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Hyperbole 2014: Super Bowl 1st Quarter – Cavalcade of Creativity

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Each year for the past 7, we’ve divided up the Super Bowl and taken a look at the best and worst executions on the world’s largest/most expensive ad stage. Nick is going to kick things off (see what I did there?) with a look at the first quarter.

Overall, I thought last night’s cavalcade of creativity was certainly creative, even if those of us looking for the effectiveness didn’t quite see it. Being an old-fashioned copywriter, I was looking for some features, benefits and reasons-to-buy. So many Super Bowl commercials these days are more entertainment than hard-hitting marketing.

But I was certainly entertained and challenged to think “what were they trying to accomplish?”

I loved Met Life’s Game On. Combine our national anthem with the lovable Peanuts gang and you have to have a winner. Simple yet poignant.

Ford’s echoing itself on the Fusion Hybrid worked for me. I saw several comments in the Twitterverse to the contrary, but I liked how it reinforced the double the gas mileage and the over-the-top James Franco (he always seems tongue-in-cheek to me) version was creative and attention getting. Though, I’m not sure the message came through the creativity.

Chevy’s Romance was a winner. Though I’m not a pickup truck kinda guy, if your Silverado can handle that kind of bull, it’s could certainly handle anything on my roads ahead. I loved a couple of lines in particular, “…a man, his truck and a very eligible bachelor…” and “…hello ladies…” #Bull-mance.

Chevy’s Life out-kicked their coverage. Thinking about the typical viewer and their environment on Super Bowl night, it took too long to develop without drawing me in.

Maserati had a lot of chatter going on about it. Some folks asked, “why not show the damned car?” Seventy-something seconds before you even reveal a vehicle. And then mere glimpses that don’t allow me to appreciate it’s sleek beauty. Ballsy media buy though. I’d be interested to see how many people show up at Maserati dealerships today.

Turbo Tax was my favorite of the first quarter. John C Reilly’s voiceover was perfect for this kid on the couch. And how many of us can’t identify with that guy? I hated Sean in high school. Make it your day. Feature. Benefit. Promise delivered.

Dorito’s Time Machine got a lot of praise; but I just didn’t see it. Clever kid. Nice production value (but this is the Super Bowl). Just not a compelling story. Not for me, at least.

GoDaddy looks like it’s getting its consumer. No skin, no sex. Just “who is using our service.” I haven’t tracked down the morning after story on what Ted thought about Gwen’s resignation. People pursing dreams. Loved it.

Thank you, Hyundai for stepping away from the stereotypically bumbling dad character. Saving the day, time after time, just in the nick of time. Even taking one in the gut for his kid. Demonstration that their auto-emergency brakes are like having dad in the car but not over your shoulder. #DadsRock #SoSaysDad

Bank of America’s U2/Red commercial….WAIT! That was for Bank of America? Being part of the 3% of the world who doesn’t care for U2, it was just something to sit through before…

….Bud Light’s Epic Night. Hmmmm, not so epic for me. Maybe it’s because I peeked behind the curtain and knew what was coming, but it just never developed over the course of the game. Some women I talked with even thought it had a sleaze factor in “if I give this to you, are you up for what happens next?” Why would that make me want to drink a Bud Light. I just don’t get the beer marketers spending millions on brand loyalty by “who’s the funnest beer?” (poor grammar intentional).

But picking apart million-dollar-budget commercials is as easy as picking off Peyton Manning last night. I’m sure each of these groups are achieving goals I don’t know or don’t understand. Just my 2¢.

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Chaney Given

Chaney is a talented and accomplished designer and illustrator, who has expanded his skill set to include motion graphics and video editing. With nearly a decade of experience, his client work includes Waterstep, Baptist Health, the Archdiocese of Louisville Catholic Schools, First Harrison Bank, and many more