Chiat/Day Apple spots

In my opinion, there are few campaigns which show such a deep understanding of their target audience as well as the new "Apple vs. PC" spots. The typical mac user (or at least targeted user) is usually portrayed as young, fun-loving and someone who isn't looking for a complex computer system. And of course, enjoys the creative freedom in a computer. Chiat/Day mentions exactly these features in this campaign. First of all, the actual layout of these commercials have a stylish, modern and young look to them: similar to the typical 'mac user'. Secondly, the 'mac guy' has a confident, yet friendly look to him (exactly what consumers seek in a mac computer). And finally, these ads compare specific features between Macs and PCs, but most importantly, in a light-hearted manner. To me, this is the most critical component of why this is seen as a successful campaign. It is so easy to abuse the competitor and even make false remarks, yet Apple and Chiat/Day take the higher road. If only more advertising followed the lead...

BBDO Cingular spots

Although advertising may be considered an art form, advertising's main objective is of course to appropriately convey a message in order to sell a product. With this in mind, the Cingular/AT & T spots are the work I admire the most from BBDO. Through humor, and a variety of situations, these ads are extremely strategic when it comes to addressing a major concern with cellular phones: dropped calls. Although this may seem obvious, BBDO does a tremendous job, not necessarily through beautiful artwork, or overly savvy copy, but simply through a message that the CONSUMER can relate to. Even for other clients, BBDO does a great job addressing the needs of the consumer along with appropriate and relevant (a component of advertising I feel is often times disregarded) entertainment. Work for FedEx, (doomed, stuck on island, FedEx Kinko's) Snickers (only good if you eat it) and HBO are examples of other work I consider to be 'good advertising'.

DDB Bud Light spot

Although the classic "Wazzza" "Dude" and the "Real Men of Genius" commercials seem to get the most publicity among DDB's work for Anheuser Busch, and though I also think these are great campaigns, there is one similarity: they are all geared towards men. While I am sure this was exactly DDB and Budweiser/Bud Light's target audience, the reason I admire the Bud Light Swear Jar is because there is an appeal to both genders. Most beer, and in fact, most alcohol ads, are so often skewed towards either males or females. Yet, this particular spot by DDB really impresses me because it remains consistent with the light-hearted humor Bud Light and Budweiser and famous for, yet no gender stereotypes are portrayed. After all, even the quite guy in the board room wants a Bud Light.

3 Worst Superbowl XLIV Commercials

1) Emerald Nuts, Goodby Silverstein & Partners:

In a year where the Superbowl ads were a relative let down, the Emerald nuts and Pop Secret Butter spot, by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, was, in my opinion, the worst. First of all, the fact that in a 30 second spot, the advertiser tried selling two different products was an obvious sign of desperation (the opposite of what a good advertisement should convey). Secondly, the bizarre concept of aquatic success being a result of consuming snack foods, made this already poor storyboard, all the more pathetic. And finally, the tagline of “awesome+awesome=awesomer”, sounds like an advertising cliché right out of an outdated textbook, and part of the reason our industry is disregarded by so many people.

2) Dove for Men, Ogilvy & Mather:
With this spot, I wasn't quite sure what the intention was. Dove, a brand known for good advertising (although predominantly for women), missed the target this time, at least for me. With the tagline of "be comfortable in your own skin", it seems like a poor spin off of the Real Beauty campaign. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ogilvy & Mather's work, and for Dove as a brand, however, this new launch obviously has some work to be done before Dove can really be considered "a man's brand".
3) Dr. Pepper Cherry
This commercial, in my opinion, would have been brilliant if it were 10-15 seconds shorter. It starts off with Dr. Kiss introducing the product (typical, but nothing terrible) and then saying how smooth the cherry flavor is (good, on strategy with describing the product). However, once the commercial heads into a 10 second Kiss concert, I think that's where it loses its initial appeal. At the end of the day, this is just another silly soda commercial, and apart from a few Coke and Pepsi spots that have become well respected in the industry and by consumers, soft drink advertising is a tough nut to crack. Hopefully this changes over the next few years.

3 BEST Superbowl XLIV Commercials

In my opinion, and evidently in many others opinions as well, this was a particularly weak year for Superbowl commercials. However, in the sea of mediocrity, there were a few spots that definitely did stand out and were up to Superbowl standards.
First of all, the Google search engine. I wasn't quite sure who the exact target was, but irrespective of age, gender or creed, it seemed as though this was a spot meant for everyone. It highlighted new Google features, showed an actual consumer USING them, and had a heart felt message which is admirable during an event where slapstick humor and vulgarity seem to dominate.
The second spot I thought did a great job launching a new campaign was the Hyundai spot with Brett Favre, created by Goodby. This commercial does an excellent job focusing on its target: most likely male, sports fan. Additionally, the 10 year warranty is highlighted, showing a specific message and attribute for the target audience.
The third spot which I thought also did a great job launching a new product, was the Jack in the Box spot, created by Secret Weapon Marketing. Keeping consistent with the image of 'Jack', not only does the spot highlight it's new grilled options, but has an element of humor and brand identity. This is difficult in ads where the intention is to create both a rational and emotional response from the consumer.