James R. Dickey

The ads in this years’ Super Bowl ranged from fantastic and effective to nonsensical, ineffective and practically repulsive.

My Opinion On The Ads

Best Overall Category The movie trailers had the advantage. They looked entertaining and received almost universal positive feedback from both our live group and the comments I saw online.

The Smartest Business Move The Universal promotion. I wouldn’t be surprised if their $9 million ad spend got them over 1 million very targeted names with street and email addresses. Close second may be Denny’s with their free breakfast tomorrow from 6am-2pm. Google reports huge spike in searches on Denny’s since the ad aired.

The Most On-Point Positioning (given the current environment) Hyundai’s “buy a car and if you lose your job within a year we’ll take it back with no harm to your credit”.

The Best Overall E*Trade. Funny, memorable, very specific positioning. Feedback from others range from “those are hilarious” to “I have got to open an account with those guys”. Enough said.

Biggest Missed Opportunity Jack In The Box’s site outages. Hint: if you’re going to send millions to your web page, make sure the infrastructure is ready for the load.

Dumbest Ad Overall Pepsuber. Need I say more?

Most Offensive A tie between Go Daddy 1 and Go Daddy 2.

Most Creative Miller’s 1 second spot. Creative concept – the whole idea of doing multiple 1-second spots rather than a 30-second spot. Lots of deserving press as a result. Kudos.

What additional categories would you create? Which of mine do you disagree with?

View The Commercials:

What do you think?

Tags: Advertising, Go Daddy, Hyundai, Jack in the Box, Super Bowl, Twitter, Universal Studios

It’s interesting to see the unedited, real-time stream. Here it is in all its unvarnished glory.

The Twitter Stream

The commentary from our “focus group” of 20 watching the game (with a few pointers added in by responding Twittter users). The best way to read this is from the bottom up (it’s in reverse chronological order):

# @stephanie2967 Good point, but makes it all the more striking that it had better response than the scarecrow ad. 8:40 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to stephanie2967

# @KRAPPS I can completely see that. Didn’t respond that way myself because I have a screen, not a plasma/lcd. 8:39 PM Feb 1st from web

# RT @melissa919 we thought “Pepsuber” was a stealth Coke commercial. LOL! 8:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Only good thing about “Pepsuber” was seeing Richard Dean Anderson’s disgust. #superbowlads #superads09 8:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# @KRAPPS Ok, but for you, why? Is it the exclusionary nature? Making those who didn’t buy Vizio feel bad? 8:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# So NBC convinced Pepsi to use a bad SNL skit for one of their ads? “Pepsuber” universally panned here. You? #superbowlads #superads09 8:35 PM Feb 1st from web

# The GE “capturing the wind” ad got much stronger positive reaction from our group than the scarecrow ad. #superbowlads #superads09 8:34 PM Feb 1st from web

# @KRAPPS Awesome! Please expand. I’d love to hear your thoughts. 8:32 PM Feb 1st from web

# @AMcDermott Too bad. I hate to hear about nice people like @mchammer associated with anything tarnished. 8:28 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to AMcDermott

# So now we have a Hulu ad. “Sold out” is meaning less and less. #superbowlads #superads09 8:27 PM Feb 1st from web

# Great catch during tight coverage. Good for the Cards. Need more still, though. #superbowl 8:26 PM Feb 1st from web

# GE ad target has to be industrial executives. No positive reaction here. What did you think? #superbowlads #superads09 8:26 PM Feb 1st from web

# So GE is buying Superbowl time from NBC? Isn’t that known as a shell game? #superbowlads #superads09 8:24 PM Feb 1st from web

# Taco Bell ad – “buy from us and you can move entirely too quickly”? #superbowlads #superads09 8:24 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very clear positioning by Vizio in well-done ad. #superbowlads #superads09 8:23 PM Feb 1st from web

# @melanieyunk No kidding. Should be outsourced cloud computing’s dream application! 8:22 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to melanieyunk

# @ElderCareRN Do you mean Hyundai will lose lots on it or consumers would? I didn’t say it was a good deal, just good, clear positioning. 8:21 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to ElderCareRN

# Kudos to @mchammer for Cash4Gold ad-funny/Good response here-wonder how much gold they have to buy/sell to recoup. #superbowlads #superads09 8:20 PM Feb 1st from web

# Coke play-off on Mean Joe Green got strong positive reaction here. #superbowlads #superads09 8:18 PM Feb 1st from web

# Hyundai Assurance ad VERY smart-strong value proposition, perfect for current economy/climate. #superbowlads #superads09 8:18 PM Feb 1st from web

# Reaction here: Andrew Dice Clay & Joan Rivers on The Apprentice – Must Watch TV. My response-”The Apprentice is still on?” #superbowlads 8:13 PM Feb 1st from web

# @melanieyunk That’s a (sort of) good sign for them – lots of response. Horrible wasted opportunity, though. 8:13 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to melanieyunk (Jack in the Box site was down!!!)

# @tkpleslie LOL! I can hear all of my kids using “fake paws” for years to come. Thanks. You’re right about missing the Twitter opportunity. 8:10 PM Feb 1st from web

# Jack In The Box ad inexplicable. If not to you, please explain it to me. Obviously a teaser. Killed Jack off? #superbowlads #superads09 8:09 PM Feb 1st from web

# Cargill ad very clear, but target market (corporate purchasing managers) must be tiny. Waste or brilliant? #superbowlads #superads09 8:08 PM Feb 1st from web

# @tkpleslie Leslie – nice to see you. Agree that Open Happiness tag line has lots of modern possibilities and tie-ins – depends on execution. 8:05 PM Feb 1st from web

# Coke insect ad response evenly split between “very creative” and “someone’s on drugs”. What did you think? #superbowlads #superads09 8:02 PM Feb 1st from web

# @UkuleleJammin I really appreciate that. Thank you-just my opinions, though. Final decision is always in the sales results. #superbowlads 8:01 PM Feb 1st from web

# CareerBuilder ad got very strong positive reaction and had clear value message. Kudos. #superbowlads 7:59 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very good Transformers 2 trailer. So far almost 100% on the movie trailers. #superbowlads 7:58 PM Feb 1st from web

# Good stand by the Cards defense. #superbowl 7:57 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Reverse_Vampyr To give people credit it’s a tough line to manage. You can’t be completely innocuous but you have to be careful about msgs. 7:57 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Reverse_Vampyr

# That personal foul will definitely not help things for the Cards. #superbowl 7:55 PM Feb 1st from web

# @willyouatme A couple of the commercials before the half were aired in 3D and millions of 3D glasses were distributed free in preparation.:) 7:55 PM Feb 1st from web

# @illuminatedeye @taDtaP Agreed, but at least it’s a product-oriented stated value. Doesn’t have to be unique, just uniquely positioned. 7:52 PM Feb 1st from web

# Are the Cards still wearing their 3D glasses? #superbowl 7:49 PM Feb 1st from web

# @taDtaP Actually I gave high marks to the Bud Light one that talked about drinkability – an actual product differentiation. #superbowlads 7:44 PM Feb 1st from web

# “Race to Witch Mountain” trailer looks good. Is this the 70s flashback #superbowl or what? #superbowlads 7:43 PM Feb 1st from web

# Budweiser Clydesdale Immigrant ad ok on emotion. One audience reaction though “are any of their ads going to be about beer?” #superbowlads 7:42 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Cowhoof Right. The fine print actually said be in the first 100k to submit complete form after each time the commercial airs. 7:40 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Ramona_W I think so. 7:40 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Ramona_W

# @Ramona_Werst My mistake – 6am-2pm 7:40 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Ramona_Werst

# Bridgestone Titan moon ad message: buy bridgestone tires and they’ll be stolen? #superbowlads 7:39 PM Feb 1st from web

# Denny’s Free Grand Slam Tuesday 6-2am commercial awesome. Great offer, funny presentment. “Serious breakfast” #superbowlads 7:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Coke avatar ad did not feel memorable at all. #superbowlads 7:37 PM Feb 1st from web

# Universal form requires name/address/email&has tell-a-friend option-probably very effective lead gen program, but bait/switch? #superbowlads 7:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# Universal Free Ticket ad/campaign very smart, but wonder how many will feel misled. Have to be in first 100k after ad airs #superbowlads 7:35 PM Feb 1st from web

# @archizoo I agree. I think the positive reactions were limited to those who knew the words of the songs-mostly nostalgia. #superbowl 7:27 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to archizoo

# Chase ad: we have cool ATMs and you may be able to sucker people out of money. (like we do regularly?) #superbowlads 7:26 PM Feb 1st from web

# Pretty impressive/memorable/clear value proposition Toyota Tundra Mojave ad. #superbowlads 7:21 PM Feb 1st from web

# Positive audience reaction here for the Springsteen set. Younger crowd not crazy about it though. #superbowl 7:20 PM Feb 1st from web

# @brianrooney You must know VERY different roadies than I have. Safety and timeliness were not their top priorities. 7:18 PM Feb 1st from web

# No wardrobe malfunctions. So far so good. #superbowl 7:11 PM Feb 1st from web

# Elway a funny Heroes surprise, but so is the number of NBC commercials that are running. Commercials “sold out”-sort of. #superbowlads 7:06 PM Feb 1st from web

# Sprint/Nextel Roadie commercial ok. Surprised they didn’t run something new. Not sure I want to be like a roadie. #superbowlads 7:06 PM Feb 1st from web

# @digiphile We had 3d glasses. One small piece really stood out, not much more did. 7:04 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to digiphile

# @TeacherLori True, and the “code brown” status crass too. Could go either way. 7:04 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to TeacherLori

# SoBe ad did a good job of making the name memorable&evoking a positive reaction from our crowd. If those were only goals, ok. #superbowlads 7:02 PM Feb 1st from web

# Monsters v. Aliens looks good also. I’d have to say so far the movie trailers are winning the ad competition. #superbowlads 7:01 PM Feb 1st from web

# @superkev07 Right, but the commercials (think Go Daddy and today, Doritos and Teleflora) are now frequently inappropriate for kids. 6:55 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to superkev07

# @mikeslone It did. Our audience got a little too excited here and I got carried away with them. 6:54 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to mikeslone

# Nevermind, the Papa Johns deal was only on a kickoff return, not a 100-yard interception return. Nice job, Steelers. #superbowl 6:53 PM Feb 1st from web

# Papa John’s just spent a whole lot of money unless this flag is on Pittsburgh. @superbowl 6:52 PM Feb 1st from web

# @EstieC Better way to put it. Still not that great a message, IMO. 6:51 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to EstieC

# @Skiorsurf Yeah, ever since Janet Jackson we stopped letting our little kids watch the #superbowl 6:50 PM Feb 1st from web

# So cheetos are good for feeding pigeons? #superbowlads 6:48 PM Feb 1st from web

# Twestival Unstoppable: Live Earth Joins Twitter Fundraiser http://tinyurl.com/btm9fe 6:46 PM Feb 1st from twitterfeed

# Warner dodges a bullet on that one. #superbowl 6:45 PM Feb 1st from web

# @ajinnashville So true, AJ – that was a good combo side- and reinforcing-point for them. 6:44 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to ajinnashville

# Really creepy talking flower. Very clear “don’t sent flowers in a box” message, though. Teleflora. What do you think? #superbowlads 6:43 PM Feb 1st from web

# Don’t really get animation Bud Light commercial. Be mean & fool women? Clear “drinkability” value proposition, though. Ok. #superbowlads 6:41 PM Feb 1st from web

# Good stuff by Adams. #superbowl 6:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Too bad cards forced to punt. Interesting to see if they’ll be able to return the favor. #superbowl 6:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very smart of NBC to promote presence of all ads on hulu.com-wonder if they sold that as perk to advertisers as part of deal? #superbowlads 6:37 PM Feb 1st from web

# Memorable, funny, strong reaction, good value proposition and social reinforcement (>1000 people/day) E-trade – Great!!! #superbowlads 6:36 PM Feb 1st from web

# Hyundai ad breaks rule of not showing competitors’ brands/logos/names. Seems effective, though. #superbowlads 6:35 PM Feb 1st from web

# Based on well-informed input I’m switching the hashtag I’m using to #superbowlads instead of #superads09 Hate to lose the 2 chars, though 6:32 PM Feb 1st from web

# Long-winded way to get there, but clear value prop for Cars.com. What did you think? #superads09 6:24 PM Feb 1st from web

# Very mixed reaction in our audience to the G ad. #superads09 6:23 PM Feb 1st from web

# Great to see the cards come alive. Looks like we have a game now. Fantastic catch! #superbowl 6:21 PM Feb 1st from web

# Clydesdale love affair ad got strong response from the females in our audience, and a “what’s that got to do w/beer” from a male #superads09 6:15 PM Feb 1st from web

# Star Trek trailer looks really promising. #superads09 6:14 PM Feb 1st from web

# Clydesdales can out-fetch dalmations. Um, ok. #superads09 6:12 PM Feb 1st from web

# men can take anything except other diet colas – funny & clear Pepsi Max commercial. #superads09 6:10 PM Feb 1st from web

# Doritos makes your dreams come true-stripping women, stealing money, beating police. Run out of them & you’re dead meat. ??? #superads09 6:09 PM Feb 1st from web

# I hope that was one well-paid female monkey. At least a value prop – more protection than Mobil 1 for Castrol. Ok. #superads09 6:04 PM Feb 1st from web

# Angry eyes on Mrs. Potato Head and the message-Bridgestone tires help you stop when you need to. Well done. #superads09 6:03 PM Feb 1st from web

# @treesearcher Seemed like a one-note joke that might be ok as a small part of a 4-minute monologue on his show, not selling something. 6:01 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to treesearcher

# Don’t get me wrong. I’m pulling for the Cards and will only be disappointed if it isn’t a real game. 131-13 yards-not good so far #superbowl 6:00 PM Feb 1st from web

# What an amazing play by the Steelers. Nice work. #superbowl 5:57 PM Feb 1st from web

# Did I mention someone should tell the Cardinals the game has started? Except for that deflected pass, not much there yet. #superbowl 5:55 PM Feb 1st from web

# @robynmcintyre Absolutely – frequently a good way to fairly safely judge medium/message effectiveness. Not 100% in non-direct mktg, but good 5:54 PM Feb 1st from web

# Pretty funny Conan Obrien Bud Light commercial, but the message I’m remembering is affiliate w/Bud, be embarrased. #superads09 5:52 PM Feb 1st from web

# @Jason_Smuvrd 19 of them are already linked from my site at http://jamesrdickey.com I’ll have many more there by tonight. #superads09 5:49 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to Jason_Smuvrd

# @MommyJenna Haven’t seen 3. You’re right, then, not surprising at all. 5:47 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to MommyJenna

# @BrandiPowers Yes. He’s really good in The Transporter. Hear 2 and 3 not good, but the original is both original and good, as is he. 5:46 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to BrandiPowers

# Pepsi Forever Young commercial okay. Doritos free chips promotion effective and hilarious. #superads09 5:45 PM Feb 1st from web

# Jason Stratham a nice surprise in the Audi ad. Supercharging a different way to go w/economy/fuel costs today. #superads09 5:44 PM Feb 1st from web

# Bud light worth more (a nd more important to peers/superiors) than bonuses and marketing. Nice, funny, value-prop ad. #superads09 5:40 PM Feb 1st from web

# The game has started. Someone needs to tell the Cardinals defense that. #superbowl 5:38 PM Feb 1st from web

# @robynmcintyre Sure did. Ouch! Still wonder if the price (based on total audience) will be worth the result. #superads09 5:36 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to robynmcintyre

# Mea culpa! I year you-millions of women watching. Don’t need to hear from you all. Still like to see actual $ impact for Avon.#superads09 5:34 PM Feb 1st from web

# Nice Hyndai ad, but unmemorable. #superads09 5:31 PM Feb 1st from web

# @travelbugs True-but the rate you pay is premised on the entire audience, not a portion – why most ads are mass-market products. #superads09 5:26 PM Feb 1st from web in reply to travelbugs

# Surprised-shocked-to see Avon advertising on the #superbowl. Um, speak to your target? #superads09 5:23 PM Feb 1st from web

# I was skeptical about the idea of a GI Joe movie, but the trailer looks promising. #superads09 5:22 PM Feb 1st from web

# Free 7-day ticket offer pretty bold from Universal. Wonder how many site visits that will drive? #superads09 5:13 PM Feb 1st from web

# Surprised Kay Jewelers didn’t come up with something new. Love Jane Seymour, though. #superads09 5:06 PM Feb 1st from web

# Liked the Sprint ad. Nice value proposition and tie-in to the game. #superads09 5:05 PM Feb 1st from web

# Not emotionally invested, but rooting for the Cardinals today in the #superbowl also rooting for SoBe in #superads09 4:00 PM Feb 1st from web

# Given how much we pay attention to ads today is it possible the $3 million is actually a good deal? #superads09 1:39 PM Feb 1st from txt

Tags: Advertising, Campaigns, Go Daddy, Hyundai, Jack in the Box, Super Bowl, Twitter, Universal Studios

Below are brief descriptions and links to the 2009 Super Bowl Ads posted so far on Commercial Archive:

GE – Scarecrow – (2009) :30 (USA)

BBDO New York updates the “If I had a brain” scarecrow song from “The Wizard of Oz”. The GE Super bowl debut ad is scheduled to run in the fourth quarter. GE owns NBC-is this a sign they couldn’t sell the spot?

Gatorade – Jordan – (2009) :30 (USA)

TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. We now finally know “What’s G?” Airing in the fourth quarter.

Gatorade – Talking Heads / Tiger – (2009) :30 (USA)

TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. We now finally know “What’s G?” Airing in the fourth quarter.

Pepsi – Refresh Anthem – (2009) :60 (USA)

TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. Featuring Will.i.am performing Bob Dylan’s anthem “Forever Young.” Will air in the first quarter.

Pepsi Max – “I’m good” full version (2009) :30 (USA)

TBWA/Chiat/Day

Pepsi Max – “I’m good” short version (2009) :15 (USA)

TBWA/Chiat/Day

Pepsi Max – Ingredients – (2009) :30 (USA)

TBWA/Chiat/Day. Scheduled for pre-game airing.

SoBe – Lizard Swan Lake – (2009) :60 (USA)

The Arnell Group. Features the SoBe Lizards and Monsters vs. Aliens characters doing Swan Lake with NFL players. Will immediately follow the “Monsters vs. Aliens” 3D movie trailer in the second quarter in 3D.

Coca Cola – Avatar – (2009) :30 (USA)

Wieden+Kennedy Portland. Avatars have less fun. Will air in the third quarter.

NFL – Usama Young – (2009) :60 (USA)

BBDO New York. Story chosen by NFL fans. Will be shown the third quarter.

Coca Cola – Heist – (2009) :30 (USA)

Wieden+Kennedy Portland. All the bugs join in to steal the bottle of joy. Or at least the contents.

Heineken – John Turturro / Warrior – (2009) :30 (USA)

Wieden+Kennedy Portland. “This is not a beer; this is a sword. Wield it with honor. Or cut yourself off.”

GoDaddy – Enhanced Hearing – (2009) :30 (USA)

A recycling of their old superbowl ad ideas.

GoDaddy – Shower Danica Patrick – (2009) :30 (USA)

Men drooling over Danica Patrick in the shower.

Bridgestone – Hot Item (Superbowl teaser) – (2009) :15 (USA)

Dallas’ The Richards Group. Joy riding on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

Bridgestone – Taters (Superbowl teaser) – (2009) :13 (USA)

Dallas’ The Richards Group. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head on a drive on a mountain road.

Denny’s – Thugs Teaser ad – (2009) :25 (USA)

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Voiced by Burt Reynolds. This spot will air during the third quarter and a 15-second spot will air post-game.

Pedigree – Crazy Pets – (2009) :30 (USA)

TBWA/Chiat/Day. Not all pets are created equal.

Careerbuilder.com – It may be time – (2009) :60 (USA)

Ways to tell if you need a new job.

What do you think?

Which is your favorite? Your least favorite? Which advertiser or category do you wish were represented?

Tags: Advertising, Super Bowl

I’ve been party lately to a lot of discussion on ideas. Whether specific ones are good or bad, and the implications of those. Many great business ideas have been expressed in advertising campaigns, and a couple of weeks ago we had a lively discussion on Twitter about which advertising campaigns were “best” (see image). I want to make sure I save it permanently, so I’m doing that now here.

Which advertising campaign do you think:

1. Was the most memorable?
2. Stated something meaningful?
3. Had a significant positive impact on the company’s bottom line?

It is of course likely that these will lean to the broad, mass-market campaigns as more of us will know of them to begin with, but I hope we’ll add a few lesser-known gems as well.

Here’s the starting list:

1. Apple’s “Mac vs. PC”. Funny, memorable, correspond to huge increases in Apple revenue in computer sales (not just iPhone/iPod), and so devastatingly effective that Microsoft had to directly respond with their own set of ads. (Hat Tip to Miss Charlie
2. Coke’s “The Real Thing”. Striking back with their core advantage (history, nostalgia) after Pepsi’s incredibly effective “taste test” campaign, which arguably should also get a spot in this list. Coke won back market share with this campaign. (Note: While I still think this is a great campaign, it turns out most of what I said above is factually incorrect. See comment below.)
3. Wendy’s “Where’s The Beef?” Another great example of the underdog in the industry using well-known, widely-felt annoyance/frustration with the industry leader as a powerful lever. Sales and Wendy’s franchise profile both increased substantially, and it’s still remembered today. (Hat Tip to John Shepard)
4. BlendTec’s WillItBlend.com I’ve heard second-hand that BlendTec has presented that this campaign, while still little-known, increased sales of their high-powered blender over 700%. Even if that number is off by a factor of 10, it’s meaningful and creative.

What doesn’t go on the list?

Ad campaigns that were cute, clever, memorable, but did not in any way correspond to meaningful changes in the company’s revenue and/or market share. The best couple of examples I can think of that fall into this category are:

1. Pets.com’s Sock Puppet. They spent millions and went out of business quickly.
2. Taco Bell’s Chihuahua campaign. I still hear people say “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” and laugh occasionally, but franchisees at the time complained that while the ad campaign did improve sales of Chihuahuas (live and stuffed), it did nothing to help them actually build their business selling tacos.

Which ones did I forget? Which ones was I wrong about? Post your additions/changes to the list here, or respond on Twitter and I’ll add it here for you.

Tags: Advertising, Campaigns, Ideas, Sales

The marketing geniuses at Burger King have decided that selling hamburgers is just too hard, so they’ve decided to sell perfume instead.

That’s right – perfume. “Flame by BK”. Because you can never smell too much like charcoal-fired hamburger meat, apparently. (See more at FireMeetsDesire.com.)

Of course I’ve heard of brand extensions and diversification, but this seems so far removed from reality that I really don’t understand it at all. The only thing I can think of that might make sense is if it’s all a ploy.

See, I’m talking about Burger King, and it’s the first time I’ve done so in years. Other people probably are as well. Maybe, just maybe, that was their whole idea. If so, it might get enough press to be worth it.

I don’t think so, though. Because if that was the plan, it’s a dishonest interaction with their customers, and that’s never a good idea for any brand.

What do you think?

Tags: brand, Burger King, flame, perfume