The E*Trade monkey has done it again. For that matter, so have the ad wizards at Bud Light.
Despite media predictions that this year's reduced-budget Super Bowl commercials would lack luster due to the weak economy and the alluring alternate option of advertising during the coming Olympics, many of last night's commercials hit the mark. After an unmoving pregame show and a slow-moving first quarter, Super Bowl XXXVI's commercials helped make the experience more entertaining as a whole.
Starting off the five-hour epic was a curious tribute to Abraham Lincoln. Famed politicians like Bill Clinton spoke the praises of Old Abe while flashes of the American flag and famous statues of Lincoln lit up the screen. Next, Julio Iglesias and Mary J. Blige co-sung "America the Beautiful" to the crowd's repeated chants of "USA!" Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney then joined the flag-waving celebrity talent show with a performance of "Freedom," an unabashed sing-along in which 95 percent of the lyrics are the word "freedom" itself.
But when ex-president George Bush, Sr. was invited to flip the Super Bowl XXXVI coin (and pawned off the duty), things got down to business - literally. Mere seconds after the kickoff, the long-awaited ads were rolling. Investment firm Charles Schwab sponsored a hilarious ad in which slugger Barry Bonds is practicing his homerun hitting for the upcoming season in a baseball stadium. A mysterious voice broadcast over the stadium's loudspeakers beckons Bonds to give up his quest and retire. The camera reveals retired record-holder Hank Aaron in the press box, whispering into the microphone.
Bud Light, sponsor of countless hilarious ads in the past, did not disappoint this year. In one spot, last year's ladies man, Cedric, returned. Cedric is at a bar, giving a young white friend tips on picking up women. His apprentice takes to repeating whatever Cedric says to him to a woman he is trying to befriend. Suddenly, the bartender slaps a Bud Light down in front of Cedric. Cedric asks the bartender how much he owes him, the apprentice asks his would-be date the same question, and tragedy ensues.
In another spot, a woman tries to get her husband to come to bed with the offer of a revealing nightgown and satin sheets. The husband refuses to budge from his living room couch until his wife reveals she's also brought some Bud Light to bed. The husband then rushes up the stairs while tearing his clothes off, dives into the bed, and slides across the smooth satin sheets directly through the nearby window.
In yet a third hilarious spot, Bud Light ad execs offered a parody of Comedy Central's Battle Bots, in which a fridge-like robot entices a much larger robot with a cold beer, then mercilessly pummels its opponent into the ground.
The E*Trade monkey, star of Super Bowls past, was in full effect this year. Donning a metallic green suit and top hat with dollar sign emblazoned on its front, the monkey shamelessly conducted a troupe of female dancers who pulled up their long skirts to reveal stock-related messages. He rose up above them on a giant, phallic arrow not unlike those seen symbolizing stock market gains. Despite the commercial's hilarious dance sequence, its effect was cut short by its length and the pointless appearance of E*Trade's CEO.
Xm.com, a satellite radio service, sponsored an ad in which Snoop Dogg falls from the sky into a suburban office building. When a very white employee who had been listening to the station stares confusedly at Mr. Dogg from his cubicle, the rapper responds, "What's up, foo?" Though one may wonder what compensation Snoop Dogg received for his brief appearance, the effect was hilarious.
Staying within the boundaries of tasteful humor, Visa sponsored a few commercials in support of its new online verification service. In one, actor Kevin Bacon attempts to make a purchase, but has no valid identification. He brings in five people connected to him in some way, playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon himself. In another, Emmett Smith runs into the same problem.
M-life, a new cellular service offered by AT&T Wireless, offered several annoying teaser ads that directed viewers to its website for answers. After halftime, a funny-yet-disturbing spot depicting a variety of navels - severed umbilical cords, of course - informed us that "we were all meant to be wireless."
While critics were skeptical that many ads would show the alleged effects of September's terrorist attacks, few did - and those that did were well-done. Employment website monster.com sponsored a short speech by Rudy Giuliani in which the former New York City mayor thanked the nation for its support. Another tributary spot featured Budweiser's most recognizable corporate symbol: a team of Clydesdales leading a Budweiser wagon. The six horses travel from the American heartland to New York City, where they genuflect at ground zero. Despite the geographical inaccuracy of the horses crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and ending up in New Jersey, the spot was heartwarming.
Not every commercial that aired last night was successful, and among them were the government's anti-terrorism ads. In an unprecedented event that marked the first time the federal government ever purchased Super Bowl airtime, two ads merged terrorism with the War on Drugs to create a semi-tangible enemy for America to rally against. One spot mimicked Visa's "priceless" commercials by showing a shopping list of all the expensive items necessary to create a terrorist attack. The other spot featured all types of people admitting to all types of heinous things - for example, a young boy admits, "I helped kill a policeman." Both ads reveal at their ends that if one purchases drugs, he or she is likely supporting terrorism fiscally - a hazy connection and an unwelcome, vigilance-inducing ad that did not fit the Super Bowl's otherwise-celebratory attitude.
Other duds were far less controversial. For example, Lipton Iced Tea's puppet rebellion seemed more a hollow vehicle for Danny Devito and Al Roker, its two stars. Fox, which hosted the Super Bowl, shamelessly and endlessly promoted its upcoming NASCAR season. And Pepsi doled out more countless millions to brand-name singer/promoter Britney Spears to represent the often-scantily-clad Pepsi-drinking women of the last five decades.
More worthwhile than any commercial, though, was Super Bowl XXXVI's amazing halftime show. Unlike last year's absurd rock/rap-off that featured Ja Rule, Aerosmith, Britney Spears, and N*SYNC (all at the same time), this year's show centered around one act: U2. The Irish rockers performed "Beautiful Day" on an enormous, heart-shaped stage in the center of the Louisiana Superdome.
Then all lights went out, a gigantic black screen rose behind the stage, and guitarist The Edge launched into the opening riff of "Where The Streets Have No Name." As U2 played one of its most recognizable songs, the names of all those who died on September 11 were cast onto the screen, divided up by location: the Pentagon, the World Trade center, the four hijacked aircraft, and, of course, the PAPD, FDNY, and NYPD.
The simplified tribute was stunning in its efficiency and sincerity; even as a piece of entertainment it far surpasses last year's pomp. Though the Patriots' victory would be challenged after halftime, U2's performance cemented together the themes that the night attempted to convey: patriotism, unity, and, of course, the importance of a good time.
