Monday, February 2, 2009

Super Bowl Sunday

Now THAT'S what I call a good Super Bowl. The me the most memorable moments in the game were the 100-yard return and the Santonio Holmes' game winning ballet catch at the end. Both teams played a fantastic game. I'm so relieved it wasn't a blow-out or one-sided. Arizona was the weaker of the two but not by that much, particularly in third and fourth quarter.

Advertising wise, some solid spots. Throughout the game, I twittered my thoughts on the ads so I'll be referring back to my tweets. 

The GoDaddy spots were inane and infantile, perfect for the male demographic. Did they sell anything? Meh, doubt it. They did make the point that one should register one's identity, which is always smart.

I like the idea behind the virtual world Coke spot – in a world that's increasingly virtual, Coke is the real thing. Can't beat the laser like Gen-Y insight. In fact, it's almost a generational anthem spot. Well done. 

NBC was pushing product hard this year and their spots were some of the most successful promo spots I've seen. My favorite was the Laugh Your Ass Off spot. Great execution. They have such a strong line-up but they took hits due to last year's strike so I'm sure every little bit helps. 

William Shatner knows how to deliver. The 'Cyrano' Priceline spot rocked and is probably one of my favorites. It's amazing how he still embraces the role that made him famous, unlike many other stars. The Priceline work is consistently one of the best advertising, in my opinion. 

The car advertising of the show was the Audi work with Jason Streatham. Predictable but still good. The automaker I'm most disappointed in is Toyota. Toyota's work has always been on the cheesy side but it's amazing to me how domestic Toyota is now, which is probably a good thing considering their huge infrastructure investment in this country and the 'Buy American' attitude that is waning but still prevalent. Their Tundra ad could have been done by Ford or GM. 

In terms of entertainment, Faith Hill rocked but looked a little mumsie for my taste. Jennifer Hudson nearly lost it in the beginning but belted out a powerful anthem. I don't usually watch halftime shows but Bruce Springsteen gave a terrific performance.

Overall, a solid Super Bowl. Good old-fashioned entertainment. In these times, very welcome indeed. 

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