Between Plays

Written by: Cyanna

The Super Bowl.

We all have our reasons to see it. My dad wants to watch the game. My sisters and I are into the halftime show. And all of us love to watch the commercials that air between plays.

The Super Bowl has a reputation for airing the most entertaining commercials of the year. And that should come as no surprise since no single event draws so many people to their television sets quite like the Super Bowl. With millions of people watching, it is the best place for companies to take their product and shove it in your face. Having that big of an audience watching your ad comes with a hefty price, so you better make sure your commercials are worth the money you paid for that slot.

Lately, I've become a bit of a commercial geek. As a Communications major, advertising is something I study, so television commercials do actually interest me to some extent. I admit that the Six Flags "Dancing Old Man" campaign was genius. He may have annoyed the hell out of you but everyone knew that he was dancing for Six Flags, so I was really excited to see what this year's Super Bowl had in store.

These were a few of my favorites.

"Diet Pepsi With P Diddy" – P Diddy's car breaks down and he hitches a ride in a Diet Pepsi truck. Before long, everyone is driving one of those suckers. The "Pimp My Ride" was a touch. And geez! That logo was everywhere! Funny, and it does its job.

FedEx's "Ten Things" – It's tricky to make a commercial, but Fed Ex tells you how it's done. This one made me laugh the most because I'm strange like that... and I like talking animals and cute kids.

The Ameriquest "Don't Judge" Series – Dang... I sure wouldn't want to be those guys. The common theme in these commercials is people listening or walking in on others at the wrong time, so don't spill pasta sauce on your girlfriend's cat or you'll be shocked with a cattle prod.

The NFL Network's "Tomorrow" – Okay... maybe not the funniest of the bunch. But I appreciate seeing athletes try to sing. :P

Budweiser's "Donkey" – This commercial is pretty darn clever if you know the deal with Budweiser and Clydesdales. I like the little pig at the end with the fake shaggy feet.

Cadillac's "Tunnel" – It's a bullet being fired from a gun! Yeah, it's not very funny, but I thought it was cool.

Verizon Wireless "Tiny" - I hadn't laughed that hard since the FedEx "Ten Things" commercial. I don't know how to describe this one other then tiny celebrities and the reactions of their fans and peers after seeing their new size. It's funny, it's creative, has bling and Christina gets blown away by a hairdryer.

Honorable mentions go out to Degree's "Inaction Heroes" and the random appearance of MC Hammer in the Lay's potato chips commercial. I got a really good laugh out of them both but they seemed to be too random and the entertainment factor seems forced. Of course this, like everything else you have been reading, this is all my own opinion.

In general it was a good game. I hardly ever watch football but for the first time, I actually found myself paying attention. Being a New Jersey resident, I had a hard time choosing a team to root for. And I enjoyed Paul McCartney's halftime show, especially the old Beatles' songs. Congratulations to the Patriots and a good job to the Eagles.

To see all of the commercials that aired during the Super Bowl including (but not limited to) the ones mentioned in this article, check out http://sports.channel.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads and don't forget to vote for your favorites.