9863: SafeAuto Kicks Ass. And Balls.

Missed this SafeAuto 2011 Super Bowl spot. The original concept features a guy getting kicked in the balls repeatedly. The insurance advertiser also produced a safer version with the same guy getting kicked in the ass.

9762: Clint Eastwood Drives For Cash.

The Clint Eastwood Chrysler commercial that played during the Super Bowl is sparking controversy for its political undertones.


Seems like nobody is wondering why the automaker would hire Eastwood, who is most popularly known for driving a Gran Torino—which was produced by Ford.

9759: Super Bowl XLVI—Bud Light Platinum.

Bud Light Platinum launched on the Super Bowl with two spots—Factory and Work. Is this campaign from new AOR Translation? BTW, did the beer maker choose a minority shop to handle Bud Light Platinum because it has high-alcohol content like malt liquor? The Factory spot literally communicates the brew is produced on a mechanized assembly line, which is hardly the way to establish its premier character. The Work spot, well, doesn’t work—unless the intention was to present clichéd copy with tired nightclub visuals.

9758: Super Bowl XLVI—Pizza Hut.

This Pizza Hut Contest Winner deserved to run on the Super Bowl? Really?!

9710: Chevrolet Route 66 Is A Bad Trip.

Chevrolet Route 66 is one of those crowdsourcing promotions whereby people submit commercial concepts for prizes and the chance to see their big idea play during the Super Bowl. The tired formula actually ran out of gas years ago, yet lazy advertisers continue to ride with it annually.

The Chevy contest is obscene for a host of reasons.

First, the car company opened the field to everyone, including independent directors and filmmakers. This allowed D- and F-level production houses to essentially expel fecal matter spec work.

Second, Chevy presented cash prizes starting at $1,000 and topping at $25,000. Um, the average cost to create a television spot is over $300,000. It’s a safe bet that the typical Chevy commercial shoot spends more than $1,000 just for craft services.

Third, while the winning commercial is OK, does anyone believe Chevy’s lead advertising agency, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, couldn’t come up with something much, much better?

Finally, it’s appalling that Chevy would take advantage of the desperation fueled by a lousy economy—especially when the automaker needed a federal bailout to avoid complete financial collapse.