Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Nicorette - Quitting Sucks



Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Michael Bay directs Victoria's Secret Commercial



Hmm Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, has now made this ad for Victoria's Secret. It has half naked girls, fire, helicopters, danger, hardcore rock music... pretty much everything Transformers has!

Are they trying to appeal to men with this?

Guru Grade: 5 / 10

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Plane Stupid: Polar Bear



Wow. This is very graphic.

But I guess that's what it takes to give the green movement some street credit.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Reebok Easy Tone - Talking Boobs



Reebok's new shoes are designed to make you work out while you walk. They promise a rounder, more sexy looking butt that will make other parts of your body jealous...

Can they say "boobs"?

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

New Zealand Book Council - Going West



A bit long, but cool.

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Weezer Snuggie



Um.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Orbit - Clean It Up



Advertising = Art.

Art by: Goons, a street artist out of Chicago
Directed by: Ace Norton
Music: Keep It Clean by Camera Obscura
Sponsored by: Orbit
Agency: Evolution Bureau - http://www.evb.com

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Monday, November 16, 2009

Toshiba Regza SV Television - Space Chair



I always liked Toshiba's stuff. For this commercial they strapped a chair to a balloon and sent the thing up to space... or pretty close. "Armchair viewing, redefined." Sure, it's a stretch, but I like it.

Oh and Toshiba: expect to hear from my lawyers. My windshield needs to be replaced from being struck by falling chair legs.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Throwback - Tootsie Pops



How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center? The world may never know.

It's funny to see how different old commercials can be. The production values seem to increase exponentially every five years or so. Find an old VHS and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Trident Layers - Pay in Gum



This plays off of the idea that Trident Layers gum is worth as much or more than cash, and the babysitter, mail man, chimney sweeper, and electrician would love to be paid in gum! Lame.

I hope they don't make more of these. I just don't find them entertaining. Sorry, Trident.

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Thursday, November 5, 2009

AT&T Sues Verizon over Ad

This is the last cellphone related advertising news for a while, promise!

A lot of people know about the recent battle between AT&T (who have the iPhone as their main mobile device) and Verizon, but if you're unfamiliar, here's how it goes down:

AT&T is all like:


They have a few spots with similar "There's an app for that" content. It becomes ubiquitous.

Sooo Verizon attacks with:


Hilarious, yes? Well AT&T is not laughing, and now they've launched a lawsuit claiming that the spot has caused them to lose "incalculable market share" and "invaluable goodwill."Oh really? Who would have imagined that advertising could do something like that!?

AT&T is claiming that people are misinterpreting the "maps" and are seeing them as displaying all ranges of coverage, when in fact the maps only show 3G coverage. It looks to me like they're just sore losers.

Hang in there AT&T. It could be worse. You could be a 3G customer in Alaska! Check out that shoddy coverage.

Via

Verizon Droid - Stealth



!!! I'm not sure whether my excitement is for the commercial or for the free phone upgrade I'll be eligible for in two weeks.

The Motorola Droid is Verizon's Google-based phone (runs the Android mobile system) and it's "dropping" November 6.

The spot was pretty cool. It looked more like a trailer for a doomsday flick, but hey -- it captured my attention.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween Spottings

I saw a Geico caveman and Flo from the Progressive ads! I just had to get this pic.

Tiger Beer - Zip



Soooo the dude was a chick the whole time? Confused.

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Thursday, October 29, 2009

HTC - You



More and more cell phone commercials these days... this one doesn't even claim a service provider. This spot is mostly boring until the end: "You don't need to get a phone, you need a phone that gets you." I think this line has so many possibilities, but the ad failed to bring out its true potential.

The song is Sinnerman by Nina Simone (Felix da Housecat Remix).

Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10

Monday, October 26, 2009

Porsche - Family Tree



Porsche has a new automobile on the market: the Panamera (panamera.com) and this is the spot to kick it off. The family tree idea is nice, and I like how it's consistent with the website. It's hard to differentiate the value of cars, but Porsche has a pretty good place in the mind of consumers already anyway. Will this ad sway people to buy a sports car in these bad economic times? Time will tell.

Agency: Cramer-Krasselt/Chicago, USA

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Reese's - Perfect Halloween



While a one word slogan is usually a bad idea, it works great for Reese's. Chocolate peanut butter cups are perfect.

Happy Halloween!

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Friday, October 23, 2009

Orange: Words



This was a powerful video. I think the music really did it... however, the pauses were awkward and they failed to deliver the final "umph". Still not bad.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Jameson - Lost Barrel



Last night I was watching a new episode of Mythbusters (golf ball-like dimples on your car WILL give you better gas mileage, BTW) and this commercial fell right into my lap. It's a whimsical tale of how a dedicated Irishman battled the sea and its creatures to save a barrel of his whiskey.

A common theme in marketing spirits is highlighting their tradition, and this spot does a great job of instilling that feeling. It also has a giant octopus. What's not to love?

Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day New York

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Droid Does - Verizon's iDon't iPhone Mockery



Ohhhh snap. Apple has gotta be wincing at this one. An obvious attack at the iPhone, excellently executed and very exciting for Verizon.

It starts out just like your normal Apple commercial would: white background, a yet-to-be-found indie band singing happily (the song is "Magic (Oh Oh Oh)" by MoZella), and little i's all over the place. It's amazing how many things they picked out that the iPhone can't do. I was a little bit surprised.

The website they direct you to (droiddoes.com) is a teaser and email collector referencing the kind of features that Verizon users have been waiting for. Hooray! Can't wait till November.

Guru Grade: 9 / 10

Fanta - Mime



My friends at Psyop sent me Fanta's new all-animated spot. The story behind it is kind of corny... a virtual girl walks into a window (the graphic designers should have put more gloss on it or something) and gets laughed at by her peers. But don't worry! She does the mime and soon everyone is chanting "Go mime girl, go mime girl". Yay. Oh and drink Fanta.

Didn't like this one. The visual effects were nice, but they could have thought of something relevant. Are the bobble head people supposed to resemble their new goofy shaped bottle?

Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10

Sunday, September 27, 2009

The UPS Store - Storm



Guru Grade
: 7.5 / 10

Credits:
Agency: Doner
EVP/Chief Creative Officer: Rob Strasberg
VP, Creative Director: Jimmy Kollin
Creative Director: Karen Cathel
Executive VP, Director of Integrated Production: Sheldon Cohn
EVP Account Management Director: Greg Gerfen
VP Account Director: Julie MacDonald
Producer: Laurie Irwin
Director: Psyop
Production Company: Psyop
Psyop Creativ
e Director: Eben Mears
Executive Producer: Lucia Grillo
Producer: Lydia Holness
Associate Producer: Kay Chen
Designers: Ben Chan, Arisu Kashiwagi, Jungeun Jaye Kim, Kitty Lin, Helen Choi
Lead Technical Director: Tony Barbieri
Lead CG Animator: Jordan Blit
Lead CG Animator: Pat Porter
CG Animator: Gooshun Wang, Russ Wootton
CG Modelers: Lee Wolland, Soo Hee Han, Tom Cushwa
CG Lighters: Anthony Patti,Helen Choi
Flash Animator: Jared Deal
Technical Consultant: Thomas Goddard
FX: Miguel A. Salek
Lead Compositor: Molly Schwartz
Compositor: Manu Gaulot
Flame Conform: Jee
n Lee, Dan Boujoulian
Live Action Company: Tool of North America
Live Action Director: Tom Routson
Executive Producers: Jennifer Siegel, Brian Latt
Line Producer: Jeff
Tanner
Production Designer: Peter Benson
Director of Photography: John Schwartzman
Editorial: The Underground
Editor: Cass Vanini, Psyop
Color Correct: Postique
Producer: Mike Digel
Colorist: John Cathel
Music Company: Elias Arts
Executive Producer: Dave Gold
Producer: Kala Sherman
Composer: Nate Morgan
Sound Design Company: Elias A
rts
Producer: Kala Sherman
Sound Designer: Dean Hovey
Sound Mix Company: Sound Lounge
Mixer: Peter Buccellato

Thursday, July 9, 2009

HP Invent

HP - invent from Tom and Matt on Vimeo.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Universal Everything / MTV International Rebrand

I truly believe this campaign has started a new era of design. Before it, we were smothered with simplistic, smooth, minimalist ads. That was the coolest hippest thing around. This rebrand pushes the limits of what is possible in the digital age. It’s still smooth, but it has a new way about it. I really like it.

"We are asked directly to devise the on-air, web and print rebrand of MTV
for an international audience of 524 million viewers. Its purpose to cement
the channel's reputation as a powerhouse of youth-oriented programming
and creative output.

The aim is to continue and enhance the innovative spirit of MTV's 27 year
legacy, and to establish a coherent brand language across 160 different
countries spanning 31 languages including Japanese, Russian and Chinese.

This resulted in the reinvention of the onscreen information graphics
with a timeline based system to establish 'Where you are in MTV time'.

An ongoing series of unique 'Pop-Art' idents have risen from the new manifesto - POP X 1000% - celebrating and amplifying pop culture in all its glory - Love x 1000%, Desire x 1000%........and more"

Click the link to watch the spots. Brilliant.

http://www.universaleverything.com/289

AXE Instinct: The Power of Leather

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Philips Carousel Feature



I'm feeling really lazy so I'm just going to snag this and post it up:

Philips Carousel - a short film from Adam Berg and Stink Digital

Red carpet roll-out for Cinema 21:9 interactive website

Amsterdam, April 16, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — Philips announces the launch of the exclusive 'Carousel' movie to promote the eagerly anticipated Cinema 21:9 LCD TV.

To celebrate the imminent arrival of the groundbreaking Cinema 21:9 LCD TV, Philips has launched a new website which will act as the dedicated online home of the world's first cinema proportioned television screen.

Found on-line at www.philips.co.uk/cinema, the site is host to an exclusive fully interactive movie, entitled Carousel, directed by Adam Berg with music provided from Michael Fakesch. The 2 minute 19 second cinematic feature is filmed in one continuous tracking shot and offers an exploration into the world of movies being made for the cinema screen through the eyes of the director and the special effects and lighting experts. During playback of the movie, users have interactive touch points in which they can access additional content and feature demonstrations.

John Olsen, VP Marketing Television, Philips Consumer Lifestyle: 'Cinema 21:9 is a world first which we are extremely excited about. It gives viewers for the first time the opportunity to enjoy the immersive experience they get when watching movies at the cinema in the comfort of their own home. And this unique TV now has an amazing on-line showcase, which is packed with interactive content that users will find captivating and educational.'

Until now this Cinematic Viewing Experience has been extremely difficult to replicate at home. With its unique 21:9 aspect ratio, the Cinema 21:9 completely fills our peripheral vision, enveloping us so completely in the action that we actively 'feel' along with the characters in front of us. Cinema 21:9 boasts a 56" screen that is shaped in the 21:9 aspect ratio, so movies in the 2.39:1 format completely fill the screen exactly as you experience at the cinema. The TV delivers impeccable high definition picture quality in a native 2560x1080p resolution.

Cinema 21:9 builds on this heritage and uses all of Philips expertise in picture quality, incorporating the most advanced processing technologies available, including:

Perfect Pixel HD Engine for unrivalled picture detail
200Hz Clear LCD for smear-free pictures, a super-fast 1ms response rate and deep black levels delivering a contrast ratio of 80,000:1
Perfect Natural Motion for judder free moving images
Three-sided Ambilight Surround that combines with class-leading picture performance to deliver the ultimate immersive viewing experience. Ambilight projects ambient LED lighting from the top and sides of the TV that absorbs the viewer into the picture and expands the content beyond the confines of the screen. The color and intensity accurately change to match the on-screen action and lock your vision on the screen to immerse you further in the movie.
Cinema 21:9 launches in April in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Russia. Availability in other European countries will follow during Spring 2009.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Sprint 4G Now Network



I love statistics. Graphs, pie charts. I wish I had numbers on every aspect of my life. I think Sprint realizes this.

Twitter is becoming more ubiquitous. I remember when it was just a baby. Now it's being mentioned on national television. I wonder if they had to pay for that...

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Women's Aid with Keira Knightley



Woah. This is going to get a lot of attention, because of the violent brutality AND Keira Knightley. Movie stars in commercials.... finally!

I'm a bit confused about the content... Her home is the movie set? I mean I understand calling "cut" on abuse, but it doesn't really follow through in the story line. I guess that nervous uncertainty just adds to the messages' effect though. Very powerful commercial.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Credits:
Agency: Grey, London
Creatives: Grey, London
Production Company: D.A.B. Hand Media, London
Director: Joe Wright
Producer: Dominic Delaney
DP: Tony Briggs
Editor: Paul Tothill
Sound: Skywalker Sound, Lip Sync, Scramble
Post-production: Big Buoy, Prime Focus
Music: “Vengeance Drools” by Clark

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Magical Ray-Ban Chameleon



All you hipsters out there... this one's for you!

So what do you think? Real? Fake? I'm going with fake. Very fake. Nice display though. The rough cut Youtube-styled production is what really catches the attention of the younger generation these days. Ray-Ban effectively shows us their variety of shades while entertaining at the same time. I'm off to shop for some striped glasses.

The name of the song is "Eat My Bear" by Yuksek.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Full credits:
Client: Ray-Ban
Agency: Cutwater
Executive Creative Director: Chuck McBride
Creative Director: Travis Britton
Art Director: Kele Dobrinski
Copywriter: Noah Phillips
Agency Producer: Mai Huynh
Production Company: Method Labs
Director: Seb Caudron
Director of Photography: Jim Matlosz
FX Producer: Justin Harder,
Seb Caudron
VFX Company: Method
Executive Producer: Lisa Houck
Graphics: Mix House
Musical Artist: Yuksek
Song: Eat My Bear

Friday, March 20, 2009

Puma L.I.F.T.



Puma puts on a great performance touting their "Light injected footwear" tagline in this bright spot. Ah yes, I can still drop lame puns like it's my job.

The literal translation advertises the new 173 gram running shoe. I didn't even realize until the end that they weren't even wearing actual clothes.

The name of the song is "Underwear" by The Magnetic Fields.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Credits:
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Executive Creative Director: Duncan Marshall
Art Director: January Vernon
Copywriter: Scott Ginsberg
Head of Integrated Production: Sally-Ann Dale
Agency Producer: Dana May
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Rupert Sanders
Director of Photography: Chris Soos
Executive Producer: David Zander
Executive Producer: Eric Stern
Line Producer: Laurie Boccacio
Editorial Company: SpotWelders
Editor: Neil Smith
Editor: Michael Heldman
VFX Company: Mass Market
Creative Director (VFX): Cedric Nicolas Troyan
Flame Artist: Alex Kolasinski
Flame Artist: Sarah Eim
Flame Artist: Chris Staves
Sound: Sound Lounge
Sound Design: Trinitite Studios
Sound Designer: Brian Emrich
Music: Search Party Music

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Kotex from Australia



:/

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Wendy's Croquet



I had some spare time so I figured I'd post for the first time in forever. Behold: civilized construction workers. Wendy's goes for a soft sell here as they flaunt the high society lavishness of their new Gourmet Mushroom Swissburger.

I do say, fair lad, give croquet a go as it is a most delicate sport.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Friday, February 13, 2009

Jaded by Advertising

After the Super Bowl madness, I havn't been inspired to post at all. It's like the best has been done already.

Feel free to request ads to be reviewed, but otherwise I'll be taking it slow until I get some initiative to post again...

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Super Bowl 43 Is Over At Last

Super Bowl 43 Commercials

After 23 blog posts today, I can thankfully say that Super Bowl 43 and all of its commercials has ended. It was a crazy day for me. I dreaded the jingle before breaks, because I knew it preceded several commercials that would require excessive blogging. Timeouts are the worst.

But in the end, it was a good experience and I learned how difficult it can be to keep up a "live" blog.

I'm glad Hulu is hosting all of the commercials on their site this year. It gives me, and you, easy access to the spots. I apologize for having to sit through the ad before the actual ad, but that's how the world works sometimes. I'll try to get reliable Youtube videos posted by the end of this week.

I'm in the process of providing more insight and reason for Guru Grades for all of the Super Bowl ads. Also, stay tuned for the Super Bowl 43 Commercials Round Up, where I will give a general summary of my favorite ads, list your favorites from national polls such as USA Today, and go over anything that I missed in this post.

Hope you enjoyed the game and my coverage! Please subscribe if you liked what you saw.

Super Bowl 43: Bud Light Lime



Remember when Coke and Pepsi battled against each other with their vanilla and lime flavored drinks? Well now beer giants Miller (Miller Chill) and Budweiser (Bud Light Lime) are doing the same thing. Let's just hope they don't come out with vanilla flavored beer.

Previous efforts have been made in beer commercials to portray the temperature of their products, but it usually involved freezing the environment or making things cold. In this spot for Bud Light Lime, a young gentleman has an orb of warmth around him that seems to melt down and beautify everything in range.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Pepsi MacGruber



I don't watch Saturday Night Live, the show that has created the MacGruber character. It's a spoof of the 1980/90s TV series "MacGyver," a show about a resourceful secret agent who could use everyday objects in unbelievable ways.

The video posted above was not the ad that aired during the Super Bowl, although I think it should have been. It's much better than this one:



Maybe somebody can educate me on the ways of MacGruber aka PepSuber? Is the real MacGyver always in the skits? Does it always end in a deadly explosion?

Pepsi's self mockery of their new "Refresh everything" slogan is a poor attempt at satire. It seems to me like Pepsi is trying too much to capture the hope and excitement of Obama. Their new logo looks just like the Obama logo, their first ad of 2009 preached ideas parallel to the Obama campaign, and one of their newest commercials features Will.I.Am, a celebrity who is tighter with the Barack Obama movement than Oprah Winfrey. Now, Pepsi is reaching out to SNL with hopes to generate the kind of laughs Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impressions did during last year's presidential election campaign.

I love Obama just as much as the next guy, but this is getting ridiculous. I guarantee that the creatives responsible for the rebranding and marketing of Pepsi are democratic Obamaniacs.

Guru Grade: 3 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Hulu



Making a surprise appearance, Hulu delivers their evil plans, claiming to be "An evil plot to destroy the world." Playing off of the notion of world domination by huge internet moguls like Google, Hulu explains how TV programming softens up the brain, so the content on their site can further melt it down to a consumable pulp. Conspiracy theorists everywhere are going crazy now that Hulu has exposed themselves as aliens planning to decimate the human race through television programming.

Alec Baldwin delivers the 30 Rock-styled humor.

Also, I don't know what I would do without Hulu for showing you guys all of these Super Bowl ads! They've been a great asset, and I really do love the content they provide. I, for one, welcome our video hosting overlords.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Coke Zero



Troy Polamalu stars in this ad, mocking the orignal 1979 football spot with Mean Joe Green.

A few days ago we were treated to a preview of this spot, which made it look like Coke would stick to its traditional roots and redesign the ad in a similar fashion. Instead, the "Hey Coke Zero is infringing upon Coke because it's exactly the same" campaign makes a lame reappearance. They should have just remade it properly instead of turning a classic into a shoddy parody.

Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Frosted Flakes



This stop motion spectacle initially caught me off guard. With the opening dialogue concerning "growing" while simultaneously showing images of seeds maturing, I thought we were going to get a shpeel about going green. Instead, Kellogg's tells us how vital life skills, such as self confidence, friendship, and values, can "grow" on the field. Interesting.

I'm getting flashbacks of Planet Earth as I rewatch this ad. Kelloggs' community building efforts are displayed by symbolic frame-by-frame imagery that represents the important ideals that active athletic fields can teach our children.

To find more information about where you can build, the ad directs you to FrostedFlakes.com.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Monster.com



Monster.com encourages you to search their site for a new job if your boss puts his moose's ass in your face at the office.

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Universal



Universal encourages you to unleash your inner super hero.

Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Overstock.com



NBA star Carlos Boozer shares some insights with some curious kids.

Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Hyundai

Hyundai has multiple spots in this year's Super Bowl, mostly for their new Genesis.



Favorite line: "Hyundai. Like Sunday."

Guru Grade: 7 / 10



Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Teleflora



Teleflora gives you a reason why you shouldn't send flowers in a box. They tend to get cranky, apparently. Valentine's Day is fast approaching and the Super Bowl was the perfect time for advertising a flower company.

Something that the average viewer may not have picked up on: The colors in the office scene are dulled down to a tainted greyscale and then the hue and saturation are really pumped up when we see the Teleflora man delivering the vase of flowers. This is a common tactic used to subconsciously influence your emotions at different points during the commercial. Also notice that the box's text was very similar to a leading flower selling competitor...

Agency: The Fire Station

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Cheetos



Chester the Cheetah inspires a young lady to do the right thing: send some birds to attack a chatty dumb Paris Hilton type.

Chester appears as a moving stuffed animal instead of the usual cartoon type. With this rendition of the snack icon, I get the feeling that his beard is an outgrowth of wisdom and knowledge. This version of the cheesy mammal exudes a sage predisposition... I hope there are more ads to come in this campaign.

Cheetos does a great job of transforming themselves from the paper bag lunchtime commodity to the sophisticated snacking solution.

For a total mind numbing experience, check out Cheetos.com.

Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Super Bowl 43: H&R Block



There are only two things in life that are certain. Death and taxes.

Guru Grade: 5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Cash4Gold



Yes, it's true. Somehow these scammers managed to get a commercial in the biggest venue of the year. People must be in dire straits if so many are selling their valuables to this sketchy company.

Think about it: You put your gold in a bag and mail it to this factory, where they determine how much money to pay out. As far as I understand, there is no guarantee that you are getting the right value for your possessions.

Props on getting two relatively famous stars to endorse this glorified infomercial.

Ed McMahon and MC Hammer show you just how stupid Cash4Gold really is.

Agency: Euro RSCG Edge

Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Toyota Venza



Toyota's lame (but shiny!) ad for their new vehicle, the Venza.

"You've been influenced by many, but defined by none. The masterful fusion of functionality and design. Presenting the new Toyota Venza. It exemplifies all of you. So ask yourself, are you Venza?"
No, no I'm not. It exemplifies all of me? Then why is the grill of the car just like that guy's mask? Just because you have the movie-man voice, doesn't mean you can say whatever you want and make it seem logical. Another boring car commercial.

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Budweiser

Here are a few ads with the beloved Clydesdales:



The great American Lager, or the great American Logger? HA. The Budweiser dalmatian gets shown up by the brute Clydesdale, who looks to be getting jealous of the dog's fetching skills. Who's laughing now, pup?

Guru Grade: 6 / 10



In this commercial, we see a foreign horse owner take away his white-haired "Daisy" from a mutual love affair with a Budweiser Clydesdale. A music montage featuring Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" captures images of the horse running through fields, a river, a golf course, a busy city, and canyons in order to find Daisy the Dancing Circus Horse at the carnival where she is being displayed as a centerpiece. In the end, they make a romantic escape together. Clowns rejoice!

Guru Grade: 7 / 10



Budweiser's last spot in the big game showed a fictitious history of how one horse came to do what it does (pull carriages of beer?) Via Jake, we get a narrative of his heritage, which begins in Scotland in 1933 and continues through time, past the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island during the early 20th century, through failed professions such as heavy lifting, horse racing, and towing buggies until finally settling on the Bud trade.

There are a number of gorgeous visuals in this ad.

Getting a little repetitive, aren't they? Budweiser used to claim the top honors for Super Bowl ad greatness, but this year they have been dethroned by the Doritos make-your-own ad contest. Shameful.

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Castrol Oil



Monkeys. Gay Monkeys.

Buy a case of Castrol and monkeys in baby blue jump suits will show up and work on your car? Sounds like a deal to me. These grease monkeys are cute, but their relevance to the brand didn't extend beyond the mechanic slang joke.

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Guru Grade: 5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Bridgestone



Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head get animated in this spot for the tire giant.

Guru Grade: 6 / 10



In this ad, a couple of moon rakers get their Bridgestone tires stolen from them as they cruise around in space to House of Pain's "Jump Around."

Guru Grade: 5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Bud Light



We all need to cut back during these rough financial times. What does this office member recommend? Ditching the beer. He gets thrown out of a window, appropriately.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10



My favorite late night host stars in a spot for Bud Light, which he thinks will only air in Sweden. Vroom vroom party starter!

Guru Grade: 7 / 10



Slapstick humor, chilled. Skiers discuss "drinkability" at the lodge as Bud Light continues their virtual white board campaign.

Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Audi



Jason Statham, (star of the Transporter series and other high octane action films) tries out a Mercedes and a BMW (and takes a hopeless look at a bystanding Lexus) before deciding that the new Audi Supercharged A6 is the perfect getaway car.

This commercial was an attempt to recreate famous Hollywood chase scenes, and the production style effectively mimicked that feel.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Audi
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco
Co-Creative Director: Paul Venables,
Greg Bell
Associate Creative Director: Erich Pfeifer,
Tom Scharpf
Copywriter: Crockett Jeffers
Broadcast Production Director: Craig Allen
Producer: Emily Moore
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Ivan Zacharias

Super Bowl 43: E*Trade



This pre-game spot features the return of the E*Trade baby! I found the mature blabbing infant to be pretty funny, but his blatantly obvious endorsement of TaylorMade golf supplies made the baby come off as a cheap gimmick. I'm hoping the golf company paid a good chunk of that $3 million, because it's more of a commercial for the new R9 than for E*Trade. Ya shankapotamus...

Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10



Premiering in the second quarter, these talkative tykes discuss how E*Trade can help out during the recession. The song that is being sung is Mr. Mister's "Take These Broken Wings."

E*Trades sticks with the same campaign as last year, but it seems funnier now since the economy is tanking. Financial topics are "hot" whether they're positive or negative, and these little E*Trade babies are the perfect mascots to help us laugh and cry through our poor times.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

To view "outtakes" of these spots that didn't make it to the big game, click here. I think most cuts were better than the two that aired.

Super Bowl 43: Gatorade



Gatorade, not to be outdone by all the other major advertisers, has released another black and white ad from their "What's G" campaign. This one leaves Lil Wayne to rest his raspy vocal chords, as we see influential athletes voice their stance on what really is "G." This commercial is Gatorade's official claim to the What's G ads, as they display their new packaging as well as a new website, MissionG.com.

If you're an athlete, you know the true feeling that Gatorade is trying to capture. It's a hidden emotion that drives you to play. A reason for the pain of defeat and the ecstasy of victory... Dang, they should hire me for these lines!

Featured athletes include Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods, Jabbawokeez, and Peyton Manning.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Gatorade
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz

Group Creative Director: Jimmy Smith
Associate Creative Director: Jayanta Jenkins
Management Supervisor: Jiah Choi
Agency Executive Producer: Sarah Patterson
Agency Producer: Lisa Effress
Production Company: Pony Show Enterainment
Director: Spike Lee
Executive Producer: Jeffrey Frankel,
Susan Kirson
Line Producer: Fern Martin
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Senior Editor: Dan Bootzin,
Rick Shambaugh
Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Post Production: The Mill
Post Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
Post Producer: Ari Davis
Lead Flame Artist: Chris Knight
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
CG Lead: John Leonti

CG Artist: Steve Beck,
Jaime Fernandez
Mix: Eleven
Executive Producer (Eleven): DJ Fox-Engstrom
Mixer: Jeff Payne
Composer: Mark Batson

The Super Bowl 43 Commercials

Follow the links to watch the ads!!

Pre-Game Ads:


-Pepsi Max Ingredients (bottom of page)
-Doritos: New Flavor Pitch
-E*Trade Baby Golfer
-Samsung/NFL Super Ad Contest winner, Reginald Castilla's "That's How I See It"
-Hyundai Contract
-State Farm: Lebron James Plays Football
-Universal Inner Super Hero
-Hyundai Genesis Coupe

1st Half Ads:

-Bud Light Meeting
-Audi Jason Statham Chase Scenes

-Pepsi Forever Young Refresh Anthem
-Doritos: Free Doritos
-Bud Light Conan O'Brien only in Sweden
-Toyota Venza
-Bridgestone Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head
-Castrol Grease Monkies
-Doritos Power of the Crunch
-Go Daddy Shower Scene
-Pepsi Max I'm Good
-Pedigree Strange Pets
-Budweiser Clydesdale Jealousy
-Budweiser Horse Lovers
-Gatorade Talking Heads
-Cars.com David Abernathy's Life
-Hyundai, Like Sunday, Outrage
-E*Trade Singing Baby
-Bud Light Skiing
-H&R Block Death and Taxes
-Teleflora No More Mean Flowers in Boxes
-Cheetos

Halftime Ads:

-Sobe Lizard Lake
-Sprint/Nextel Roadies
-NFL Network
-Overstock.com Deals with Carlos Boozer
-Universal Inner Super Hero

2nd Half Ads:

-Coca-Cola Avatar
-Bridgestone Moon Riders
-Denny's Gangsters
-Monster.com Moose End
-Budweiser Jake the Clydesdale
-Career Builder Tips
-Coca-Cola Heist
-Frosted Flakes
-Miller High Life 1-second ad
-Hyundai Contract
-Coke Zero with Troy Palamalo
-Cash4Gold with MC Hammer and Ed McMahon
-General Electric Scarecrow, If I Only Had a Brain
-Hulu
-Pepsi and SNL's Macgruber
-Bud Light Lime
-Go Daddy Enhancements

Postgame Ads:

-
E*Trade Baby Golfer
-Denny's Nannerpus

Today is Game Day


Super Bowl 43. The commercials are just hours away now, and I wanted to post in order to lay out my game plan for the day.

-If you havn't yet, check out my Super Bowl Commercials Preview. Many of todays ads have already surfaced and been graded by yours truly.

-Pre-game coverage starts at 4 p.m. Eastern, and the game will begin at 6 p.m. (approximately)

-I will start watching at 4, and my commercials coverage will begin as soon as I see something noteworthy.

-$206,000,000 of ads to cover. That's a lot of business.

Enjoy the game and come on over here to see the stuff you may have missed during your bathroom break or beer run.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Super Bowl 43: Pepsi Refresh Anthem



Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am, both innovative political activists as well as music artists, conjoin in this ad to show you how times have changed, while remaining basically the same. Ray-Bans are back in style, people are still coming home from wars to hug their children, skateboarding is still gravity-defying, the martial arts culture continues to attract attention, people put their lights up at concerts, surfing is still hip, kids still cram into cars, walls are still scrawled upon, green animated characters continue to entertain us, chubby movie stars get laughs, strange dancing still attracts a crowd, and revolutions rage throughout the country.

Pop culture icons I have identified include Bruce Lee, Gina Carano, Gumbi, Shrek, Jake Blues (The Blues Brothers), and Jack Black.

I'm beginning to see Pepsi's logic with the new logo. They don't want Pepsi to appear as the old 90s and 00s Pepsi. They want a totally reinvented message, while still sticking to their roots. Their revolution. With this method they can stay "forever young" and continue to prosper.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Pepsi
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
CD/Copywriter: Brett Craig
Creative Director: Joe Shands
Art Director: Bill Hornstein
Copywriter: Anthony DeCarolis,
Eric Fahrenkopf
Director of Broadcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-Thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: Mila Davis
Agency Producer: Rob Saxon
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Dante Ariola
Executive Producer: Jeff Scruton
Producer: Natalie Hill
Director of Photography: Chris Soos
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Producer (Editorial): Mike Goble
Executive Producer (Editorial): CL Weaver
Online/VFX: Method Studios
VFX Executive Producer: Helen Hughes
VFX Producer: Scott Boyajan
VFX Creative Director: Alex Frisch
VFX Supervisor: Gil Baron
CG Supervisor: Andy Boyd
Lead Compositor: Jake Montgomery
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Super Bowl 43: Doritos Ad Contest

Doritos hosted an ad contest. After narrowing the submissions down to five, the winner has been voted on and will appear during the game. Click here to see the top five submissions.

Here's how I rank them:

1. Power of the Crunch
2. The Chase
3. Free Doritos
4. Too Delicious
5. New Flavor Pitch

EDIT- I guess they couldn't decide on just one?

During/before the game I saw "New Flavor Pitch" (Beer flavored Doritos ad which appeared to be designed for a local college TV station, not funny at all), "Power of the Crunch" (which was pretty well done, probably didn't have to end like it did), and "Free Doritos" (shown below.)



Also known as "Doritos Crystal Ball," this ad is currently at the top of the prestigious USA Today 2009 Ad Meter, earning the makers of the spot $1 million from Frito Lay for making the most-liked ad of this year's Super Bowl. Two unemployed brothers from Batesville, Indiana created the ad for Doritos' Crash the Super Bowl contest.

The first joke, with the crystal ball being chucked through the vending machine, was admittedly funny. But I think the second throw to the nuts was trite and overdone.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Denny's



It's Nanner Puss! Er Nannerpus? I was blown away by the silliness of this ad. It's a wonderful little ad. I like when his flailing banana tentacles knock off one of his googly eyes.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10



Here we see some thugs and gangsters trying to talk over breakfast, but keep getting interrupted by the whipped-cream-squirting waitress. Denny's proves that they want to "get serious" about breakfast by revealing to America that it will offer a free Grand Slam meal to everybody who comes in on Tuesday, February 3 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. I'll be there!

Guru Grade: 6 / 10



This ad mocks other breakfast establishments' attempts to sweeten up the first meal of the day with commodities such as whipped cream and funnel cake. You're sad. Your wallet is sad. Your food should be sad too.

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Cars.com



David Abernathy is the man. By the way, an anagram of David Abernathy is "vibrant heady ad." Coincidence?!

I like the story-telling concept, something that is only possible with longer (60 second) ads and a little bit of elbow grease. The plot seems like the perfect movie script. This one should go over extremely well with the masses.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: General Electric Scarecrow



GE takes a modern spin on the Wizard of Oz's "If I Only Had a Brain" to demonstrate how they're using energy in an intelligent way with their smart grid technology. Instead of straw, the Scarecrow is made up of circuits and wires. An illuminated city in the distance takes the place of Oz.

This is one of the many Super Bowl commercials heavily laden with computer animation. GE does a good job of "keeping it real," if you will... by displaying images that somewhat pertain to the product or service they provide.

Random factoid: the original book "The Wizard of Oz" figuratively represented US politics in the late 19th century.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: GE
Agency: BBDO, New York
Chief Creative Officer: David Lubars,
Bill Bruce
Executive Creative Director: Don Schneider
Senior Creative Director/Art Director: Ted Shaine
Senior Creative Director/Copywriter: Tom Darbyshire
Director of TV Production: Regina Ebel
Assistant Producer: Regina Iannuzzi
Director of Music: Rani Vaz
Production Company: Traktor
Director: Traktor
Editorial Company: Crew Cuts
Editor: Sherri Margulies
Animation Company: Framestore
Music Company: DHMA
VFX: Framestore, New York
VFX Head of Production: Laney Gradus

Super Bowl 43: Sobe Lizard Lake



This is the two dimensional version of the soon-to-be first ever 3D TV commercial! (Click here to find out where you can get a pair of glasses to view it properly.)

Football stars Ray Lewis, Matt Light, and Justin Tuck put on a dainty ballet-- until it is crashed by the SoBe lizards and characters from Monsters vs. Aliens. If you liked the commercial, you might want to watch the making-of video.

The song sounds like T-Pain, but anyone can achieve that sound now-a-days so who knows.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Coca-Cola Heist



This is the second ad that will air on Super Bowl Sunday. (Click here for the other.) I'm once again impressed with the animation. A slew of bugs and insects raid a picnic to plunder a Coke. Reminiscent of the happiness factory spots. It's just awesomely done... how can you knock it?

The name of the song is the composition "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev, done by sound production company Stimmung.

Also, watch out for a remake of the 1979 football spot, where the kid gives Mean Joe Green a Coke and gets his jersey in return. Only the new one will be for Coke Zero and will star Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. (Here it is.)

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Coca-Cola
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Creative Director: Hal Curtis,
Sheena Brady
Art Director: James Moslander,
Lee Jennings
Copywriter: Marc D'Avignon
Senior Agency Producer: Matt Hunnicutt
Production Company: Psyop
Director: Psyop
Creative Director (Psyop): Todd Mueller,
Kylie Matulick
Director of Photography: Stephen Blackman
Executive Producer (Psyop): Neysa Horsburgh
Live Action Producer: Michael Schlenker
VFX Supervisor/CG Lead Artist: Andrew Romatz
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Thibault Debaveye
2D Supervisor: Lane Jolly
Animation Lead: John Velazquez
Editor: Brett Nicoletti
VFX Producer: Tina Chiang
Fluid Simulation: Scanline VFX
Music/Sound Design: Stimmung
Mix: Lime Studios

Super Bowl 43: Go Daddy Enhanced/Shower

Go Daddy has produced two spots for the Super Bowl, and they let you vote on which one they would air during the Super Bowl. The votes have been calculated, but the winner won't be announced until game day. Which one would you have chosen?

Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick reveals "enhancements" vs. Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick in the shower

Check out GoDaddy.com to see the ads, both TV and Internet-only versions.

Last year (or two years ago?) we were presented with similar directions. I believe it was one of the most massive cock teases in the history of this earth, with millions logging on to see some skin, only to be tortuously let down.

A proper Guru Grade will be granted once I see what happens...

Super Bowl 43: Heineken Warrior



John Turturro returns in another spot for Heineken's Give Yourself a Good Name campaign. The Super Bowl commercials are really starting to pile up now...

The diction in this ad is much more enjoyable than the other one. My favorite line:

"This is not a beer. This is a sword. Wield it with honor... *huttuh!* Or cut yourself off."
That's one of the most clever ways I've ever seen the message "Drink responsibly" conveyed so discretely and in an entertaining way. Well done.

The name of the song is "Higher Than the End" by Twi the Humble Feather. The music brings it all together and gives the commercial a nice warm feeling.

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Heineken
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Executive Creative Director: Mark Fitzloff,
Susan Hoffman
Creative Director: Joe Staples
Copywriter: Jennie Hayes
Art Director: Jimm Lasser,
Max Erdenberger,
Matt Murphy
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Agency Producer: Hayley Goggin
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Stacy Wall
Executive Producer: Mindy Goldberg,
Doug Halbert,
Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Jeff McDougal
Editor: Tommy Harden
Post Production/Editorial Company: Whitehouse,
Joint Editorial
Post Producer: Justin Kumpata,
Patty Brebner
Audio Post Production: POP Sound
Audio Post Producer: Tim West
VFX: Ring of Fire,
Casey Conroy
VFX Executive Producer: John Myers
Online Editor/Flame Artist: Shelly Dutcher
Flame Artist: Trent Shumway,
Tony Graf
Music Artist: Twi the Humble Feather
Song: Higher Than The End
Album: Music for Spaceships and Forests

Super Bowl 43: Pepsi Max



When I first saw this, I thought all of these tough guys were saying "I'm good" because they drank a Pepsi Max and were energized beyond belief, causing them to feel no pain. Instead, the tendency to avoid injury is simply a manly generalization in this new spot for Pepsi Max. They've dropped the "diet" out of the name along with the introduction of their new logo. This one should go over well with the football crowd.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Pepsi Max
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Brett Craig,
Joe Shands
Art Director: Susan Alinsangan
Copywriter: Ron Schlessinger
Director of Broadcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: David Hoogenakker
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Marc Marrie
Director of Photography: Tami Reiker
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Dan Bootzin
EP/Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Online/VFX: The Mill
VFX Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
VFX Producer: Asher Edwards
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Giles Cheetham
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
Lead CG Artist: John Leonti
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen


Next up: a monkey.



What is this, a reject from the first spot?

Guru Grade: 3.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Pepsi Max
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Brett Craig,
Joe Shands
Art Director: Susan Alinsangan
Director of Braodcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: David Hoogenakker
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Marc Marrie
Director of Photography: Tami Reiker
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Dan Bootzin
EP/Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Online/VFX: The Mill
VFX Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
VFX Producer: Asher Edwards
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Giles Cheetham
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
Lead CG Artist: John Leonti
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen


And one more. These people act like the new Pepsi Max is the blood of God. Is it really that good?



Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Pepsi Max
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Brett Craig,
Joe Shands
Art Director: Susan Alinsangan
Copywriter: Ron Schlessinger
Director of Broadcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: David Hoogenakker
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Marc Marrie
Director of Photography: Tami Reiker
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Dan Bootzin
EP/Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Online/VFX: The Mill
VFX Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
VFX Producer: Asher Edwards
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Giles Cheetham
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
Lead CG Artist: John Leonti
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Protest to Get There



I've never heard of Protest. They're a snow boarding brand "boardwear" company... I think. Not a bad spot. I can appreciate the idea. It's definitely something I would want to watch again. Click here for a link to their website.

The name of the song is "To the Dogs or Whoever" by Josh Ritter.

Credits:
Director: Daniel Eskils
Agent: Adamsky, www.adamsky.se
Producer: Johan Junker, www.eskils.com
Agency: KesselsKramer, Amsterdam
Art Director: Ewoudt Boonstra
Copywriter: Zack McDonald

Production Company: Partizan, London
DP: Erik Sohlström

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Pedigree Strange Pets



Meh. I didn't really enjoy this one. It might have been fine for another time, but this is the Super Bowl. Step it up!

"Ever think about getting an unusual pet like a bison, a boar, an ostrich or a rhino? See what happens to the pet owners in our Super Bowl ad, and then you'll know why you should get a dog."
Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Pedigree
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Chris Adams,
Margaret Keene
Copywriter: Eric Terchila,
Marcin Markiewicz,
Ted Kapusta
Art Director: Paulo Cruz,
Denise Zurilgen,
Jera Mehrdad
Executive Agency Producer: Guia Iacomin
Assistant Agency Producer: Christopher Spencer
Production Company: Partizan
Director: Traktor
Head Of Production: Rani Melendez
Executive Producer: Sheila Stepanek,
Richard Ulfvengren
Editorial Company: Whitehouse
Editor: Dan Oberle
Music: New Math
Sound: Lime Studios
Sound Design: Rohan Young
VFX Company: MPC

Coca-Cola: Avatar Super Bowl Ad



This one will air during Super Bowl 43. It shows people's virtual characters as a young man walks through the city and sees people on their laptops, PDAs, handheld video game devices, and cell phones. Beautifully animated gremlins, zombies, space people, animals, robots, mythical creatures, super heroes, fairies, spies, and what appears to be an orc from World of Warcraft graze the screen in flawless color. Can somebody tell me where this fantasty land exists -- where one can walk into a shop, sit down, and order a glass bottle of Coke? Seems like a utopia...

This commercial further integrates Coke into our growing digital world. A couple years ago we saw a Grand Theft Auto styled ad from Coca-Cola, and this year they have stepped it up to include a numerous variety of possible avatars people use in their daily lives.

The name of the song is "Stranger in the Crowd" by Cee-Lo Green (of the group Gnarls Barkley.) It's a cover of an Elvis Presley song (1970).

I like this commercial. I think it will cheer people up! "Open happiness" is a double sided slogan, either meaning opening up a can/bottle of Coke, or just the feeling of joy flowing freely throughout the world. I also appreciated the "open" sign on the shop window. It's all planned to enforce their message... amazing!

Also, watch out for a remake of the 1979 football spot, where the kid gives Mean Joe Green a Coke and gets his jersey in return. Only the new one will be for Coke Zero and will star Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. (Here it is.)

Click here to watch Coke's other Super Bowl commercial.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Click to see the full credits

Credits:
Client: Coca-Cola
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Executive Creative Director: Mark Fitzloff,
Susan Hoffman
Creative Director: Hal Curtis,
Sheena Brady
Copywriter: Eric Samsel
Art Director: Ken Meyer
Agency Producer: Lindsay Reed
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Production Company: Nexus Productions
Director: Smith & Foulkes
Director of Photography: Mattias Montero
Executive Producer: Chris O'Reilly,
Charlotte Bavasso
Head Of Production: Juila Parfitt
Producer: Melody Sylvester
Animation: Nexus Productions
Head of 3D Animation: Ben Cowell
Character Design: Mustashrik Mahbub
Storyboard: Adam Beer
Editorial Company: Speade
Editor: Art Jones
Post Production: Framestore
Managing Director: Helen Stanley
Online Producer: Kristy Cleminson
Creative Director (Framestore): Mike McGee
Senior Flame Artist: Will Barlett
Audio Post Production: 750MPH
Engineer: Gary Walker
Audio Post Producer: Syleste Molyneaux
Music: Solitaire Studios
Executive Producer (Music): Monica Tannian
Music Producer: Graham Marsh
Composer: Cee-Lo Green
Sound Design: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Koven
Producer (Stimmung): Jack Catlin,
Kelly Fuller
Animatics: Joint Editorial
Animatics Editor: David Jahns
Executive Producer (Joint): Patty Brebner