Jumping the Shark: "The defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant you know from now on ... it's all downhill."
Let's face it, when commercials come on, it's usually a signal flare to change the channel, go to the bathroom, grab another beer from the fridge, or just tune out. But the Super Bowl is different. The commercials are part of the show. Sometimes better than the game itself.
Last year we had a bumper crop of creative, funny and intelligent ads including the FedEx caveman spot, the MacGyver Visa commerical, and the Careerbuilder.com monkeys.
Like Rex Grossman's passes, they just didn't hit their target.
Here are some of my picks for the best and worst.
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Bunny - Blockbuster An animated bunny trying to "click" an animated mouse. Viewers picked this as their favorite. Very cute and creative. Unless you're a member of PETA. Best Spot Featuring a Serial Killer - Bud Light A young couple driving a deserted road late at night pick up an ax-wielding hitchhiker because he has some Bud Light. I thought this was one of the funniest, if that tells you anything about the rest. Best Use of Facial Hair - Sierra Mist I liked SM's first commerical featuring a "beard comb-over." But the karate spot 30 seconds later was awful. Penalties offset, no touchdown. Best Celebrities - Oprah Winfrey & David Letterman A promo for CBS. Colts fan Letterman and Bears fan Winfrey cozying up on a couch together watching the game. Just slightly creepier than Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. (I'm not sure which one is Hannibal, though.) Worst Celebrity - Kevine Federline, Nationwide Insurance A glimpse into K-Fed's "post-Britney" future as a fast-food worker. Some people liked this spot, because they say it shows that K-Fed can make fun of himself. I think it just shows he'll do anything for money. Most Obscure Reference - Garmin & Ultraman This ad for GPS devices featured a guy in a silver suit fighting a giant "map monster" in a hokey miniature city reminiscent of old-school monster movies. But this wasn't a parody of King Kong or Godzilla movies. This was a take-off on the old Ultraman show of the '60s. Go Hayata! What the H-E Double Hockey Sticks Were They Thinking? - Snickers Two guys eating a snickers from each side end up accidentally kissing, then painfully pulling out patches of chest hair to show that they're "manly." When is mainstream America going to stop making fun of gay people to feel better about themselves? Deja Vu All Over Again - FedEx FedEx tried to improve over last year's caveman spot with an "office on the moon" bit. But the guy getting hit by an asteroid wasn't as funny as the caveman getting stomped. Frankly, the Mr. Turkeyneck ad in the fourth quarter was funnier. Overall, I think this year's show within a show was a Super Dud. With things like TiVo and On Demand pushing traditional commercials toward the endangered species list, Madison Ave execs better start coming up with some new ideas if they don't want to end up like Fonzie.
You can watch all of this year's Super Bowl ads at Superbowl-ads.com.
Ethan Morris: "Not always right, but never in doubt." Go ahead and write me.
