Theater Critic: Cheers and jeers: Super Bowl ads

Forget about the pre-game show and the kick off. Disregard the Black Eyed Peas half-time show and the Packers’ win. But, never forget about the main event: new commercials.

The Super Bowl is known for its over-the-top, funny and extremely expensive commercials, and Super Bowl XLV was no exception.

The first cheer of the night went to the official premiere of the Volkswagen Star Wars-themed advertisement that featured a young boy dressed as Darth Vader desperate to have “the force” move different objects. Despite repeated failure, the boy tries one last time, trying to make his father’s car start and, to his surprise, it works. He doesn’t know that his father is watching from inside the house and has started the Volkswagen with an automatic car starter. This ad captured the hearts of many viewers, reminding us all just how expansive a child’s imagination can be.

Cheers also go to Doritos, which once again delivered a series of extremely funny commercials.  Between the pug dog, the finger licker and revived grandfather, it is hard to pick a favorite. The phrase “I got your back, if you’ve got mine” was cleverly brought to life in the Bridgestone advertisement featuring a beaver saving the life of his human friend. The beaver giving the “I got you bro” fist pound and point was the perfect ending to this smart commercial. Also, Pepsi proved that watching someone get smacked in the face with a can of soda is still a funny gag.

But, there were a few jeers. Best Buy proved that even two big celebrities like Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne don’t always translate to a great commercial. Snickers tried to find success again this year, but failed to realize that Roseanne Barr isn’t as cool as Betty White. The biggest jeer, however, goes to Eminem for trying to endorse two products, Brisk Iced Tea and Chrysler. Eminem should have stuck to his tough-guy persona and said no to both of these ads. Two commercials in one Super Bowl? Simply too much.

All in all, it was a good year for Super Bowl commercials. Even if no one cares about the game, there is still a good reason to gather around the TV for one Sunday night in February.

– Ryan Oliveti

Junior elementary education and theater major