I completely forgot to post this earlier in the week when it actually would have been relevant. Here’s a quick list of this year’s Super Bowl commercials, and what I though about them.
I’ve broken them into two categories: Actually Funny and Tried To Be Funny. Any commercials that don’t even try to entertain me are inherently Stupid, by the logic that if you’re going to spend that much money for a commercial spot, you should at least try to make it entertaining. These Stupid commercials aren’t on my list. Overall, I laughed a lot more than in the past three years, since all of the wacky .com ads came out at the Super Bowl.
Hamsters (or was it gerbils?). Shot out of cannons. Hilarity, I say!
First, my favorite commercial from each half, with a brief reason why:
First Half: Bud Light – Dog Bite
What can I say? The snob with the I-just-got-bit-in-the-balls look on his face is timeless humor.
Second Half: Nextel – NASCAR Lineman
Cool concept. Well filmed, for a commercial. Interesting combination of popular sports. Actually funny use of those damn Nextel walkie-talkies. The defenders being dragged along by the car. The victory spinout in the end zone was my favorite part :o).
Now, the lists. Note that I’m not bothering to look up the actual commercial titles, so I’m just naming them descriptively. Commercials are listed in order of appearance. Comments are linked to below the lists.
Tried To Be Funny
- Tostitos – “Football Wife”
- Dodge – “Monkey on your Back”
- Pepsi – “Bears”
- Budweiser – “Shouting Wife” [1]
- Sierra Mist – “Kilt”
- Bud Light – “Flaming Horse Farts!!”
- Pepsi – “Fat Waitress”
- Chevrolet – “Wash your Mouth out with Soap”
- Sierra Mist – “Jumping”
Actually Funny
- McDonald’s – “Dryer Sheet”
- Domino’s – “Muppets & Jessica Simpson”
- Ford – “Funny Disclaimer” [2]
- Bud Light – “Dog Bite” :o)
- Fedex – “Office Alien”
- Bud Light – “Bikini Wax”
- H&R Block – “Willie Nelson Doll” [3]
- Budweiser – “Donkey”
- Mitsubishi – “Accident Avoidance”
- Charmin – “Toilet Paper Bear”
- Visa – “Snow Beach Volleyball”
- Lays – “Grandparents”
- NFL Network – “Tomorrow” [4]
- Bud Light – “Flirtatious Monkey”
- Staples – “Supply Room Mafia” [5]
- Budweiser – “Lipstick”
- Mastercard – “Simpson’s Priceless”
- Nextel – “NASCAR Lineman” :o)
- Truth – “Shards o’ Glass Freeze Pops” [6]
- 7-up – “Basketball Hoop”
- Pepsi – “Jimi Hendrix”
[1] I don’t like commercials that do the nagging wife/lazy husband stereotype. I don’t know how accurate it actually is, but it’s just a mildly offensive skewing of what marriage is like.
[2] The commercial isn’t funny in and of itself; it’s just a regular car commercial. However, it does come with this funny disclaimer in small print at the bottom of the screen: “Clearly a professional driver on a closed course. Duh.”
[3] Oh, the irony. A coup by the ad company for hiring Willie Nelson as a tax accounting spokesman. Definitely a runner-up favorite ad.
[4] Good concept. Some of them can actually sing… and some of them definitely can’t.
[5] My other runner up. Who is that actor that comes in at the end? He’s in a bunch of mob movies.
[6] Funny anti-smoking ad. Shards o’ Glass Website
“More Than A Feeling” from Boston – Greatest Hits by Boston
Nurd Up!