I watched the Super Bowl in a Hotel Breakfast Nook, the only good TV in the joint, along with a few other weary travelers, a couple of maids and local police who kept popping in. (Tax dollars at work.)
Anyway, the general consensus is that this year’s ads weren’t as great as other years, but there were a few good ones. The ones I liked the best this year leaned more towards whimsical than hilarious or touching. Not sure if that says more about me or the general vibe.
The big winners for me were Bridgestone, Chevy and Eminem, each getting two entries in my list.
Anyway, the general consensus is that this year’s ads weren’t as great as other years, but there were a few good ones. The ones I liked the best this year leaned more towards whimsical than hilarious or touching. Not sure if that says more about me or the general vibe.
The big winners for me were Bridgestone, Chevy and Eminem, each getting two entries in my list.
MY TEN FAVORITE COMMERCIALS FROM THE SUPER BOWL
#10 Bridgestone “Reply All” - Simple, well-executed, absurd and yet completely relatable.
#09 Eminem Lipton Brisk Ice Tea - Cute and didn’t seem too forced.
#08 Chevy Camaro - 2 guys design a commercial that changes as their idea does. The ending is what makes it.
#07 Kia Optima “Epic Ride” - I like when a car company will put on a big show to entertain me. This was entertaining, a mini-movie. Loved it. Explains the Aztecs completely.
#06 Chrysler 200 “Detroit” - Another good fit for Eminem, who blends in well with this classy “Detroit is back!” Ad. Love the tag line: “Chrysler 200: Imported from Detroit”
#05 HomeAway “Test Baby” - Okay, this wasn’t the greatest commercial, but it gets a high spot on my list for having my single favorite moment of the Super Bowl. More than the Beaver, the Bieber, the Force or Christina Aguillera forgetting the words to the National Anthem, I loved me some Test Baby!
#04 Bridgestone “Carma” - a fist-bump to the heart from a beaver; it’s as if God became a poet.
#03 Coca-Cola “War” - Anytime there’s a Dragon you have my attention. I would rather watch this movie than “Rio” or “Rango” or most of the coming animated films. Not 100% executed, but I love how Coca-Cola dreams big, and is confident enough to give us wordless wonder. A beautiful thing.
#02 Chevy Silverado “Lassie” - The best all-around commercial, and only trumped by #1’s off-the-charts Awwwwww Factor. A simple concept (the truck as "Lassie"), builds hilariously; anytime you can get a giant whale and a volcano in the same commercial you’re a winner. The dad’s mutterings are priceless.
and the number one Commercial of the 2011 Super Bowl is......
#01 Volkswagen Passat “The Force” - You could mark it down for not “branding” enough (It took me two times through to remember it was Volkswagen and another couple to see Passat) - but who cares. The kid is simply too cute for words. We’ve all been there, feeling the pain of not being able to unlock the magic within, and the kid’s reaction at the end is divine. A wonderful commercial, Hall of Fame forever.
Wanna see if you agree with my List? Check out all 63 Super Bowl ads here.
Note: the picture up top is from the best commercial in last year’s Super Bowl. I wanted to honor it since I never did a list.
See more Top Ten Lists at the RANK EVERYTHING Home Page
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