SuperAds: Why I Watch The Super Bowl At All

To be totally honest, I'm more interested in Hybrid fuel economy than football.  Maybe there was something weird in the water where I grew up, or maybe I just agree with Ernest Hemmingway: "There are three real sports: mountain climbing, bull fighting, and car racing.  Everything else is just games."

Regardless, I hard it find to fake enthusiasm for the Super Bowl.  This year some overpaid athletes in spandex played against some other overpaid athletes in Spandex for the title of something.  Yay.  But I don't need to fake my enthusiasm for the advertisements.  Manufacturers spend vast sums of money to get ads in the superbowl; it's the highest-viewed event every year in the US, but at $3.5M USD per 30-second spot, they try especially hard to make 'em stick.

These are the car ads from this year's Super Bowl - some good, some not.  Check 'em out, and let us know which was your favorite in the poll at the bottom.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo

Volkswagen's always had good superbowl ads.  Last year it was the Darth Vader kid with the new Passat; this year it's a dog inspired by the Beetle to lose enough weight so he can fit out the doggie door.  Adorable, and the cameo by Vader at the end is pretty funny as well.  I'd give it an A-

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuvoSw1TiJ8

Is the fact that you can chuck one out of a plane supposed to make us think the Sonic's a cool car?  Because it would've been a lot cooler if they'd skipped the parachute; just saying.  I give it a C.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxFYYP8040A

Much better, nothing like a sarcastic pot shot at your competition while making fun of the Mayan Apocalypse prediction.  Legitimately humorous.  A.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NhgyZojTUk

I just wish Suzuki's US sales were as good as their advertisements are.  This one's for the AWD Kizashi, which is a pretty damn nice car.  An Eskimo trades his sled in for a Kizashi, with 50 cent as the background music.  I like it.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpi2IAec9Ho

I was a fan of Fiat's "Seduction" ad for the 500 Abarth when I first saw it a few months back.  It's still quite good, substituting a metaphorical Italian hottie (her name's Catrinel Menghia, and she's actually Romanian - here's her twitter if you're interested) for a 500 Abarth.  I can't wait to drive one of these things.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUFSHzT2xuY

I love Acura's spot for the 2015 NSX.  Jerry Seinfeld is trying to get his hands on the first NSX, but someone else's got it - so he tries everything he can to trade.  Almost got it, then Leno steps in...

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQAMjWx5Mgo

I'm starting to think Chrysler's less interested in actually advertising their cars (some of which are actually quite nice) than giving us all a preachy economics lesson, which is obnoxious.  It's less obnoxious when Clint Eastwood is doing it - but only just.  They went through slightly more than $7m of ad money before showing us a Chrysler product; must be made of money.  Also, isn't Clint more of a Ford man?

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHZbXvts0LE

Kia's ads are funny, when they don't include Blake Griffin.  Your mileage may vary, but their spot for the Optima - "A Dream Car. For Real LIfe" is amusing, if formulaic.  I'll take a piece of the giant hoagie!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA

Kinda disappointing; Ferris Bueller should be driving a Ferrari, not a mommy-mobile Honda CR-V.  Literally: My mom has one.  Thumbs down.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw9ZeXB2uKs

Love Audi's spot for the A7.  LED headlights kill vampires!  Perhaps this is a shot at Volvo, who sponsored the latest Twilight movie?

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfzo9XPvD1g

BMW might not be the only manufacturer who's cars will read your texts to you, but so far they're the only ones who've done something funny with it in an ad.  I like the honk censoring the swear word as he backs out of the driveway.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiah1fJ1MwM

Speaking of BMW, why is Cadillac so intent on comparing themselves to the 3-series?  It's cool that the ATS is basically an Americanized carbon copy of the 3, but maybe they could've focused more on why it's better.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_cLytRHHHk

Heh.  Hyundai's ads.  The Genesis 3.8 R-Spec can act as a makeshift AED if your boss has a heart attack while you're on the road in the middle of no-where.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WLuKEn8Uoc

The other Hyundai ad was for the new Veloster Turbo, which I can't wait to take for a spin.  Kudos to Hyundai for including tire smoke in both of their superbowl ads this year.  The premise is that while the Turbo is faster than a Cheetah, make sure when you let the Cheetah out you're at a safe distance?  Thanks for the PSA, Hyundai.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMxSZQZuBYc

And the last one.  I'm not sure if Cars.com was going for funny or creepy here, but I think they landed closer to "creepy."

Which was your favorite car ad?  Vote in the poll below!