Clacking With Julia – Three Super Bowl ads that don’t suck

This year, the ads for the Super Bowl were trite, sexist (to put it politely), and not as good as they used to be.

In related news, the sun rises in the east, the world revolves around the sun, and The Puppy Bowl is the best thing to happen to Super Bowl Sunday since the invention of guacamole.

When considering what to discuss this week in my column, I did quite seriously consider discussing Puppy Bowl. Has ever a more glorious two hours existed on television? All those little paws! The hamsters who flew the blimp for aerial views! The completely nonplussed bunny cheerleaders! The kitty halftime show! Puppies! Then I realized, honestly, is there any commentary you can add to that besides “awwwww”?

I also considered discussing the epic amounts of misogyny that were in commercials this year. (Really, dudes? It pains you on a personal level to, god forbid, eat fruit? And this heinous emasculation can be solved by driving a Dodge? Frankly, if you lose your self-worth as a man by putting your underwear in the dirty laundry hamper and recycling, a stupid car is not going to make you feel better — you have serious issues.) But then everyone else discussed it better than I could, and I thought to myself, you know, maybe I should actually discuss the  the top three ads that didn’t suck this year, in my opinion. Of course, my opinion is nothing like everyone else’s opinion, but what can I say? I’m a special snowflake.

File this one under D for “D’awwwww.” Poor little Intel Robot! All he wants is to be appreciated for being awesome and sit with the cool kids in the cafeteria! Though it may be a problem for Intel that instead of buying the super-cool computer chip thing they were talking about (I’m not technologically savvy, okay?) I  felt more mad at it for making the robot sad. And I wanted to give the robot a hug and maybe some cookies.

Clearly, I am not their target consumer.

The Kia Sorrento ad had what I think was the cutest concept of the night (with excellent music in the background, as well) — toys on a road trip to Vegas. Admit it, even you smiled when the Sock Monkey rode the mechanical bull and then (and this is my favorite detail) got a “tattoo” sewn on his socky arm, or when the Robot was in the club… doing the robot. Classic! And the reveal that this is all in the imagination of the toys, accompanying their boy in the car? My severely-influenced-by-Toy-Story-as-a-child heart loved every second of it.

Though slightly flawed at the core (who punches just when they see a Volkswagen? I thought it was only when you see a VW Bug? Thus the term “punchbuggy”?), this concept was simple, genius, and executed to be easily the best commercial of the night. EMTs punching each other! Interrupting labor to punch your husband! A little kid punching his grandfather in the ‘nads! All leading up to the best celebrity cameo of the night, Stevie Wonder punching Tracy Morgan. For those of you watching at home? That’s how a good, memorable commercial is done.

Clacked by Julia Hass
on Feb 09, 2010 @ 17:00 EST5EDT