The Ads of Super Bowl XLII

"Car Commercial" | A Car

Summary: Voiceover. MEN carrying things. Large things. Heavy things. They adopt stoic expressions as they walk in passing around the perimeter of the car. Voiceover intones while statistics flash upon the screen.

High Point: "In the world where power and tourque rule..."

Low Point: "In the world where power and tourque rule..."

Is this commercial an agent of change? "In the world where power and tourque rule..."

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"Kick Your Bosses' Ass With Our Low-Cost Airline" | Airline

Summary: Half the time, with commercials, it doesn't matter what brand they're selling, because you might remember the commercial without remembering the brand, let alone being encouraged or compelled to actually buy the product. This masterpiece of a commercial left me cold when it comes to remembering what low-cost airline to buy. I would, in fact, be interested in low-cost airlines (because a fellow has got to get out and see the world) yet this highly entertaining and markedly well done commercial added nothing to my knowledge of the options within said marketplace. That said, it's brilliant.

High Point: The production values (whatever the hell that means) were superb. The close up shots and the attention to detail were that of a first- run film. A nervous, disheveled corporate lackey gets told- over the phone!- by his boss that he is, in fact, fired. Said boss is calling from a swanky hotel in an uncomfortably tight close up, standing in a lobby, with buttressing columns decked out in vivid ruby piping and gold. He's smirking. Lackey upset. Lackey tense, lackey pissed- lackey in nervous disbelief. I believe I recall him saying (these ads go by so fast, its a shame you can never remember what they say): "You're calling me on the phone to fire me?" "Yup (Initiate boss-like smirking here)." Lackey gets quick, decisive, and books a flight. As the assorted rates flash across the screen, we see him board a flight to (could it be Davos?) the bigwig honcho powwow and see Lackey tackle the guy at the podium, from a WIDE HIGH SHOT which only shows the impact of the tackling right before he hits the ground. Empty podium.

Low Point: It's only a commercial.

Is this commercial an agent of change? No. Not a chance. Not in my lifetime. This is the second agitprop-ish, class-based commercial (see Under Armour review) this Superbowl, unless there were others I didn't see. Super Bowl ads don't mean much, in themselves, and they certainly carry very little cultural weight. What they do do, though, is respond to market pressure. Now, someone had to pay for that ad, and someone had to believe that that ad was going to strike enough of a cord to be resonant enough with the nation at hand to be effective. We live in an economically unstable, hectic time where populism is rising as a streak in various flags of every political stripe all around the globe. Could these be blips on the screen, personifying various moods of the populace in a national medium, on a national stage? Holy shit. This is some good weed.

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"Doin' Things Is What I Like To Do" | Dunkin' Donuts

Summary: Geometric figures of happy normal looking people go about their everyday business: playing soccer, carrying coffee to work, marching in single file lines this way and that. They grin uproariously. They sing a song comprised of nothing more than the lyrics of the song which are the title, which is quoted above.

High Point: The song is damn catchy! They Might Be Giants are behind it, I'm convinced. I've seen it as a regular ad a few times before on regular tv and found myself walking around humming it. There's an aggressive normalcy here that is both sort of off putting, and oddly safe. Overtly sane, as it were.

Low Point: It's kinda creepy. Watch it a couple of times in a row and it takes on a strangely static super-smiley vibe that really isn't all that appealing or digestible.

Is this commercial an agent of change? Hard to say. The overall aesthetic reminds me of "Pete & Pete" which is pretty awesome. The fact that these ads are continually being seen isn't really a bad thing. They're fun.

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"Cars Are Classy Things To Own" | Nissan

Summary: Camera careens as cars pour slowly down the highway. The camera takes photographic slow shots of the cars which glimmer in their various shots as a 1020's style songs plays something like "Make People Happy."

High Point: Cameras careening in a slow dreamlike counter-clockwise twist. Cool!

Low Point: It makes you nauseous, especially if you'd had a few.

Is this commercial an agent of change? Nope. Just a car commercial with cool effects.

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"Super Duper Flyin' Cars" | NASCAR

Summary: Video game scenario with cars zooming through what looks like animated game board. They crash and tumble. It's awesome.

High Point: A car collides with one of the center posts, crashing and spilling oily blood.

Low Point: It's for NASCAR on Fox.

Is this commercial an agent of change? Nah. People who watch NASCAR being inspired to do so are not going to see this commercial redone.

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"Giant Hand Moves Things" | Zantac

Summary: An office changes and transforms in one of those stop-motion things.

High Point: It's nicely done in terms of pacing.

Low Point: Eh. That kind of We're-making-a-piece-of-art thing is really up in front on account of the effects. Tell a story!

Is this commercial an agent of change?