Jamie Casino - Casino's Law
It's hard to overstate the importance of the Superbowl to Americans. Ostensibly a sports final, it's actually a televisual event which unites the country annually - and the commercial breaks are just as important as the game's 'plays' or 'downs' or whatever it is they do. This year saw the return of Jamie Casino, a Georgia lawyer, who obviously loves a bit of melodrama; and his spot illustrates the huge gulf between the cultures of the UK and USA. This work would be greeted with howls of derision in Britain, but I suspect it was welcomed with wide-eyed excitement by the majority of American viewers. Because Jamie is as close to a real-life superhero as you're likely to find. He even boasts a superhero name. A fantastically overblown, and probably very successful, piece.
Budweiser - Lost Dog
Another thing our US cousins adore, is sentiment. This is, after all, the country that gave us Walt Disney. Where we would see sugary sweet indulgence, Americans see heart-warming reassurance. Something Budweiser's people clearly know, judging by this spot. I have to admit that I am undeniably soppy about dogs, so I rather liked this tale (tail?) - but it still feels the association between the rescue of lost animals and beer drinking is quite tenuous. Still, this work clearly knows its audience's emotions will be running high when they see the film, and smartly goes straight for the heartstrings.
KIA Sorento - The Perfect Getaway
From Disney to Hollywood - and I won't lie, I don't know the first thing about cars. But I do know that, were I given the task of selling one, I could do a lot worse than plonk James Bond behind the wheel. Okay, I know he's not the current Bond, but Piers Brosnan was James Bond (also Remington Steele) and is adored by ladies and gentlemen alike. From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the Batmobile, cars usually look fantastic in feature films, so it's natural to adopt the style of the big screen for small screen commercials. I doubt this spot will win many awards for innovation, but it gets the job done. Or at least Mr. Brosnan does.
Snickers - The Brady Bunch
I've been looking for an opportunity to praise the Snickers campaign since the Joan Collins execution broke in the UK. It delivers its proposition (a Snickers bar fills you right up) in a genuinely entertaining and amusing way - and importantly, gives the consumer a reason to choose the brand over other bars. Here's an American version, which dropped into a Superbowl break, and it's just as full of spoofy fun as the British iteration. Interestingly, it also borrows from another great US institution, 'The Brady Bunch', and subverts it wonderfully, adding an axe-carrying maniac to the squeaky clean cast. I'm enjoying this work a great deal - and if you think you recognise the crazy guy, it's the fantastic character actor Danny Trejo.
T-Mobile - Unused Data
They say the Americans don't do irony, but here's an ad that says otherwise. Kim Kardashian sends herself up with a deadpan cool, and although we've seen the mock charity appeal before (the current Marmite work does the same thing), this is wryly amusing. Of course, there's a double irony loop on show, as Kim's profile will not suffer one jot from an appearance in the Superbowl break. Just the sort of thing she appears to be mocking in this film. Ah well, I guess an irony loop is better than no irony at all.
Incidentally, a 30 second slot in the Superbowl break costs around $4.5million.
Magnus Shaw is a blogger and copywriter
