Its Like Mad Men

I did not watch The Super Bowl. Not because of some sort of need to be mega alternative but because I did not have cable and, without a horse in the race, really did not care much. You can still follow the zeitgeist on Twitter and ads later. Next year...Go Browns! But, for now, here is a round up of what I saw on YouTube the next day. Note this is not comprehensive

Planters



Boo to Baby Nut! People putting him in the same echelon as Baby Yoda need to recognize they are stanning the wrong infant. Something very off putting about Baby Nut as there was with Mr. Peanut. A weird sort of reverse uncanny valley where it should be more real than it is.

I do like that Kool Aid Man's tears resurrected Baby Nut. Because that is not Kool Aid insidie Kool Aid Man but stolen blood. Because, if I just ran through a wall, you know I am going to fuck someone up so why not keep the incidental blood for when you need to bring your buddy back from the dead?

That is the commercial I want to see! Kool Aid Man reviving great heroes and martyrs to see how history would unfold.

Jeep

I will admit to only every watching Groundhog Day once and while I agree it is good I don't hold it as rarefied as others. So this did not hit as hard albeit nice a clever but still not memorable.



Disney Plus/Marvel Shows

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!



Rocket Mortgage

I liked this for how quirky it was and really went the other direction with what you expect. Its like those old Carl Jr's ads where the hot lady ate a hamburger but not so banal. My wife also likes Jason Momoa so I am obliged to say it was great! Also, who is so privileged as to shop around for mortgages? I just need one bank to throw me a bone.



Tide

I love Charlie Day in anything and he really carries this snoozy piece.



Doritos

Since I didn't see this live not sure if I got the right one but this appears to be a series of bits that watched together are awesome. Its just the gravitas of Sam Eliot saying anything with the deep impending bass of when Lil Nas X is riding up. You really feel a gunfight is about to break out and it can only be stopped by Doritos! Long time readers may not my disdain for Doritos which I swear are made of ground up bones but this is art.




Walmart

Wasn't the same pitch as last year? You can pick up your order from Walmart, etc, etc. What is most impressive is how much cash Walmart must have paid out for the rights to these characters. Snooze fest.



Hyundai

This would have had much more punch if the actors doing it had been known for being all Boston-y. It really overstays its welcome and I could watch Chris Evans and John Kransiski clip toenails they are so ultimately dream. Its ok.



Cheetos

Nice! Cheetos dust is a horrible feeling akin to rock in your shoe or kernel of popcorn wedged in your gums. I appreciate the cleverness of taking something so nasty about their brand and making it something funny.



Ads that I watched but I feel were no more special than anything you can see normally are Audi, Micholeb Ultra and those Genesis ads with John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. I am sure I missed a bunch but at this point it loses any panache.

Now...another Super Bowl add story....way back in the go-go 90s I watched a Super Bowl where American Express had an ad with Jerry Seinfeld where I remember him using his credit card to pay for gas and how he nails the "perfect pump" ending both the cost on even double zeroes. And I became obsessed with doing this when pumping gas for my mom's car. We used to only go to the Gulf station by the bakery where a man named Jamon (Which translates to ham) pumped the gas. But one day it went to just self serve so I always did it. I would count down the numbers and whip out the nozzle always missing by some fraction of cents

. Note doing this almost meant a spray of gasoline whipped back onto the cars in the neighboring bays. Or dribbled onto my shoes. I never got the perfect pump but fuck did I try.