Last time Jerry Seinfeld was in a Super Bowl ad was 1999, during his heydays as an American Express spokesperson. Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in Super Bowl ads for the brand. This year he's back but for Honda Acura. Take a trip down memory lane...

It’s here! Well, hours away now. Check out the ads you’ll see and watch a good number of them now, so you can know which ones to run to the bathroom during, and which ones you really want to see again. Of course, you’ll be able to watch them again and again right here after the game. And after you watch what will air today, dig into 40 years of Super Bowl Ads in our archive right here: http://adland.tv/SuperBowlCommercials

NOTE: If you want to be surprised, don't go any farther. And, don't say we didn't warn you.

So you have a Super Bowl spot. It's creative. Or at least what passes as creative. There’s just one thing: the actual USP or RTB or whatever acronym you want to use that stands for “the part where we sell you shit.” What do you do with it?

Apparently some have chosen to regurgitate a line on the fucking brief.

Case in point:

Apparently the creatives behind this sad sack of an ad for Downy's Unstopables, think it's a quality idea to rip off a classic Super Bowl spot and make it suck. Mean Joe Greene sells his soul along with Amy Sedaris in this 30-second spot. Sure, it's a pre-game ad, but that doesn't mean you should half-ass it. Plus, Coke already went there in 2009 for its Coke Zero with "Mean Troy". Oh Grey, you should really be ashamed.

Yes, there's more new news on what ads you can expect to see on Sunday 2/5 during Super Bowl XLVI. As always, the more we find out about the commercials we'll see in the big game that brands paid $3.5 million per 30 second spot, the more we'll update. Check back for more updates to come--we've called out what's new to make it easier for you to skim.

NOTE: If you want to be surprised, don't go any farther. And, don't say we didn't warn you.

1ST QUARTER

UPDATED! 2/1
Anheuser-Busch: Bud Light Platinum"Factory" is a :30 spot that showcases how "the process of creating something truly Platinum is revealed". Ends with #MakeItPlatinum. Expect less frat-boy humor and a “more stylish, serious tone” that promotes “triple-filtered, smooth finish, top-shelf taste.”
Created by: Translation led by Steve Stoute and Jay-Z.

Our sources tell us GE plans to air two 45-second documentary-style spots during this year’s game featuring real American workers talking about their contributions to the American manufacturing industry. No word yet when these will run or if they are running in local markets only.

At first you might think that VW has done the right thing and skipped trying for a sequel to last years ad, the Darth Vader kid, as we all know that sequels suck. Even Stuart Elliot warned against a sequel. Personally I'm simply tired of borrowing Star Wars interest in ads. But then, this film starts off with a Lassie-like, rather rotund, dog....

The overweight dog finds he can't chase the cars like he used to, so he does everything his doggy-body can to get back into fit form. It's pretty cute, the song is right and the message positive even though it really isn't branding Volkswagen more than any other car.

Well, at least he's in the teaser. Either way, it looks like we're due for some more TV stars trying to rot Earthling brains along with Alec Baldwin (who starred in the first Super Bowl spot 3 years ago and which was probably one of the best ads that year), Seth MacFarlane, Denis Leary and Eliza Dushku.

Between the cute endangered species rooting for the Super Bowl and the beverage itself, we needed to brush our teeth after viewing.

Frustrated Polar Bear can’t bear (geddit, har har) to watch his team not doing well. So he steps out for a breather. His mate throws him a Coke and he almost drops it. What follows is Disney-like animated orchestration of a slip and slide until he lands, with Coke carefully still in paws.

The Super Bowls ads in 2012 are appropriating pop culture with wild abandon. Audi is no exception, using “Twilight,” and Echo & The Bunnymen to sell the All New Audi S7.

Vampires climbing up trees in a direct lift from the hottest movie franchise since Harry Potter? Yup. Impossibly good-looking hipsters drinking blood in Capri Sun packets? Yup. Special effects for fun, retractable fangs? You betcha.
Really bad dialogue? “Party’s arrived.”

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and drive an affordable crossover sedan, you miss it."

Welcome to cynical Advertising 101. Pander to GEN X by stoking the nostalgia flames. Too bad the car doesn't fit the demographic. How is living a little akin to driving around in a glorified minivan?

Toyota Camry reinvents everything with a sneaky smirk. The reinvented baby doesn't poop. The reinvented plant fights crime. The reinvented rain makes you skinny. The reinvented curtains are made out of pizza. The reinvented blender plays Lionel Ritchie (warning, I might commit suicide with that which would get very messy)... and the reinvented couch is a bunch of bikini-clad babes. Oh but wait, it also "comes in male" which is greeted by a shrug from the apartment owner. Nothing makes gratuitous bikini-gals go down as easy as gratuitous bikini-guys. Wait, that came out wrong. Errr....

Look, David Beckham is a pretty man, but even I got bored watching the slow pans across his heavily inked body. Not one single proper package shot (pun) made it to the end edit either. Once the camera teasingly pans down it reveals that the briefs he is wearing wears his name. That's great if you're David Beckham or a ten year old kid at summer camp, I guess. I'm not expecting much, certainly not in the way of a concept, since this is an H&M ad. I guess I just expected it to be more modern and less of a nod to the Calvin Klein ads of yore. Usually H&M's in-house crew are very good at pegging the trends & music just right.

This ad will air during the second quarter of the Super Bowl game on Sunday. It's the first time H&M has invested this heavily in TV advertising in the US.

What’s the deal with Seinfeld and cars? Jason Alexander sold Chrysler with Lee Iacocca pretendeding George Steinbrenner 7 years ago. And why does the Seinfeld udder keep getting wrung? The thing’s been dry for ages.

This kitchen sink extended spot for Acura features everything. Try: The Soup Nazi, a munchkin, a jet pack flying squirrel suit, sock puppets, zip lines, aliens, boats, the warmed over observational shtick that was funny back in 1996, and a nemesis named Jay Leno. While the Leno tie in makes sense, as both he and Seinfeld are car aficionados, Newman would have been funnier for the end joke.

See that face? See that "Oh RLY?" Yeah, that's what I'm thinking right about now. Really? We're doing the cheating Coke guy again?

Look, we've loved the cheating Coke guy, almost as much as I'm sure the actor has, his steady boomerang-gig always returning when there's a super bowl and someone insists to go back to the ads of yore*. Super bowl 1996 when he was caught on CCTV sneaking a Pepsi was unexpected and pretty hilarious. And unlike the big boombastic ads it was competing with, it was a very simple idea, making it memorable. Not memorable in the Gatorade Dog "huh?" way though.(In hindsight, that dog ad should have made it bigger than it did, as it was a total zig-zag. Shame. But I digress.)

Back to the cheating Coke guy. And Regis Philbin. Who is "back". Like cockroaches after the last H-bomb this guy will never go away will he? Cheating Coke guy is in the supermarket buying himself a Pepsi Maxx instead of Coke Zero and as it turns out, he is the X-thousand customer, granting him Pepsi Maxx for life. Yes, it is that unfunny.

SEE THE LATEST SPOILER HERE: http://adland.tv/content/super-bowl-xlvi-ads-2012-spoiler-alert-updated-21

The closer we get to Super Bowl XLVI, the more we find out about the commercials we'll see in the big game that brands paid $3.5 million per 30 second spot. We've updated them yet again. I'm sure we'll give you 1-2 more updates as we lead up to Sunday's game.

NOTE: If you want to be surprised, don't go any farther. And, don't say we didn't warn you.

1ST QUARTER

UPDATED! 1/29
Anheuser-Busch: Bud Light Platinum One of two :30 spots for Bud Light Platinum ends with #MakeItPlatinum. Expect less frat-boy humor and a “more stylish, serious tone” that promotes “triple-filtered, smooth finish, top-shelf taste.”
Created by: Translation led by Steve Stoute and Jay-Z.

UPDATED! 1/30
Hyundai Veloster Turbo: One of the two spots will feature a race between the Veloster Turbo and a cheetah, but the cheetah decides the car is too fast and its handler would make for an easier snack. The other spot tells the story of young man is driving with his much older colleague on a business trip as the older guy is telling the young man the secret to success, but has an "attack" before he can get it out, to which the young guy shows off the car's ability to handle low-end torque in forward and reverse to shake the older guy back to normal. Actor Jeff Bridges does the voiceover. (NOTE: A 60-second pre-game spot right before kickoff for the Sonata features real employees at its Montgomery, AL plant in an absurd elaboration of Hyundai's "If at first you don't succeed..." and features the workers singing the theme from "Rocky".)
Created by: Innocean Worldwide Americas

Super Bowl of Advertising 2012 - SPOILER ALERT - UPDATED 1/26

UPDATED! 1/26 More goodies have been released. We expect even more to come. Look out for another couple updates of the most complete ad bowl spoiler on the net. Find the latest updated post from 1/29: http://adland.tv/content/super-bowl-xlvi-ads-2012-spoiler-alert-updated-129

Super Bowl XLVI is just around the corner. This year NBC is charging an average of $3.5 million for each 30 second spot. Here’s a peek at what you’ll see in addition to a ton of NBC self-promo and most likely considering this is an election year, some political ads.

1ST QUARTER

Hyundai Veloster Turbo and/or Genesis Coupe R-Spec: Spot will use testosterone to “play up the performance side of Hyundai”. Actor Jeff Bridges does the voiceover. The brand will also have a 60-second spot before kickoff.
Created by: Innocean Worldwide Americas

M&Ms: The 30-second spot introduces Ms. Brown, the new character in its line of animated spokescandies. Will Ms. Green and her engage in a cat fight? Who knows. She is described as “Ms. Brown is an intelligent woman with a sharp wit who finally decided to reveal herself after working for decades behind the scenes as “chief chocolate officer.”
Created by: BBDO

So far no one knows what it will be for, although there are rumors (via the Hollywood Reporter Priceline is going to reveal a new spokesperson to replace William Shatner as the spokesperson for Priceline after he blowed up in the ad below.

A quick check with @adland's twitter pals, it turns out that I wasn't the only one disappointed when I saw the star wars bark "teaser" for VW's upcoming super bowl ad. It has everything I hate in it: it's a teaser, it's borrowing interest from Star Wars, it's hyping this years ad on the back of last years ad. Oh, and little dogs too. I have a feeling this years VW super bowl ad will suck.

It's that time of year when Americans go bat shit crazy for yet another round of 'Football'. Of course I'm referring to the Super Bowl XLVI.

Across the pond from where all the fun is taking place, is little old UK where, sure, there are some NFL fanatics over here, but the sport as a whole doesn't really make that much of an impact, aside from calling it 'Football' when it's clearly a more hand orientated sport. What does make an impact, however, is the commercials.