Viewers' favorite ads crude, rude and furry (USA Today's 16th Annual SB Ad Meter)

USA Today ^ | 2.2.04 | Bruce Horovitz

[mhking]

In the dog-eat-dog world of creating great Super Bowl spots, Anheuser-Busch has once again made the rest of the marketing giants roll over.

A Clydesdale-wannabe donkey finished third for Anheuser-Busch, followed by another A-B ad featuring a gas-passing horse that spoils a sleigh-ride date.

[mhking]

The Bud Light dog and the Pepsi Bear

 

How commercials ranked

Advertisers paid a record $2.3 million per 30-second spot to get their ads in the game. The rankings:

10 most popular
Company	Description	Score
Bud Light	Owners demonstrate how their dogs fetch Bud Light.	9.04
Pepsi	Bears find food and an empty Pepsi cooler in a cabin.	8.88
Budweiser	Donkey dreams of being a Clydesdale.	8.83
Bud Light	A romantic sleigh ride goes amiss.	8.62
Frito-Lay	Grandma and Grandpa fight over a bag of Lay's.	8.50
7Up	Rolling slam-dunk contest.	8.45
Bud Light	Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns lipstick.	8.34
Budweiser	Referee tunes out coach angry over call.	8.18
Bud Light	Cedric gets an unexpected spa treatment.	8.07
Nextel	Dale Earnhardt Jr. scores TD in racer.	7.89
The rest
Bud Light	A man's pet monkey makes a move on date.	7.85
Chevrolet	Kids eat soap for uttering expletive at sight of new Chevy pickup.	7.73
Sierra Mist	Man and dog jump from apartment into ice water pitchers.	7.58
America Online	Mikey makes an Evel Knievel jump.	7.52
Pepsi	Pepsi, waitress help restore man's faith in love. Spike Lee directs.	7.45
Pepsi	Young Jimi Hendrix chooses Pepsi over Coke.	7.45
Charmin	P&G's bear switches Charmin for football player's towel.	7.41
Sierra Mist	Bagpiper in parade cools off in a creative way.	7.32
Anheuser-Busch	Tim McGraw for a designated driver message.	7.30
America Online	Mikey goes back in time.	7.10
Visa	U.S. Olympic women's volleyball team plays in snow.	7.05
Chevrolet	Tall athletes appear small in new Aveo.	7.04
Walt Disney Studios	Trailer for The Ladykillers.	6.97
Anheuser-Busch	Responsibility message for ID.	6.92
Warner Bros.	Trailer for Troy.	6.92
MasterCard	Homer Simpson adds crude humor to "priceless" ad.	6.88
Dodge	DaimlerChrysler's new spot for 2005 Magnum.	6.87
Cadillac	Cadillac SRX	6.81
America Online	Mikey makes an Evel Knievel jump. (replay)	6.79
Sony Pictures	Trailer for 50 First Dates.	6.75
Staples	Office workers trade pastries for office supplies.	6.68
Warner Bros.	Trailer for Starsky & Hutch.	6.68
Cadillac	Four Caddy models leave behind turbulent path.	6.63
Office of National Drug Control Policy	Peers, parents try to stop drug users through "Early Intervention."	6.63
NFL One	Ad promotes volunteerism.	6.53
Walt Disney Studios	Trailer for Miracle.	6.52
America Online	Mikey gets launched.	6.47
Philip Morris	Smoking-prevention ad.	6.44
Mitsubishi	New spot for launch of 2004 Galant.	6.40
Microsoft	Helping kids achieve potential.	6.38
Sony Pictures	Trailer for Secret Window.	6.38
Honda	Pilot owner raised by wolves.	6.35
Walt Disney Studios	Trailer for Hidalgo.	6.34
Gillette	Black-and-white images show men enjoying life.	6.21
FedEx	Alien office worker tricks boss.	6.16
Walt Disney Studios	Trailer for The Alamo.	6.16
Levitra	Mike Ditka promotes Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline's new ED drug.	5.99
Cadillac	Cadillac SRX. (replay)	5.98
Pepsi	Pepsi, iTunes show kids prosecuted for unauthorized music downloads.	5.90
IBM	Muhammad Ali tells kid to shake up the world.	5.85
Universal Studios	Trailer for Van Helsing.	5.85
Expedia	A husband and wife plan a trip to New York City.	5.84
H&R Block	Puzzled taxpayers seek financial advice from Willie Nelson doll.	5.78
Monster	Boss and applicant get ready for interview.	5.73
American Legacy	Scientist outlines the "safety" of phony shards of glass company.	5.70
5 least popular
Monster	Sleepy workers get ready for jobs.	5.69
AIG Insurance	Insurance game plan for life.	5.30
Cialis	Eli Lilly shows romantic scenes with couples.	5.29
Schick	Quattro's "Power of Four."	5.16
Levitra	Ditka again in shortened "challenge" ad.	4.08

[mhking]

I liked the top ten (though I had seen the Earnhardt ad before). What did you think?

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[camle]

I dunno. I thought the gas-passing horse was a hoot!

[Dane]

Pepsi clawed its way to the No. 2 slot with a spot featuring a bear that disguises itself as a grizzled bear hunter to pass a check for Pepsi at a convenience store.

I guess it's just me why I thought this one was not that good, but who gets carded for Pepsi?(The end of the commercial shows the bear dressed up in clothes and the store clerk cards him).

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Most of the commercials seemed juvenile in content. It seems that last year's were better.

The AOL commercials featuring the Teutels from OCC, were humorous, though.

[NautiNurse]

Adolescent boy's locker room humor--for beer commercials. Eeeesh.

[I still care]

I never rated horses farting or kids cursing high on my "fun" list.

The ads this year had no charm - they were an excursion into the Ren and Stimpy, American Pie school of grossness.

I especially like the comment by the Chevy guy saying consumers thought the ad with the kid saying "Holy S***" intelligent and charming.

But what do I know - they certainly weren't marketing to me. I don't buy Bud, viagra or chevys.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Referee tunes out coach angry over call.

Funniest one of the whole night. Especially for my friends who ask me how I can ever manage to work with 4 loud female associates sitting in the same area as I.

I've become the master of "tuning out".

[PLK]

The AOL commercials were totally funny, but if you aren't a fan of the TV show, you may not get it it all.

Hands-down the Staples ad was the funniest - but again, if you have never had to deal with an anal Materials Management manager at work, you may not get it.

[Johnny_Cipher]

I would have put the farting horse MUCH lower (like right down there with the anti-smoking ad) and replaced it with the Simpsons ad.

[RightOnline]

He was carded because he slid a check across the counter to pay for the Pepsi.

[babaloo]

The bear got carded for the check, not the Pepsi.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Link to view most of the commercials;

http://www.ifilm.com/?sctn=collections&pg=superbowl2004

[RossA]

These people who grade commercials they only half-watched!

The bear had to produce ID because he was paying by check. How else would he pay?

[sirchtruth]

With out a doubt the "Budweiser - Referee tunes out coach angry over call" absolutely blew every other one out of the water!.

I can't believe it wasn't in at least the top 5?

[Always Right]

I guess it's just me why I thought this one was not that good, but who gets carded for Pepsi?(The end of the commercial shows the bear dressed up in clothes and the store clerk cards him).

The cashier was IDing him for a check, not the Pepsi...

[thesummerwind]

Most of the ada were stupid, filthy,, foolish or just mirroring the disgusting "dumbing down of America".

BUT, the sweet little donkey who dreamed, all his life, of being a Clydesdale was perfect. I loved that ad!

[anniegetyourgun]

You said it....buncha potty humor. The clever-quotient is gone - replaced by dumber than dirt.

[Helen]

Commercials focusing on crotch humor, so-called entertainers focusing on crotch grabbing and breast exposure. What a statement! What a sick, shabby statement. What a disservice to the Superbowl.

[macrahanish #1]

I really don't remember a single one, except for the bear buying pepsi(it was kinda funny)and the one I found to be one of the funniest commercials ever.
The idea of a talking Willie Nelson doll giving tax advice had me in tears. More importantly for the advertiser, I remember that it was an H+R Block ad.