Every year they’re the chatter after the game. Almost as important as the game itself are the 15-120 second commercials that fill the time to make the Super Bowl a non-stop 5-hour event. Although disappointing overall, a few 2013 Super Bowl XLVII ads stuck out to me, and I’ll share my top 5 with descriptions in 50 words or less:
Simply the best played this year. GoPro shows off its camera in a new—hilarious—context. We see up-close shots of Baby Charlie Ray (love that he gets name credit), climaxing with a slo-mo toss into the air. Five seconds of footage and this ad is completely untouched. Great idea.
2. Duluth Trading Co: “Buck Naked”
I know it’s not new, but Duluth Trading Company comes through with the simplicity of only animation and type. It’s just a quick comparison to prove that these manly underwear offer the feeling of being ‘buck naked’. “No pinch, no stain, no sweat.” That’s just good catchy stuff.
Like anything bold, Dodge’s ad got lots of hype and flack. Plagiarism aside, the still photos and story narration have you hooked from the beginning. Maybe this shouldn’t have been a Dodge commercial but an ode to farmers, but that still begs the question: who would have paid for it?
It’s a classic animal-separated-from-owner story, but who can’t root for him? I mean it’s a Clydesdale! This throwback was both dryly anticipated and oddly refreshing. Simply put: I’m happy they did this, which is the whole point of advertising (emotional response leading to action).
I like this because it was good story-written humor. In an ad category where comedy lacks so much depth anymore, this felt like a well set-up joke with a solid, assumed punch line. Oh yeah, and I guess goats like Doritos.
Posts by Mark 