during the Superbowl by the edgiest agency. Hulu delivered big with a stellar performance by Alec Baldwin in his 30Rock persona and a sarcastic tone that relies big on the viewer’s ability to “get it”. After multitudes of social networking sites and new media ventures making bombastic claims of changing the world and making life better, its nice to see one unabashedly state that it will turn your brain to mush.

1. Coke Zero – Mean Troy

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Is it any surprise that CP+B were responsible for my top two ads? The agency is on fire. This ad could have easily been a faithful recreation of the original “mean Joe Greene” spot and been incredible. Instead, CP+B inserts their asinine Coca Cola brand managers into the beautiful ad and somehow make it even more memorable.