SUPER BOWL XLVI
Whether they were works of creative genius or unimaginative hyperbole ahead of Game Day, 2012's spots generated the incredible buzz that was expected. This year's ads were dominated by celebrity cameos, cars and canines. So which Super Bowl ads got people talking?
The 46th Super Bowl was seen by a record 111.3 million viewers, making it the largest audience to watch a television program in US history - and one of the biggest stages to broadcast a spot.
RPA, Los Angeles: Honda - 'Transactions'
The RPA, Los Angeles ad for Honda stars Jerry Seinfeld who tries to bribe the man who is first on the waiting list for an Acura NSX. 'Transactions' featured Seinfeld offering all sorts including dancing holographic monkeys, the last living munchkin and a stand up performance in the family's dining room before being out-bribed in a cameo by Jay Leno. The ad took moments from the show that fans would recognise.
RPA, Los Angeles: Honda - 'Matthew's Day Off'
And that's not the only nostalgia Honda had to offer. A mere ten-second teaser starring Matthew Broderick to the familiar sound of Yello's 'Oh Yeah' was enough to suggest Ferris Bueller was back in some form or another. The cult following of the John Hughes film meant that it soon became a trending topic on Twitter. The extended version was shown ten days before Game Day and became an instant must-see spot. The ad for the Honda CR-V (no Ferraris here) contains several references to the film, including a valet repeating 'Broderick? Broderick?'. On the eve of the game it had already got over eleven million hits on YouTube. One blog post discusses Ferris Bueller, advertising and the fourth wall.
Venables Bell & Partners, San Fransisco: Audi - 'Vampire Party'
This spot plays on the popularity in vampire culture where young vampires who are partying get a strange reaction to an Audi S7.
Deutsch LA: Volkswagen - 'The Dog Strikes Back'
After last year's Cannes Gold Lion for 'The Force' ad for Volkswagen there was much anticipation to see what agency Deutsch LA would come up with this year. 'The Bark Side' teaser featuring a choir of dogs barking 'the Imperial March' was meant to be a clue of what to expect at the Super Bowl and instantly became viral with over eleven million online hits by the eve of Game Day. It also got plenty of responses on our Facebook page.
This year's spot shows a montage of a chubby dog that gets into shape by doing human exercises so he can eventually fit through the door-flap and fulfil his dream of chasing a VW Beetle outside. It then transitions to the Star Wars cantina where aliens have been watching the ad and discuss whether it was better than last year's spot. Deutsch LA worked with Lucasfilm to recreate the cantina without the use of any CGI.
Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA: Chrysler - 'It's Half-Time in America'
This was one of the few spots that was not released ahead of the game. It concedes the struggles that America's car industry has faced. The dramatic, two-minute commercial featured a shadowy Clint Eastwood walking through a darkened stadium tunnel with a message for America: "This country can't be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do, the world is going to hear the roar of our engines." Viewers who did not necessarily buy into the message were still apparently moved by Eastwood's performance which left many applauding. 'It's Half-Time in America' was still the subject of trending topics the following day on Twitter.
BBDO New York: M&M's - 'Just My Shell'
But it wasn't all automobiles and dogs. Probably one of the favourite light hearted ads reported by blogs after the game was this spot for Mars, Inc. It featured Ms Brown, voiced by Vanessa Williams, LMFAO's 'I'm Sexy and I Know It' song and a dance that will now probably be replicated in clubs.
H&M, In House: H&M - 'David Beckham Bodywear'
Meanwhile, the spot featuring David Beckham modelling underwear was H&M's first ever Super Bowl spot. The ad, which was set to the song 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' by The Animals, generated 108,914 social media comments in the first 45-minutes and was one of the highest trending topics on Twitter.
The 46th Super Bowl was seen by a record 111.3 million viewers, making it the largest audience to watch a television program in US history - and one of the biggest stages to broadcast a spot.
RPA, Los Angeles: Honda - 'Transactions'
The RPA, Los Angeles ad for Honda stars Jerry Seinfeld who tries to bribe the man who is first on the waiting list for an Acura NSX. 'Transactions' featured Seinfeld offering all sorts including dancing holographic monkeys, the last living munchkin and a stand up performance in the family's dining room before being out-bribed in a cameo by Jay Leno. The ad took moments from the show that fans would recognise.
RPA, Los Angeles: Honda - 'Matthew's Day Off'
And that's not the only nostalgia Honda had to offer. A mere ten-second teaser starring Matthew Broderick to the familiar sound of Yello's 'Oh Yeah' was enough to suggest Ferris Bueller was back in some form or another. The cult following of the John Hughes film meant that it soon became a trending topic on Twitter. The extended version was shown ten days before Game Day and became an instant must-see spot. The ad for the Honda CR-V (no Ferraris here) contains several references to the film, including a valet repeating 'Broderick? Broderick?'. On the eve of the game it had already got over eleven million hits on YouTube. One blog post discusses Ferris Bueller, advertising and the fourth wall.
Venables Bell & Partners, San Fransisco: Audi - 'Vampire Party'
This spot plays on the popularity in vampire culture where young vampires who are partying get a strange reaction to an Audi S7.
Deutsch LA: Volkswagen - 'The Dog Strikes Back'
After last year's Cannes Gold Lion for 'The Force' ad for Volkswagen there was much anticipation to see what agency Deutsch LA would come up with this year. 'The Bark Side' teaser featuring a choir of dogs barking 'the Imperial March' was meant to be a clue of what to expect at the Super Bowl and instantly became viral with over eleven million online hits by the eve of Game Day. It also got plenty of responses on our Facebook page.
This year's spot shows a montage of a chubby dog that gets into shape by doing human exercises so he can eventually fit through the door-flap and fulfil his dream of chasing a VW Beetle outside. It then transitions to the Star Wars cantina where aliens have been watching the ad and discuss whether it was better than last year's spot. Deutsch LA worked with Lucasfilm to recreate the cantina without the use of any CGI.
Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA: Chrysler - 'It's Half-Time in America'
This was one of the few spots that was not released ahead of the game. It concedes the struggles that America's car industry has faced. The dramatic, two-minute commercial featured a shadowy Clint Eastwood walking through a darkened stadium tunnel with a message for America: "This country can't be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do, the world is going to hear the roar of our engines." Viewers who did not necessarily buy into the message were still apparently moved by Eastwood's performance which left many applauding. 'It's Half-Time in America' was still the subject of trending topics the following day on Twitter.
BBDO New York: M&M's - 'Just My Shell'
But it wasn't all automobiles and dogs. Probably one of the favourite light hearted ads reported by blogs after the game was this spot for Mars, Inc. It featured Ms Brown, voiced by Vanessa Williams, LMFAO's 'I'm Sexy and I Know It' song and a dance that will now probably be replicated in clubs.
H&M, In House: H&M - 'David Beckham Bodywear'
Meanwhile, the spot featuring David Beckham modelling underwear was H&M's first ever Super Bowl spot. The ad, which was set to the song 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' by The Animals, generated 108,914 social media comments in the first 45-minutes and was one of the highest trending topics on Twitter.
