Nobody wants a Super Bowl party pooper.
During XLIII, reality kept intruding in the form of uncomfortably stark commercials. Certain of the spots, always barometers of the public’s mood as perceived by Madison Avenue, echoed the grim truth.
Anheuser-Busch’s entry for Bud Light was only the first to reference the economic woes on everyone’s mind: In a conference room, an office group weighs how to save money. We could “cut back on marketing,” one colleague suggests, “eliminate bonuses,” offers another.
For a second, it felt a tad too close to home. Where was the punch line?
“We could stop buying Bud Light for every meeting,” says a third office mate, eyeing the beer chilling on the table. In the next shot, he is heaved out the window along with his chair. He complains he was only kidding.
No kidding, the sacked economy was a running theme in several $3 million-per-30-second Super Bowl commercials. Spots offered uplift, comfort, career help, everything but a ride to the unemployment office.
You might be without a 401(k), but you can still be a hero to your kid, per Universal Orlando Resort.
Death and taxes are the only sure things, H&R Block’s spot underscored.
The spot, with William Shatner helping a couple who can’t afford a vacation “in this economy,” was not much of a joke.
asking, “Need a new job?” was no doubt a bitter reminder to a record number of viewers.
The most wonderfully sentimental spot was the Pepsi ad, “Forever Young,” with Bob Dylan and Will.i.am side-by-side, concertgoers holding lighters and then cellphones, along with other pop cultural icons, Gumby to Shrek. It played especially well to baby boomers. Those in Gen Y might have found it overly nostalgic.
Looking for laughs, Castrol Edge’s grease monkeys, Bridgestone’s Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head and the fetching Budweiser Clydesdales were tops. Cheetos was sadistic but oddly enjoyable, making fun of a ditzy girl blabbing on a cellphone. Not appetizing, with birds going for the Cheetos, but dumb fun.
Credit or blame for going with the most gratuitous spot for its geeky young male audience (watching babes in the shower). Pepsi Max, “the first diet cola for men,” played on male stereotypes with good fun.
NBC was in our face with way too many promos — at what point do they and their programs incur ill will for over-exposure? The wordless spot featuring Jay Leno in a sports car, noting his new NBC time slot this fall, was smart. But the overdose of NBC “Heroes” promos got stale, even with John Elway playing for the network team.
Coke’s epic animated adventure with a ladybug, butterflies and other critters stealing a bottle from a picnic was ingenious and pretty. Does pretty translate to memorable?
The most eye-popping spot that lived up to its advance buzz was the SoBe ballet: With or without 3-D glasses, the sight of SoBe lizards dancing alongside NFL stars Ray Lewis, Justin Tuck and Matt Light was a pleasure.
In spite of harsh realities in the outside world, lizards, Clydesdales, monkeys and Potato Heads helped escapism win the day.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
