Most of you know that I am former journalist turned journalism professor and collegiate media adviser. What you may not know is that I also have a love for advertising.
I studied journalism and advertising as part of my Mass Communications bachelor’s degree.
I even initially had a difficult time deciding which industry I wanted to join. But, back in those days, you had to do a ton of grunt work to get the job I really wanted in advertising (account executive), and I soul searched to determine that I would be happier right from the start in journalism. So, I took the journalism route.
I tell you all of that (perhaps unnecessarily) so you will understand why the sport that happens for me on Super Bowl Sunday is watching the ads. This year was no exception.
Like many of you, for the majority of the game, I was certain the ads were the only thing that made it worth watching. Ok, the ads and Lady Gaga’s halftime performance.
Here’s my take on some of the ads, which I shared Sunday in realtime on Twitter.
Of course there were the ads that other people loved and I hated, like those for Mr. Clean, Coke and Bai. But what I noticed more than anything this year was the use of music to spark nostalgic emotions, and tons of money spent for celebrity talent and for spots just to run old ads.
Overall, this year’s ads were just like any other year—there were hits and misses—but the game certainly was worth watching, even if you didn’t care much about either team.
What did I miss? I’m sure I skipped some of your favorite commercials or you disagree with some of what I included above. Share your thoughts on this year’s Super Bowl advertising in the comments below.
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