More superbowl reviews 2006 super bowl XL

[2nd Quarter]

Pepsi-Cola Co. - Diet Pepsi "Stunt Can" (:30)
Summary: The can's agent, Jay Mohr, meets with Jackie Chan, who wants to co-star with Diet Pepsi in his next big action movie. Once on the set, Jackie finds a clever solution to getting a stunt double. Ad Agency: DDB, New York
Dab:
Heh, extra half-point for the cheeky jab at Coke.
Caff:
Shorter, and therefore less impressive than the prior spot. Not enough Jackie Chan or his moves in this.
Clay:
Pepsi finally gets even for that New Coke "Catch the wave!" commercial in the 80s where Max Headroom makes a Pepsi can sweat.

Budweiser - "Sheep Streaker"
Summary: Horses are playing football in front of a crowd of animals and a sheep streaks the field. Ad Agency: DDB Worldwide
Dab:
Someone should tell these horses to retire. It's all fun and games until someone hooves an eye out. This is getting too silly, previous football-clydesdales worked so much better. The magic lay in that while they're "human" enough to play football, they're not so human as to run around on their hind legs like the sheep here does. Badly animated to boot, this ad killed the Clydesdale football tradition which was, at times, brilliant. Boo! Hiss! *tosses popcorn at screen*
P.S. Wasn't streakers a trend in way back in 2003?
Caff:
Always with the horses playing football. Le sigh. It's the concept that will not die. Animation is a surprisingly crude though on the animals.
Clay:
The streaker gag was gold, but they ruined it with the last ten seconds. The shorn sheep could've ran out into the field and through the Clydesdales, the cowboy says the word, and we would've seen a brilliant commercial. See the Bud Zebra/Referee commercial for comparison and a lesson in avoiding overkill.

ESPN- Mobile ESPN - "Sports Heaven" :60 Summary: A fan flips open his phone and is surrounded by a swarm of athletes. Ad Agency: Arnold Worldwide, Boston
Dab:
Too dang long people! No more points for you. With all that stuff going on you still managed to bore me!
Caff:
Good spot but I think :60 is a bit long. We get the point, and yet it drags on. This idea seems like it would be best at a :30 or :45
Clay:
I thought it was fun trying to pick out all the stuff that was going on. Fits with the ESPN brand personality beautifully, although I'm a bit curious if Mobile ESPN will survive very long in this ultraspecialized format, or if it will go the way of the turnip twaddler.

Career Builder.com - "Sales are Up" :30 Summary: Chimps wrongly celebrate strong sales quarter. Ad Agency: Cramer Krasselt, Chicago
Dab:
Yeah, uhm. We get it, you're an idiot who thinks that you work with a bunch of monkeys, though chimps are great apes. If you want to use the monkey pun, get some blasted monkeys already! Chimps are so tiredMmmm'K? Wake me when the stupid is over.
Caff:
Sales down, up, whatever. Where's the dip?
Clay:
Retire the idea already. The chimps have not only jumped the shark, but they have also buggered the shark and followed it up by flinging their poop at the shark. It's over. Leave the shark alone.

General Motors Corp. - Cadillac 2007 Escalade Sport Utility- "Chrome Couture" :60
Summary: Featuring 8 Supermodels, the car is revealed using a fashion show concept.
Dab:
Sounds a lot like this ad: Vauxhall - The new Supermodel - (1993) 0:90 (UK) - but is nowhere near as good. Here they figured they'd just let the car appear on a runway with some epileptic inducing flashes and the occasional supermodel appendix, and that's supposed to convince me that this monster sized car is fashionable? Not working.
Caff:
All the points go to the styling and shooting of the ad. Still there was little building of excitement. Utter self-indulegence.
Clay:
So the new Escalade is like a demon-spawn supermodel that rises from the depths of an extradimensional hell via a transportal found in the catwalk of a fashion show... of course... It all makes perfect sense now... what?
Dove - "Self Esteem" :45
Summary: Young girls talk about self-esteem and accepting themselves for who they are. Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Dab:
Ouch! Since I've just had my baby girl, I've developed new buttons to push and dammit, this ad just pushed all of them like a Benihana chef attacks a shrimp. Chop-chop-chop! (it's nothing, I just have something in my eye). Gotta agree with Caff about the cheesy arms up bridge though, that money shot was so not money. Will I be this sappy for the rest of my life now? oh, that's just great.
Caff:
Points for making an ad understandable without the volume. Girls raising their arm at the bridge between prob/solution was a bit cheesy. Nearly killed the whole feeling they had going.
Clay:
You go girl(s). I'm glad they wend with Cindi Lauper's "True Colors," because "SheBop" would have been awkward.

Ford Motor Co. - Escape Hybrid SUV:30 Summary: A Backpacking Kermit the Frog shows off the fuel-efficient Escape Hybrid SUV. Ad Agency: JWT, Detroit
Dab:
Starts out cute, ends a little flat. A little too easy at the end there, wasn't it? Could have had a better twist in the line... or something.
Caff:
Are the Muppets the most used pieces of felt in the history of the Super Bowl? Granted there's a decent connect using Kermit on this one. I'd like to see him try to drive it though.
Clay:
Excellent use of Muppet. Take notes, PepsiCo.

Michelob Amber - Tackle Summary: A man tackles a woman during a touch football game. Later she tackles him.
Dab:
Tssss , hehehe. Ok, I chuckled. And it actually told me something about the sender, so this gag worked for me. Darker beer, mmm!
Caff:
See where they were going though. Memorable for the hits but not for the brand.
Clay:
Love it! Once again, hooray beer and personal injury! Plus, she got even, so it's all ok.

GoDaddy.com 30 Summary: Man gasps for air as Candice Michelle's strap breaks Ad Agency: The Ad Store, NY
Dab:
Is this something I need testosterone, no life and years of being sex deprived in order to understand? Because it's shite.
Caff:
An ad that talks to itself. Wee! I don't get the big deal with the strap either. I think other ads they presented were better. Plus there's nothing better than a Super Bowl ad with the company owner in it. ;)
Clay:
Needed nudity.

Gillette Fusion Razor and Fusion Power - "Reinvented" :60
Summary: In a secret lab in the Mojave, scientists in white lab coats rev up a high-tech contraption to fuse together the razor. Ad Agency: BBDO, New York
Dab:
Isn't it rather odd that the consistently most high-tech imagery ads are for manual razors? You'd think Gillette would sell lazer-razors by now. But nope, all they do is add an extra blade every once in a while. Crud.
Caff:
Is that area 51? I keed. But seriously, does it really take that much technology to create a 5 blade razor? I can't wait to see what the 10 blade model will look like. ;) Hard sell at the end drops off points.
Clay:
F*ckers keep this up, and I'm going Amish.

OverStock.com Summary: Overstock.com lady tries to get you to go to the site. Ad Agency: TBA
Dab:
Can I give out less than half a fishbowl? Like, maybe just a drop of water or a fishscale? ;) Sabine Ehrenfeld has that little something that makes Slate writers drool but does nothing for me at all.
Caff:
Ugh. I loathe these ads. Why run this during the Super Bowl and waste money? It wasn't even creative. It was pure crap.
Clay:
Sorry, lady, but your erratic company boss is the real entertainment nowadays.

[Halftime]

Sprint - "Theft Deterrent" :30 Summary: A man shows off his new phone and demonstrates how it doubles as a theft deterrent. Ad Agency: TBWA/Chiat Day, New York
Dab:
Well executed physical comedy. Works! Plus, haven't we all wanted to do that to Mr. Widget who keeps bragging about his latest gadget which is exactly the same as your latest gadget?
Caff:
Good. Nice physical comedy. Also nice how they tie it in to the board at the end with the phone's features.
Clay:
Cell phones and personal injury. I approve.

Honda Motor Co.- Ridgeline :30 Summary:The silver woman logo of a mudflap comes to life and gets into the cab with Yosemite Sam. Ad Agency: RPA, Santa Monica, Calif.
Caff:
I'm glad they showed this more than once because I barely caught Yosemite the first time. I wonder why he's so much flatter than she is.
Dab:
Hehe, he's a sticker Caff! Dude, I almost bought a keyring with that "trucker-lady" on it yesterday. So I like using these typical trucker accesories in the ad.
Clay:
Was a 2, but got an extra half point for the chrome breasts and another half point for Sam.

Up next - 3rd Quarter