Kids, Cars and Crazy Train (Wreck) Leave Strong Impressions

Although Super Bowl XLV has come and gone, conversations still can be heard about the flashy, funny and downright bizarre approaches to advertising. I went out to try and find if any ads in particular were favorites, and responses were highly varied.

The ad that's perhaps gained the largest fanship is the Volkswagen commercial featuring a diminutive Darth Vader and his attempts to use “the Force” on items around his parent's house. As an unabashed Star Wars fan, I easily could imagine myself under that famous black helmet trying to move my lunch with my mind.  It was a cute spot that made me laugh, although I still think being able to start one’s car via remote is a bit creepy.

Next is Chrysler’s attempt to glorify both themselves as a company and the city of Detroit with the help of rapper Eminem.  The commercial, while lofty in its ambition, was not all brilliance. I definitely sympathize with rust-belt cities and their attempts to reclaim some of their lost greatness (I wish St. Louis could get this kind of high-budget PR), but I also felt like Chrysler might have been overreaching in its efforts to promote buying domestic. With the abundance of car ads this year, this serious one seemed to have fallen off the wayside.

Finally, as a change of pace from the other auto ads, was the Best Buy commercial featuring rock legend Ozzy Osbourne and teen pop idol Justin Bieber.  This is the perfect example of using hype to build up something that ultimately fails to deliver.  Ozzy played his stale role as an aging star whose rock 'n roll lifestyle has fried his brain, and Bieber’s banal attempt to take control of the massive amount of anti-Bieber sentiment only rendered the ad even more inane.

To see the rest of the commercials from Super Bowl XLV, click here. And don't forget to check out the photo gallery for some more local impressions.