Amateur Hour

Since the Pats weren’t playing in this year’s Super Bowl (and we couldn’t switch to the Simpson’s during half time to avoid watching the sopping wet Prince, er, perform), the only thing us New England fans had to look forward to (other than hoping Peyton Manning didn’t advance on to win the coveted ring or MVP) was the ads. Too bad they – much like the game itself – were a big disappointment.

As usual, the Anheuser-Busch ads were the most entertaining (loved the hitchhiker and rock/paper/scissors Bud Light ads), but for the most part the ads were just plain boring. Yes, even K-Fed left a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, when Robert Goulet’s Emerald Nuts spot ran, nobody at the Super Bowl party I was at even knew who he was. In fact, one of the best ads in my opinion was one that the pros didn’t even create. Doritos followed the user-generated content trend and had regular Joes (albeit extremely creative Joes) submit ads that they wrote, directed, and produced. After five finalists were selected, people voted online for their favorite. Two spots ran, but in my mind the clear winner was this ad.

Maybe next year more of the ads will be user-generated. Though Madison Avenue may cringe at that thought, at least the rest of us would have a chance at actually being entertained.