So, we're totally the first blog to mention this, right? No? Fine. Be that way.
But we would be remiss if we didn't give a nod to smartwater's approach here. By handing out some entertainment while acknowledging that there really isn't that much to say about smartwater, they made an awkward "Hi, We're A Big Dumb Corporation, Would You Like To Buy Some Water In A Bottle That Will Probably End Up, Ironically, Polluting Other Water?"-moment into something relatable and fun.  

In a world of "global leaders" running around "revolutionizing" things, self-deprecating humor stands out like Cary Grant in a room full of Carrot Tops.

Plus: Gratuitous Puppies. They're more impossible to resist than monkey bartenders. Well, almost.

 

Via Adrants.

 

Hi, is this the GoPro marketing team? It is? There’s this guy down in Valparaiso, Chile – we’re pretty sure he just shot your next commercial.

Love, Mortar.

 

P.S. You might want to hurry up and get it on the air before Dramamine, Bell Helmets or Cesar Millan steal your thunder.

 

Via Deadspin.

The lottery isn’t exactly a tough assignment. It’s about one step up from beer and/or condoms. But this is an interesting take on it. We like.
Well done, Cactus. (We also like one-name agencies.)

Oh, Superbowl ads. You try so hard. But this year, like just about every other year, you either try to save a bad idea with a huge budget, screw up a good idea with a huge budget, or get us not to notice you have no idea…by hiding behind a huge budget.

 

Volkswagen "Darth Vader"

We feel a disturbance in the Force. Or maybe we ate too much chili yesterday. Yeah, yeah, we know, adorable kid, cool music, blah, blah frickin' blah. But what the hell are we selling here? That the new Passat has remote start? Um, yay? Does it have those newfangled "seat-belts," too?

 

Chrysler "Detroit"

Beautiful work…possibly even an idea about "Chrysler-equals-luxury" hiding in here…but at some point, you have to show the car. And the car is a rolling dungheap of generic blah-ness.

But hey, thanks for spending millions of our tax dollars on it.

 

Bridgestone "Reply All"

Heh. OK. "You Can Drive Fast On Your Bridgestones." We like.

 

Snickers "Whiny"

Aretha Franklin/Liza Minelli was better, but…pretty good. We like the idea: "You're Not You When You're Hungry/Snickers Fills You Up." Solid.

 

BMW "Clean Diesel"

All this spot needed was the wagon chugging up the hill, and the BMW passing it. Done. Instead they spend gazillions on CGI and licensing David Bowie. It went from informing us about something cool to making us want to punch the guy in the Beemer.

We will never understand why BMW sucks so hard at advertising. It's just baffling.

Carmax "Kid In A Candy Store"

Nice. Great casting really helps, since the idea needs about two seconds to explain.

 

Chevy, you did ok, but that tagline is just a sea anchor. We advise you jettison it immediately.

Audi, tons of style trying to obscure the fact that you're counterpunching against Mercedes, but…fun.

The rest of you go hit yourself in the nuts with a pug/can of Pepsi/snack food or whatever.

And congratulations to the Green Bay Packers.