Super Bowl Sunday is the one time when TV commercials make the leap from usually very annoying to potentially very amusing. Remember the 1993 Bird vs Jordan commercial where the two basketball legends play a wild game of "HORSE" for a Big Mac. No? How about the side-splitting "Terry Tate Office Linebacker" spot from 2003?
Being car guys, we particularly enjoy the automotive ads, and this year's Super Bowl had a few gems. Automotive Editors Warren Clarke and John DiPietro take alternate paths. Mr. Clarke nominates the environmentally-conscious Audi A3 TDI spot while JDP takes the opposite tack, backing everyman's right to drive a Dodge Charger packing a Hemi V8.
Opening Statements:
Warren Clarke for the Audi A3 TDI: "The Green Police"
Being green is great and all, but there's a certain amount of backlash going on right now that has everything to do with the small percentage of greenies who take themselves a bit too seriously. You know the guys and gals I'm talking about - the ones who think their tiny carbon footprints make them that much more worthy than the unwashed, gas-guzzling masses. If you're a car manufacturer touting the benefits of a car that lightly sips diesel and was recently anointed Green Car of the Year, it presents a dilemma: How do you get the word out about your cool, environmentally friendly car without ruffling the feathers of those who're sick to death of being greened over the head?
Audi's solution? Satire! In "The Green Police," the manufacturer pokes fun at those who'll stop at nothing in their ruthless obsession to do good for the planet. Sure, the ad runs the risk of turning off the folks it gently pokes fun at - the hardcore greenies who'd love nothing more than to slash the tires of every full-size SUV. But hey, even militant revolutionaries have a sense of humor, right? Audi's probably guessing they'll be in on the joke, and I tend to agree. Favorite line: "Put the rind down, sir. That's a compost infraction!" The ad gets bonus green points for using a recycled theme song -- "Green Police" is a take on "Dream Police," the Cheap Trick hit.
John DiPietro for the Dodge Charger: "Man's Last Stand"
Watching the Super Bowl is about as manly as watching TV can get. Let's face it; most women don't care to spend four hours watching their guy alternately celebrate and curse at his 52-inch, 1080p flat-panel. And the advertisers know this, hence the preponderance of testosterone-themed ads. Beer, junk food, cars - the purveyors of this holy trinity of men's inanimate requirements know what pushes guys' hot buttons. And this opens up some good opportunities for funny ads.
In that vein, it doesn't get much better than this Dodge Charger spot. It's all about regular guys who promise their beloveds that they'll do any number of self-deprecating, guy-annoying but relationship-preserving acts. A few examples: "I will shave." "I will clean the sink after I shave." "I will watch your vampire TV shows with you." Of course, there's a small catch. He gets to drive what he wants. In this case that's a Dodge Charger with a manly man's Hemi-V8 under the hood.
Rebuttals:
Clarke:
So yeah, the Dodge ad is kinda great. Made me laugh, that's for sure. And it's definitely designed to hit the Charger's target demo. But the ad felt a little... I don't know, predictable. It appeals to the same instincts that makers of cars like the Charger have been playing to for decades. Been there, seen that. For that reason, while I enjoyed it, I'll probably forget it in week or two. The Audi ad, on the other hand, represents a completely new approach to reaching green buyers. It's truly original and takes a few chances, and that's why I think it's the best car ad of Superbowl 2010.
DiPietro:
You've a good point there, Mr. C. and I have to agree. The Audi ad is more unique and ground-breaking. That said, I'll bet you tickets to the next Lakers game that the Dodge ad likely resonated louder and prouder for most of the people -- that is to say guys -- watching the big game. Yes, for the most part Dodge used a proven script. But it was also one that manages to make guys look good in front of their girlfriends and wives while still giving them cause for fist-bumping their buddies by ad's end.
So which Super Bowl ad was the best?
By sjendraszak
on February 15, 2010
03:46 AM
"But it was also one that manages to make guys look good in front of their girlfriends and wives while still giving them cause for fist-bumping their buddies by ad's end."
I watched the game with a large group, and I don't think the Dodge ad let guys look good in front of their significant others—I didn't see any fist-bumping, either. Frankly, it's pretty insulting to women, and it was only one part of a disturbing trend in the ads this year (see Exhibit A, ad where man is mocked for shopping with his wife, and Exhibit B, the as-usual disgusting Go Daddy ads). Nearly half of the Super Bowl audience is female—what are these companies thinking?
And there's not even a pay off for offending the female audience, because the male audience as a whole doesn't like these ads very well either. None of the ads I listed above, including the Dodge ad, cracked the top 10 for men.
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/which-ads-and-which-brands-got-the-biggest-super-bowl-bump/
By gharry
on February 15, 2010
07:31 AM
Definitely Green Police. The Dodge ad was lame. The Charger is lame, too. Well, the V8 isn't, but the car is.
By yankeez
on February 15, 2010
07:46 AM
I echo everything Warren Clarke says about the greenies x 100 - their cause continues to get more and more ridiculous by the day, it's become a religion in my book (the parallels beteen the two are virtually identical). These self-righteous do-gooders are just screaming to be made fun of, and glad Audi had the cojones to do it.
Having said that, however... my ultimate vote still has to go with the Dodge Charger ad - being a Challenger R/T owner, gotta support my home team.
By brn
on February 15, 2010
07:57 AM
These were definitely two of the better SB car commercials.
I'm not going to vote for one, as much as against another. Audi bugs me. Diesel is way over rated and has issues that no one seems to want to address.
The Charger commercial is honest. It gets my vote.
By sabastian
on February 15, 2010
12:41 PM
Audi ad. The Charger ad was nothing new (just like the car).
In reality though, I'm going with Dorito Samurai!
By andrew717
on February 16, 2010
10:41 AM
Gotta be the Charger ad. At least with my peer group (late 20's to early 30's, professional, recently married or engaged). It got a strong reaction from the crowd I watched the game with, was brought up at work the next day as one of the best ads of the night. My wife was out of town on business that night, but she watched the ads on her computer the next night and called me to tell me to look at the Charger to replace my Golf (she wants me to get a bigger car). Not at all offended, and the ad could have been written with her specificaly in mind. She said it made her laugh. And she dislikes non-Japanese cars. I'd say that's a fairly effective ad.
By mlh
on February 16, 2010
12:31 PM
For a far more extreme version of Audi's green satire (and I'm guessing the ad team's inspiration), check out the "Green Team" video on funnyordie.com
By felonious
on February 17, 2010
12:55 PM
The Charger ad. My wife is against me getting a Flex because she hates the looks, but after that ad she turned to me and said, "Okay." We both knew what she meant. :)