Super Bowl XLI Commerical Review - First Quarter

Game on. And away we go...
Ads in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLI were decent. Sierra Mist did a good job with their Mist-takes comedy troupe in "Beard Combover" and "Karate" for a change. They were much more effectively used. The Snickers "Mechanics" spot with two guys kissing was amusing as well. And Coca Cola's previously aired "Video Game" is worthy of mention.

[1st Quarter]
Anheuser-Busch/Bud Light - (:30) "Rock, Paper, Scissors" - In a game of Rock, Papper, Scissors, a man throws in a real rock. Ok. Works on a physical comedy level that is expected for a Super Bowl ad. [Agencies: DDB, Chicago, Downtown Partners, Toronto, Mortar Inc., Chicago and Cannonball, St. Louis]

Frito Lay/Doritios - (:30) "Accident" - Consumer-created spot. (info here) [credited agencies: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco; Millsport, Dallas; and TPN, Dallas]

Blockbuster Total Access - "Mouse" - Rabbit and guinea pig clicking on a real (CGI) mouse trying to get online. Was that Bobcat Goldthwait as the voice of the mouse?

Sierra Mist "Beard Combover" - These might be the funniest Sierra Mis-takes spots I've ever seen. Nicely done. [Agency: BBDO, New York]

infoUSA/SalesGenie.com - "Success" - Dry acting. I guess some suits who buy lists might find it interesting. Yawn. "Only fools work hard, I world smart". Bought time in pre-game slots, as well as in-game and post-game. In the teaser on the company's site, a salesman has a nice car. We can guess he got it because of all the cash he earned using SalesGenie.com. See teaser here. (info here) [Agency: In-house]

Sierra Mist - (:30) "Karate" has students explaining how they'd protect their Sierra Mist in a martial arts class. Again, much better than the other spots they have been running. [Agency: BBDO NY]

Toyota Tundra "Road test" Shows the truck being tested for speed, going through a closing metal door just in time, to breaking before going off a cliff. Decent demo. Directed by Andrew Douglas of Anonymous Content. [Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles]

FedEx - (:45) In "Moon Office," a company opens the first offices on the moon and then wonders how it will deliver to customers. They get their answer as a FedEx spaceship lands. The guy holding his collegue's tie while they float without gravity is a nice touch. The ending with the fella floating off then getting splattered by an asteroid was a bit much. Felt like it was an add in because they felt they needed something more. Agency: BBDO, New York]

Anheuser-Busch/Bud Light - (:30) "Wedding Reception/Auctioner" - A wedding ceremony is turned into an auction by an attendee when he hires an auctioner to perform the ceremony so they can get it over quicker and get on to drinking Bud Light. Not bad. Not the best Bud Light has ever done though. [Agencies: DDB, Chicago, Downtown Partners, Toronto, Mortar Inc., Chicago and Cannonball, St. Louis]

Mars/Snickers - "Mechanics" features two blue collar workers sharing a Snickers candy bar in a way that will change both of them forever. They go in on the candy bar at the same time and end up kissing! Hilariously done. Then they have to do something manly to make up for it so they rip off their chest hair - ouch! Points folks to snickerssatisfies.com for multiple endings of the spot directed by Ulf Johansson of Smith and Sons Films, London and edited by Tom Scherma of bicoastal Cosmo Street. [Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, NY]

Schick Quattro Titanium - Shave Lab (2006) :30 (USA) - Old ad that's been running since last year.

Lions Gate - Spot will advertising new the movie, Pride, a drama based on a true story about a teacher in Philadelphia who starts an inner city swimming team, starring Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac. [Agency: In-house]

GM/Chevrolet - (:60) "Music Medley" - Trying to be everything to everyone in this spot where Mary J. Blige, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others sing songs from all music genres with Chevy in the lyrics. [Agency: Campbell-Ewald]

Anheuser-Busch/Bud Light - (:30) "Classroom" - Got a hah out of me for the delivery/acting. Features Carlos Mencia showing up in a classroom to teach immigrants learn how to ask for a Bud Light. [Agencies: LatinWorks, Austin]

GoDaddy.com - "Marketing" - Candice Michelle dancing in a champagne-soaked tee as the marketing department parties as well as Nascar driver Danica Patrick, 'American Chopper's Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons Paul Jr., and Michael, and motorcycle drag-racing star Valerie Thompson [Ag. *YAWN* Please GoDaddy people, please, please stop with this crap. American Chopper blokes were in it is because they are making a bike on their show for Godaddy. Still a waste of the in there for a couple very brief shots of them. [Agency: GoDaddy Productions]

Coca Cola - "Video Game" by Wieden + Kennedy, USA which is an old spot from 2006. Still, it's a good one. [Agency: Wieden + Kennedy]