I RATE ADS

sjbooher: Fine. I admit it. I like this one. B-.

jtherkal: Welcome back. I think being a father has made you soft. A.

sjbooher: I love nostalgia… but didn’t Pepsi make this ad last year? Will The Black Eyed Peas be in control of the world by the year 2020? B-

jtherkal: Wait, this WASN’T a Pepsi ad? will.i.am has fast become the hip-hop star white advertising executives are most comfortable throwing into the mix on just about any project. He’s our go-to guy. Tampons? Why don’t we do a montage of touching scenes of moms and daughters throughout history and have will.i.am remix Respect? Yeah, the kids will think that’s hip. And dope. I had another joke to make about this…oh yeah…I HATE The Who. I know all of their popular songs, but wish I would never hear another one again (aside from at the beginning of CSI). When will the NFL realize that the best halftime show is 20 minutes of highlights from the season set to music? F.

jtherkal: This year was the year of the underpants joke. Of the bunch, this was probably the best. Anyone have an opinion on why you’d pick one of Careerbuilder or Monster over the other? No? Because their ads don’t really tell you either. B-.

sjbooher: Apparently you pick Monster if you are a non-human (AKA a Boogie Man or a beaver). If you are a sophomoric idiot, you pick CareerBuilder. C-.

sjbooher: Whatever swayable beer market share is out there, it is Bud’s. There was no beer competition this year. This is one of those that was a good, kind of clever idea on paper, but the final product did not have “it”. And I do not like it, but I have to give Budweiser credit for simply raising the IQ level of their ads. B- on the curve.

jtherkal: Predictable. Bud clearly goes with quantity over quality. What did I give that space ad? This should probably be the same. D.

UPDATE: From sjbooher’s wife, an 8th grade teacher: “8th graders think that the human bridge is real and that it was done with real people. Amazing”

sjbooher: Beaver violinist? Good, clean fun, minus the woman-as-only-a-sex-object at the end. B-.

jtherkal: Monster typically has great Super Bowl ads. I don’t think they were far off here, but I think they could have had the jokes work a little harder. And I can’t knock a beaver for getting some ass at the end. That’s just how a beaver violinist rolls. Don’t hate. B+.

sjbooher: America loves dogs. And this was the first Doritos commercial so I didn’t want to lose my mind over them, yet. B-.

jtherkal: These Dorito’s ads were all made as contest entries, and I believe one winner got up to $650,000. I don’t know what the runners up got, but either way, I can’t get behind this. First, it’s no longer about Joe Average making an ad, these are higher production quality. A kid with a Flip doesn’t really have a shot, as much as they’d like you to believe it. Also, I hate seeing Super Bowl commercials before the Super Bowl. These were posted online and publicized. C.

sjbooher: Betty White = star of the show. Who is that old guy at the end, though? B-.

jtherkal: Old ladies getting tackled never gets old. And the idea that you’re not yourself when you’re hungry is a pretty fun one. I can see a few more coming out in this series. B+.

sjbooher: Whaaaaaaat? Bud can actually come up with a semi-original/creative joke and dip down to the lowest common denominator? Amazing. C+

jtherkal: A house made of beer cans. I like that idea, but it falls apart from there, literally. Bud Light in a fridge made of Bud Light saves this one from falling lower than it did. B-.

sjbooher: I wish more people read this so I could find someone that could tell me the word for the emotion that commercials like this one make me feel. Honestly people, help a vocabulary-challenged brother out. The music… the sweet little boy… it’s supposed to make you feel all good inside, then you chuckle at the wind blowing out the candle… then you smile at the end. When I see it, I cringe, and I think “rip my eyeballs out, please.” I guess it’s an interesting way to talk about Wind Energy, though. B-

jtherkal: Wow, rip my eyeballs out, then a B-? That type of feeling is usually warrants an F. Maybe the word you’re looking for is cynical? Or repugnance? This was pretty weak, but in no way did it make me want to rip my eyeballs out. B.

sjbooher: Well, repugnance is what I do feel, but I’m looking for the description of the feeling that causes the repugnance. I literally do not even know how to explain what I am talking about, but I have this feeling often.

sjbooher: Booorrrrrrrr-ing. Boring and not funny. Mob themes are so overused at this point that it is extremely difficult to come up with something with originality. On top of that, this spot pales in comparison to the other Denny’s one, which was one of the best ads of the night. Nanerpus! The lone redeeming quality is the announcement of the free Grand Slam, which is an amazing promotion. D.

jtherkal: Boring? Nah. I can’t argue with mob themes being played out, but when that waitress draws the whipped cream face on the pancakes–it’s comedy! I love it! (begin Brian Fellows voice) That face is silly. (/Brian Fellows voice) Unfortunately, this should have been an ad for whipped cream, how it can make every situation fun or whatever. Instead, they roundabout you with some Denny’s stuff about having a serious breakfast. I don’t really think of Denny’s as serious anything. Not with Moons Over My Hammy. B-.

sjbooher: Try the Denny’s just off the 5 in the hidden California oil country. DEFINITELY serious breakfast.