PlazaJen: Passion Knit

Well, I was rooting for the Seahawks, probably because they were the underdog, and also because I thought they'd beaten Denver. In the end, it was probably a similar experience for me, had the Chiefs gone to the Super Bowl - we're used to a level of exhilaration followed by disappointment...

So, that brings me to the two things I really focused on - the ads! and then a mini rant about the halftime show. Good grief. Let's start with the halftime show. I felt like I should have been drinking shots of Geritol. PLEASE. Bring back the Bud Bowl! Bring back Janet's booby! Bring back - can't believe I'm saying it - Britney Spears! Something, anything, inject some life into the production. I saw Keith Richards and that other dude & it was like Skeletor 1 & 2, rythym section. I was praying Mr. Jagger wouldn't keep stripping. And, while we're at it, how about the dorky banter all game about how all-American everything was? Uh, that's great & all? But last time I checked, the Rolling Stones are from ENGLAND.

Now, on to the ads. I'm not referencing any of the trades (haven't read 'em yet!) and I'm going straight off memory. Because you can spend $2.5 million to run an ad (not including production, mind you!) and if nobody remembers it, well, put a check under "oops" and think about spending it somewhere else next year?

1. Streaking Sheep by Budweiser. Hilarious. Loved it. Favorite of the game.
2. FedEx caveman - disturbing makeup, but funny. Captured CaveMan Management perfectly: "Not my problem".
3. Michelob - touch football - ever since Terry Tate, I enjoy watching people get tackled with a vengeance.
4. Budweiser - baby Clydesdale pulling the cart? Absolutely adorable.
5. Budweiser's Magic Fridge - moderately funny, but I'm not the target for that one. Clever concept.
6. Whopperettes - utterly bizarre & yet, memorable.

Now, the Ameriquest ads were interesting - even a little racy (Airplane spot), but I barely remembered the company & still have no idea what their point was. And then there was another spot that spent the first 20 seconds on a fake product, to finish with their own, and to me, that's the stupidest thing you can do in a commercial - get me to follow along and watch something that you have to switch my attention from, tell me about something new & now sell me on the new thing, all in 30 seconds. I can't even remember either product now, real or fake.

The big payoff: Gray's Anatomy. And I'm so pissed it's a two-parter.

Update: Bekah pointed out one I forgot, but was completely moved by: Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty - it really was excellent.