As if I didn't recognize enough my estrangement from popular culture, the Super Bowl--its hype and its commercials left me feeling like a silent film star on a sound stage.
Some of the commercials weren't bad. But, really, 95% of them, if not more were advertising things I simply have no desire for. I can't remember the last time I munched a Dorito or an M&M, or craved a Coke or a Bud Light. Go Daddy means nothing to me, I master all the domains I need master and cars.com seems largely irrelevant--and the idea that the site will give me confidence seems extraordinarily spurious.
The Chevy grad spot was ok--but its impact was lessened in that it was released before the game. The same holds for the Chevy Sonic stunt spot, though I am as likely to buy a Chevy as I am to volunteer to campaign for Rick Santorum.
The Chrysler spot with Clint Eastwood stood out for me. It made me feel hopeful about Detroit's comeback, manufacturing's comeback. But barring a land war in China, I doubt manufacturing in the US will ever be more than a shell of what it was 50 years ago. The spot, sadly, was more about nostalgia than hope.
I guess at the end of the game--I am not a football fan and was bored almost to drooling-level after the first half, there wasn't one commercial that told me something I don't already know, or something that I regard as interesting. A heated steering wheel and vampire-killing halogens will not impel me to drop $60K or more on a car.
The game, I'm told, was a great one. A knuckle-gnawer. A nail-biter. Madonna was amazing...and she's 53! The commercials were fine. It's nice to see aging celebrities getting so much work.
The thing that struck me the most--and perhaps is the best example of my disconnect from the reality of the game--was the aerial coverage provided by, I think, Sirius radio. This coverage the announcers shilled every few minutes. And we got to see an antiseptic midwestern city at night with the Super Bowl trophy projected on a hotel with the JW Marriott logo on top.
Naturally aerial coverage of an indoor event made as much sense as having underwater cameras.
Nevertheless, something like 97 billion people watched last night. And I guess that counts for something.
3 comments:
Come on George, Fitzloff wrote a great spot for Imported from Detroit. The halftime reference at halftime was nice and the copy was brilliant. You would have been proud if you'd done it.
Ben
It was my favorite spot of the game. I fear a better ad for Detroit than for Chrysler. Yes, I wish I wrote it.
Well, at least we got to see Madonna jump the shark.
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