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The Best Commercials from Super Bowl XLIII

February 2, 2009

Another Super Bowl has come and gone and those of us not celebrating a victory are left to discuss the commercials, of course.

However, I have to say that I thought the game was actually more interesting that the commercials this year. Usually I put together a Top 10 list, but this year I only found five that I really liked.

Without further ado, here’s my Top 5 Super Bowl commercials.

1. The Nextel Roadies

I am a big fan of the Sprint/Nextel’s “If they ran the world” commercials to begin with and I really liked these latest addition. And it was well placed right before the halftime show.

2. Budweiser Clydesdale Plays Fetch

The Budweiser commercials featuring the Clydesdales are always my favorites. This year I believe there were three, but the one I liked most was where the Clydesdale decides to play fetch.

3. Alec Baldwin and Hulu

This Balwin commercial I think might be the first one I’ve ever seen for Hula, but I loved it. When he said he thought he was drooling a little, I cracked up.

4. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Drive

My kids love their Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads so they were glued to the TV during this episode. But I about lost it when I saw the Mrs. break out the angry eyes!

5. CareerBuilder.com It’s Time

The visualization of punching the small animals is what really set this one off for me. I thought my husband was going to fall off the couch he was laughing so hard

A few other commercials were cute, but nothing to write home about. What did you think?

4 Comments | Football, Sports, Television | Tagged: 2009, ads, Alec Baldwin, Bridgestone, Budweiser, careerbuilder, Clydesdale, commercials, entertainment, Hulu, Mr., Mrs., NBC, Nextel, potato head, roadies, sprint, Super Bowl, superbowl, Television, tv, XLIII | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Fox Cashes in on Super Bowl Audience

February 4, 2008

Already on a ratings high during the writers strike with its schedule of reality TV programs, Fox spared no expense to promote itself during the Super Bowl.

I’d expect the network hosting the Super Bowl to use air time between plays to promote its shows. That’s no surprise. Neither were the vast amounts of onscreen logo promotions – you know, those annoying little logos that take up the corners of the lower portion of the screen.

But Fox went a step further it its promotion airing full ads to promote its shows.

Considering the amount of revenue a 30-second ad spot can earn during the Super Bowl, it’s a pretty bold move to use that valuable air time for self promotion.

I counted no less than five commercials for Fox’s new series Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Two other new series – The Moment of Truth and New Amsterdam – got at least one commercial each. But the commercials weren’t limited to new series. Fox promoted Prison Break with two ads and spotlighted King of the Hill once.

Fox even spent some of its precious air time to promote events that evening including five spots touting the House episode schedule to air after the Super Bowl and a handful of commercials advertising the half-time show.

If all of this air time wasn’t enough, Fox spent some serious bucks marketing one of its schedule staples – American Idol, now in its seventh season. Not only did Fox broadcast a minimum of six ads spotlighting the current season that’s in its last week of auditions, but Fox also used American Idol celebs throughout the Super Bowl event.

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest hosted a Red Carpet pre-game show. American Idol judge Paula Abdul pre-taped a performance of her new single produced by fellow judge Randy Jackson for the pre-game show. And last year’s winner Jordin Sparks sang the national anthem to kick off the game.

Fox’s self promotion also included ads for future events that it’ll be airing including three ads for next week’s Pro Bowl and four commercials for the Daytona 500.

Is it me or did we see a little football among the ode to Fox?

When you consider the cost of producing a commercial on top of the lost revenue by not selling the airtime, Fox took an expensive gamble to gain a few viewers during a time when Fox actually has limited competition.

What do you think? Do you think Fox went overboard with its self promotion? Are you more likely to tune into any of these Fox programs after seeing these Super Bowl ads?

1 Comment | American Idol, Current Affairs, Football, House, Pop Culture, Reality, Sports, Television, Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles | Tagged: ads, American Idol, commercials, Daytona 500, entertainment, Fox, House, Jordin Sparks, King of the HIll, Moment of Truth, New Amsterdam, Paula Abdul, Prison Break, Pro Bowl, Randy Jackson, reality shows, reality TV, revenue, Super Bowl, Television, Terminator, The Sarh Conner Chronicles, tv | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

10 Best 2008 Super Bowl Commercials

February 4, 2008

Super Bowl XLII is now just a memory. While the game itself was a nail biter with three lead changes in the fourth quarter, the talk will still be about the commercials.

Super Bowl commercials are a long standing tradition. Companies pay big bucks all in an effort to win over consumers. And everyone watching the Super Bowl has their favorite commercial.

Here are my picks for the 10 Best 2008 Super Bowl Commercials:

1. The Audi Godfather Spoof

The only thing that could have made this commercial better was if the car in the bed was from a Mustang or some other vehicle represented by a horse.

2. Budweiser and Hank

Call me a softie, but I loved this commercial about Hank the Clydesdale who upon not making the hitch team works with the Dalmatian a la Rocky to train and make the team the next year.

3. Bud Light’s Wine and Cheese

The men’s contribution to the Wine and Cheese party included all the trimmings for a football party. This ad kind of reminded me of something my husband would pull.

4. Planters Nut

When we finally found out why the unibrow chick’s was drawing everyone’s attention, I couldn’t stop laughing. I can’t say that I’ve ever used cashews that way before.

5. Pepsi Max and the Bobbing Heads

The bobbing heads in the bobbing head factory combined with the Night at the Roxbury head bobs made this a cute commercial.

6. FedEx and the Carrier Pigeons

I loved that the carrier pigeons are outfitted with GPS and night vision. But it wasn’t enough to help with those big packages.

7. Doritos and the Mouse Trap

I think if I had mice that big, I’d just move.

8. Bud Light and Fire Breathing

Fire breathing, alcohol and a cat – never a good mix, especially for the cat.

9. CarMax’s ShipMax

Even if CarMax dealt in ships, this commercial would be funny. “Are you shipping me?”

10. Victoria’s Secret

This ad promised that the Super Bowl was only the pregame and the “real game” was still to come. A lot classier than the Go Daddy commercial that I’m sure was pretty popular.