Super Bowl Commercials

[JasonEvans]

So, which ones did we like best and which ones did we hate? The Brady Brunch Snickers ad had me rolling with laughter. Great stuff.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqbomTIWCZ8

Doritos Middle Seat was also clever and I really, really want to be able to play life-size Pac Man (Bud "Up For Anything" commercial).

-Jason "Other faves or hates?" Evans

[duke74]

I'll start with the obvious...hated the Nationwide Insurance commercial with the dead kid. A friend tried explaining why it was an important and effective ad, but it reminded me of the "blood on the windshield" driver's ed films we used to be subjected to. Just depressing.

I did see a trend..a LOT of family/kids type of ads...seemed like every other ad was aiming for heartwarming and uplifting...other than the one I cite above, of course.

[Olympic Fan]

I watched them on-line today (it's just so annoying to have to sit through the football game to see the commercials). My favorite was the Liam Neeson Clash of Clans spot -- which emphasized how stereotyped Neeson's career has become:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC2qk2X3fKA

I also kind of liked the Dodge wisdom of the 100-year-olds, but only because it took such a blatant shot at the Patriots:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKKlqMs19tU

I thought the Bud Lost puppy commercial was too calculatedly :cute" ... I did like the Bud live action Pac Man

[duke74]

I thought the Bud Lost puppy commercial was too calculatedly :cute" ... I did like the Bud live action Pac Man

Yeah, but in a room full of men and women last night it drew a collective awwwwww. Bud does that every year (loved last year's Clydesdale breeder reunion in the city, and of course the one right after September 11th - which I repost each year). They just know how to grab you...calculated cuteness or not...

[Duvall]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siHU_9ec94c

Acid, amnesty and pumpkin-flavored beers?

[weezie]

Lots of people getting hit by food, balls, punches.
Lots of dads in tears, tears about dads, puppies causing tears.

We had a good local spot here in the DCMDVA, Michael and Sons Plumbing, with unidentified hands pumping up a football, "When you can't, we can..."

That Snickers was probably the best, though... Steve Buscmei!!!

[DukieInKansas]

Lots of people getting hit by food, balls, punches.
Lots of dads in tears, tears about dads, puppies causing tears.

We had a good local spot here in the DCMDVA, Michael and Sons Plumbing, with unidentified hands pumping up a football, "When you can't, we can..."

That Snickers was probably the best, though... Steve Buscmei!!!

First commercial during halftime here was the Kansas City Royals revealing their slogan for this year - complete with highlights from last year showing on landmarks around the city. Forever Royal!

That was probably my favorite. Although the Clydesdales and Puppy always get an Awww! from me.

The Nissan ad will get a nod from me also - mainly because it caused my niece to have to find a picture of herself with her dad. Nissan approved the one she found - she is really cute in a Duke tshirt - even if they turned it orange. It's harder to tell that her dad/my brother has one one also.

[weezie]

First commercial during halftime here was the Kansas City Royals revealing their slogan for this year - complete with highlights from last year showing on landmarks around the city. Forever Royal!


Wait, the slogan isn't "See Ya Billy Butler!" ???

I kid, I josh, I joke....

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

The tax return commercial during the Boston Tea Party. Where everyones like "thats a fair compromise" or whatever they say and just walk off...Hilarious.

Also the Bryan Cranston "Pharmaceuticals" commercial.

[DukieInKansas]

Wait, the slogan isn't "See Ya Billy Butler!" ???

I kid, I josh, I joke....

I wish we hadn't said See Ya. I liked Billy Butler but he has to look out for his future and go where he can get the best money for the playing time he has left.

[YmoBeThere]

First commercial during halftime here was the Kansas City Royals revealing their slogan for this year - complete with highlights from last year showing on landmarks around the city. Forever Royal!

That was probably my favorite. Although the Clydesdales and Puppy always get an Awww! from me.

The Nissan ad will get a nod from me also - mainly because it caused my niece to have to find a picture of herself with her dad. Nissan approved the one she found - she is really cute in a Duke tshirt - even if they turned it orange. It's harder to tell that her dad/my brother has one one also.
They turned it orange? Well, at least they didn't ditch the D and the E.

[jacone21]

Local attorney Jamie Casino is at again after his 2014 Super Bowl commercial went viral last year. A couple of years ago, his brother and a friend were shot and killed in downtown Savannah, and the Chief of police made some remarks that upset Casino and a lot of other people. The chief has since been convicted of several felonies and is trying to get another trial. Jamie is still angry.

When the spot aired last night, it ended at the 2 minute mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-JdG8aaUyc

[YmoBeThere]

Our local advertising consisted of a trial lawyer who financed the new County DA's campaign.

[Mal]

...pumpkin-flavored beers?

Now that ad is a textbook example of tone deaf ressentiment. My imagined meeting discussion amongst brand manager and creative types:

"Hey, did you see this poll where half of people between 21 and 30 say they've never even tried Bud?"
"What!?!? *$%# them. Idiot hipster d-b's, every one of them."
"I hate everyone who drinks craft beer or rides a bike to work."
"Seriously. We should insult them in a Superbowl ad."
"That'll work! They'll totally want to drink our product if we try to bully and mock them."
"And stress the values of keeping it real, and quantity over quality."
"Yes. Let's be sure to indirectly dump on Goose Island, which we just bought a few years ago, and all of its customers, while we're at it."
"We can even gild the lily by making up some kind of ridiculous sounding beer, like peach pumpkin ale, that doesn't even exist."

Horrible. Utterly baffling. "Beechwood aged" is a good thing? No one even knows what that means. You've been using the same formula for 125 years? That doesn't sound like "brewed the hard way" to me. It sounds like Bud is brewed the lazy and obstinate way. Perhaps you've noticed that beer drinkers' tastes have changed a bit in that time, and might consider, you know, making some adjustments to the brew, instead of insisting that tasteless beer that's made to be slugged before it gets above 45 degrees is the only way to go.

You've definitely failed when you attempt to make fun of mustache guy sniffing a stout and 35% of the people watching the ad go "Hey, that looks good, I think I'll go to the fridge and forage around to see if I've got any Left Hand in there."

This ad might indicate that Budweiser has accepted its eventual fate, I suppose. They're giving up any pretense of gaining new drinkers and instead trying to shore up brand loyalty within the dwindling, mostly over 50 crowd that they believe has a visceral hatred for Millenials and their urbane, discerning ways, or something. Any pretense of getting anyone under 30 to try a Bud is out the window.

[Bluedog]

Now that ad is a textbook example of tone deaf ressentiment. My imagined meeting discussion amongst brand manager and creative types:

"Hey, did you see this poll where half of people between 21 and 30 say they've never even tried Bud?"
"What!?!? *$%# them. Idiot hipster d-b's, every one of them."
"I hate everyone who drinks craft beer or rides a bike to work."
"Seriously. We should insult them in a Superbowl ad."
"That'll work! They'll totally want to drink our product if we try to bully and mock them."
"And stress the values of keeping it real, and quantity over quality."
"Yes. Let's be sure to indirectly dump on Goose Island, which we just bought a few years ago, and all of its customers, while we're at it."
"We can even gild the lily by making up some kind of ridiculous sounding beer, like peach pumpkin ale, that doesn't even exist."

Horrible. Utterly baffling.

haha, funny stuff. Actually, while the ad team probably chose peach pumpkin ale because it sounded like something that wouldn't exist, Budweiser just bought Elysian Brewing from Seattle last week and they make a ... Pecan Peach Pumpkin Amber (https://untappd.com/b/elysian-brewing-gourdgia-on-my-mind-pecan-peach-pumpkin-amber/834072)!! (Although to be fair, it's Anheuser-Busch InBev that bought that brewery ... Budweiser as its own brand probably has separate marketing executives and didn't care about knocking the other brands under the InBev umbrella.)

[Mal]

haha, funny stuff. Actually, while the ad team probably chose peach pumpkin ale because it sounded like something that wouldn't exist, Budweiser just bought Elysian Brewing from Seattle last week and they make a ... Pecan Peach Pumpkin Amber (https://untappd.com/b/elysian-brewing-gourdgia-on-my-mind-pecan-peach-pumpkin-amber/834072)!!

Well, that just shatters the ole irony meter, doesn't it? Perhaps the conceit behind the ad is InBev trying to cover both of their customer bases - appeal to the angry resentment of their old school domestic drinkers, while simultaneously tricking all the drinkers of the craft brewers now in their stable to go buy more craft beer out of spite for feeling dissed. Evil genius!

For the record, pecan peach pumpkin amber sounds atrocious. Mal's fandom of craft brewing stops at the point of adding fruit and/or nuts to beer (although I love me a good pumpkin ale [not, however, normal ale with pumpkin spices and no actual pumpkin added]). Maybe we can move this to the ymmm...beer thread.

[BD80]

Now that ad is a textbook example of tone deaf ressentiment. My imagined meeting discussion amongst brand manager and creative types:

"Hey, did you see this poll where half of people between 21 and 30 say they've never even tried Bud?"
"What!?!? *$%# them. Idiot hipster d-b's, every one of them."
"I hate everyone who drinks craft beer or rides a bike to work."
"Seriously. We should insult them in a Superbowl ad."
"That'll work! They'll totally want to drink our product if we try to bully and mock them."
"And stress the values of keeping it real, and quantity over quality."
"Yes. Let's be sure to indirectly dump on Goose Island, which we just bought a few years ago, and all of its customers, while we're at it."
"We can even gild the lily by making up some kind of ridiculous sounding beer, like peach pumpkin ale, that doesn't even exist."

Horrible. Utterly baffling. "Beechwood aged" is a good thing? No one even knows what that means. You've been using the same formula for 125 years? That doesn't sound like "brewed the hard way" to me. It sounds like Bud is brewed the lazy and obstinate way. Perhaps you've noticed that beer drinkers' tastes have changed a bit in that time, and might consider, you know, making some adjustments to the brew, instead of insisting that tasteless beer that's made to be slugged before it gets above 45 degrees is the only way to go.

You've definitely failed when you attempt to make fun of mustache guy sniffing a stout and 35% of the people watching the ad go "Hey, that looks good, I think I'll go to the fridge and forage around to see if I've got any Left Hand in there."

This ad might indicate that Budweiser has accepted its eventual fate, I suppose. They're giving up any pretense of gaining new drinkers and instead trying to shore up brand loyalty within the dwindling, mostly over 50 crowd that they believe has a visceral hatred for Millenials and their urbane, discerning ways, or something. Any pretense of getting anyone under 30 to try a Bud is out the window.

Bud Light leads domestic sales, selling more than 2 and #3 (Coors Light and Miller Lite) combined. #s 4, 5, 7 and 8 are Bud family beers. (Bud, Mich, Busch)

This commercial was targeted to reinforce its hold against #s 2 and 3, maybe sway a couple of the Miller and Coors drinkers to give Bud a try, and to discourage its drinkers to stay away from Micro brews.

The essence is: "why spend $5 - $10 on a foo-foo beer, get a good, drinkable beer for a buck."

Salt of the earth kind of appeal:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHJbSvidohg

[Mal]

A+ for outstanding use of Blazing Saddles clip.

Craft's closing in on 10% of the market and has been growing about 10%/year, while overall beer production in the U.S. has decreased, and while light beers have come to dominate the non-craft market and cannibalize regular Budweiser sales. So the problem for Budweiser is that it's under attack from both sides, and they're losing profit even if market share's still large. It can't compete with the light beers on their primary appeal (drink five of these without feeling like you've gained 30 pounds of water weight, + price), and it can't compete with the micros in terms of their primary appeal (taste). So what do they have left? Brand history (clydesdales), existing brand loyalty, and anti-snobbery appeals, I guess. If the taste were closer on the spectrum to high quality beers, they could stake out a claim as semi-premium but lower cost, which might work (and might help differentiate it from the light beer world, too). But the product's nowhere near there, and their Superbowl doesn't seem to be an indication they're looking to go that way.

[sagegrouse]

Where's the love for the blue pill and Fiat spot?

[rasputin]

Where's the love for the blue pill and Fiat spot?

That one got me howling. I also liked the avocado ad, with the various countries having a draft.