Super Bowl Ads 2012

ByWayne Willis February 6, 2012January 25, 2018

I looked thru the Super Bowl ads this year and have the following observations:

* car companies simply MUST advertise, even at > $3m / :30 seconds. I thought the car commercials were the best

* e-trade didn’t disappoint; their latest baby advisor was precious

* movie trailers are another high ROI category. There were many of them, all of the adventure / fantasy genre … no romantic comedies for Super Bowl fans!

* GoDaddy continues to sell sexual titillation; I’m glad I left them over the SOPA dust-up.

* Coke, Pepsi, Bud … always solid performers

When cultural anthropologists/historians look back on 2012’s SB ads for insights into the zeitgeist, I think the automotive commercials will tell them everything. Beyond the perennial “sex sells” (Fiat, Kia) and the funnest one of the lot (Volkswagen’s dog slimming down), several viewed the world as truly scary and cars were your insulation. Lexus protects you from technological “change” that constrains you. Chevy’s post-apocalypse view, where the world is a disaster zone but the Silverado truck owners are fine, saved by their Chevy truck, is the darkest view. But leave it to Clint Eastwood to hit the pitch-perfect note of defiance in the face of challenge: Chrysler’s Halftime In America.

Miscellaneous

Stevens Creek Open Space Preserve

ByWayne Willis May 31, 2010January 25, 2018

When we lived in Los Altos, we’d drive up Foothill Boulevard to where it turned up into the mountains. There is a big dam there, creating a nice reservoir — Stevens Creek Reservoir — around which there are several trails and parks. (map). We loved to go hiking there … and we still do…

Miscellaneous

Always File A Flight Plan

ByWayne Willis December 8, 2010January 25, 2018

My dad, a pilot for 30 years, would insist that I leave an itinerary of where I was going and when I was expected back. During high school, I assumed this was motivated by the same pesky intrusiveness and control that denied me free rein in many other aspects of my life. I’m sure there…

Miscellaneous

Great Danes As Chick Magnets

ByWayne Willis January 6, 2011January 25, 2018

As our dog Moab ages, I think back on many of the dogs we’ve had. Recently, Debi and I reminisced about Sasha, a Harlequin Great Dane we got when Tyler was in elementary school. (“Honest, Mom, I’ll feed her,” said Tyler. “Every day.”) She was a sweet dog, and she shared some wonderful…

Miscellaneous

Another Reason To Live In California

ByWayne Willis December 10, 2010January 25, 2018

Debi and I headed over to Frye’s to pick up a new computer to replace her aging laptop. As we got out of the car to walk into the store, we stopped for a moment to contemplate the Silicon Valley sunset.

Miscellaneous

Thinking About Steph

ByWayne Willis July 7, 2010January 25, 2018

Stephanie Kittredge — my first wife, the mother of my two eldest children — lies seriously ill in a San Diego hospital. In May, when last I saw her, her COPD was so far advanced she needed supplemental oxygen and wheelchair. After a 3-week trip to NYC to visit Molly in late May,…

Age | Miscellaneous

Zipline In SF

ByWayne Willis April 19, 2010January 25, 2018

Debi and I were spending a nice Sunday exploring San Francisco’s waterfront (Embarcadero) and were surprised to see this “Zipline” set up at Justin Herman Plaza at the foot of Market street. Here is a video of the tower and the setup. The second video is of a couple coming down — you will see…

Similar Posts