Talk about your firsts. Sheesh.
This year’s Super Bowl XLVII (that’s 47 to us Roman-numeral challenged ones) in New Orleans pitted, for the first time, two head coach brothers — the Baltimore Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers — against one another.
That made it the first year that the game mattered more to me than the commercials. Really, no kidding.
And it turned out that the game was definitely more worth watching because with all those ads, there wasn’t a good laugh among them. You’d think they’d think it out a little more, considering they are paying $4 million for 30 seconds.
Of course, this column has always been reserved for Super Sunday commentary regarding the ads — the best and the worst. Let’s face it — the top (and twisted) minds of Madison Avenue exert a whole year of creating, tweaking, and inventing just to air a nanosecond blurb, so the spots are top dog. Or, as hubby Bob likes to say, “A whole lot of commercials with a ball game thrown in between.”
But a funny thing happened on the way to the bowl this year for me. Generally football has held about as much interest as watching water boil, and the only interest I had in Super Bowl Sunday was in which dip I would dunk my nachos. I barely knew the difference between a touchdown and a first down.
But times change. You know, you grow. And suddenly I find myself more interested in the plays than the promos.
But what would Not for Nuthin’ be without my tops and bottoms of the Super Bowl ads.
So I’m dropping the coin, kicking the ball, and rushing the 10 yard line. Here is my list of the tops and bottoms of Superbowl XLVII ads.
The best:
Budweiser’s Clydesdales. Trainer and horse re-unite. How can you not like it?
Volkswagen’s “Get Happy” ad. You would have to be dead not to smile at this one.
Taco Bell. Let the seniors loose. Very “Cocoon.”
KIA Sorento. The age old question: where do babies come from?
Jeep’s “We are whole again.” Voice over by Oprah, returning vets. Pulled at my heart strings for sure.
M&M sings Meat Loaf. Can I get a two out of three ain’t bad?
The worst:
Go Daddy. The spots never make any sense to me, but at least Jesse Heiman got a smooch from Bar Refaeli this year.
Oreo Cookie vs. filling? Needless violence over a cookie. I don’t think so.
“Gangnam Style” pistachios. I don’t think I can open a shell ever again after this.
And finally. Can someone explain the whole Stevie Wonder spot? I’m still confused over the voodoo-youdo thing.
Not for Nuthin’™, after watching this year’s game and the commercials, I’d give my whole closet full of Doritos and sign on the dotted line for Willem Dafoe for just one Geico caveman. See you at XLVIII.
Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.
Joanna DelBuono writes about national issues — and Madison Avenue — every Wednesday on BrooklynDaily.com. E-mail her at jdelbuono@cnglocal.com.