This Super Bowl had advertisers playing to the middle and pandering to the mainstream even more than usual. There was lots of animals, talking babies (seriously E Trade? Don’t you think we’ve been sick of these for quite a while? This is all you got?) and of course scantily clad women acting risque. Yet it was a family-friendly car ad from Volkswagen that was named America’s favorite commercial in the ninth annual SpotBowl national poll.
SpotBowl is a creation of Pennsylvania-based marketing agency Pavone.
The Volkswagen spot starred an overweight pooch that sheds some weight so he can chase the new VW. I loved last year’s winner, the Darth Vader kid “using the force” with the auto-start.
This year’s Super Bowl lineup saw nearly half of its ads released beforehand by companies hoping to generate some pregame buzz. According to Pavone president and CEO Michael Pavone, the strategy took some of the anticipation out of the game for many ad fans.
“Overall, I think this year’s ads were better than in the past few years, but the element of surprise was definitely missing,” said Pavone. “It was kind of like finding out what you’re getting for Christmas before you open your presents.”
Other spots generating pregame buzz included Honda’s “Ferris Bueller” remake starring Matthew Broderick, which finished 13th in the poll. Acura’s ad starring Jerry Seinfeld finished seventh, while the E*TRADE baby, perhaps showing his age, finished toward the middle of the pack in 20th place.
Finishing in last place was Go Daddy’s “Heaven,” which featured race-car driver Danica Patrick and followed the company’s risqué Super Bowl advertising formula of years past. Go Daddy’s second ad, “Body Paint,” finished second to last.
For a complete list of the game’s winners and losers, visit SpotBowl.com
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.