It's the day after the Super Bowl, and the people we follow/read/talk to are discussing the ads more than the game itself. Could that be because we're in PR?

For all the hype--and the expense--the ads were underwhelming. A few were entertaining, a few were emotional, but most were simply forgettable. Worst of all, some were memorable, but we can't remember the brand. 

Here were some of our favorites and the ones we thought flopped.

Favorites

Google's Parisian Love

If you're going to do a Super Bowl ad, this is the way to do it. There's no pre-game build up because it's already been online for a few months. Low production values mean Google isn't spending millions on top of the $2.5-3 million it costs just to air it. It's simple and emotional while at the same time heavily branded--there's no way to forget what product was being advertised.

Coca-Cola's Hard Times

Who doesn't love The Simpsons? With this ad, you get most of the cast of characters and an alternate-reality view of Montgomery Burns. Broke and happy. It's an optimistic nod to what the country has been going through the past year. Favorite parts: Smithers on the odds-and-ends table with an $84 price tag affixed to his sleeve and Milhouse's "Sorry, Coke" at the end.

Cars.com's With Knowledge Comes Confidence

This follow-up to their 2009 Super Bowl ad is clever. It includes a Bengal cub and cheerleaders (awww). It assumes its audience is intelligent. Most of all, Cars.com realized it didn't have to scratch everything they've done before and come up with someone radically different. They continued the campaign by coming up with an ad that's fresh and creative but still falls in the same theme as last year's ad, which helps brand consistency.

Flops

Amid the few ads that stood out, there were several flops. We won't bother with clips because they weren't much to look at.

Focus on the Family. Setting all controversy aside, the ad itself wasn't great because it was very difficult to tell what it was about. Why spend all that money on a Super Bowl ad if you're going to be so vague? Also, Tim Tebow tackling his mother Pam just didn't fit with the tone of the whole ad and was especially disconcerting after seeing Betty White get tackled in the Snickers ad right before.

GoDaddy.  Nothing new here--Danica Patrick and other attractive women with no real tie-in to the service. It was interesting to follow the #brandbowl hashtag on Twitter and read how many people want to switch their domains from GoDaddy to someone else because they were offended by the sexism in the ads.

Doritos/eTrade/Taco Bell. Just not that funny or memorable. eTrade continued its annoying baby campaign (don't they know people are sick of the talking babies and have been since Look Who's Talking 2?) The Doritos ads were heavily branded but unfunny. We can't tell what Charles Barkley was hawking in the Taco Bell ads besides, well, tacos. Something about a $5 box?

What were your favorite and least-favorite Super Bowl ads?

About the Author

Nikki Klemmer is an account supervisor at Atkinson Public Relations.

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