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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

My 2014 Super Bowl as a USA TODAY AD METER Expert Commentator



My 2014 Super Bowl as a USA TODAY AD METER Expert Commentator
By Eric Schulz, marketing professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

For the second year in a row, I had a very busy Super Bowl, rating and commenting on ads during the game with USA Today staffer Anne Carey and Sr. Writer Bruce Horowitz. All during the game we were emailing back and forth, with them sending questions that they wanted my opinions on. Below are my ad ratings (they differ somewhat from the final USA TODAY Ad Meter rankings), along with the comments I sent along for each ad:

TOP 20






My
USA Today Ad Meter

Company
Spot
Score
Score

Budweiser
Puppy Love
9
8.29

How can you lose when you combine a cute puppy with the



Budweiser Clydesdales? Give the horse his puppy back!








Microsoft
Technology
9
6.65

Great inspiration of the wonders that technology is



making possible for those who previously have had no help or hope.








Jaguar
British Villains
9
5.78

Made me want to unleash my bad-boy self and drive go a Jaguar. Jaguar!

A great way to position the brand as different, better and special



 in the minds of consumers. Touchdown Jaguar!








Doritos
Cowboy Kid
8
7.58

How can you not like a kid riding his dog?








Radio Shack
Phone Call
8
7

Nice way to introduce their new store makeovers.



Let’s hope they roll it out quickly, because their stores DO look like 1980.

Mary Lou Retton as a vandal bothered me a bit.








Volkswagen
100,000 Miles
8
6.24

Funny, memorable, and had a marketing message that so many spots lack.  

The German Engineers sprouting wings was relevant yet unexpected,



 and definitely made the product a hero.








Chrysler
Americas Import
8
6.24

Americana always a strong contender. Honest, emotionally engaging.








Kia
Luxury
8
6.09

Samuel L. Jackson’s opera’s high notes linked



beautifully the luxury and elegance of the Kia K900. Touchdown for Kia!






Weathertech
Made in America
8
5.58

Americana always plays well in the Super Bowl. A surprise.








NFL Network
Jerry Ricecake
8
5.19

Great follow-up to Leon Sandcastle.








Doritos
Time Machine
8
7.13

How can you not like a kid riding his dog?








Hyundai
Sixth Sense
7
6.87

Nice demonstration of product benefit (collision avoidance system).








Coca Cola
Going All the Way
7
6.42

Slightly reminded me of the famous Mean Joe Greene Coke spot.








Pepsi
Sound Check
7
6.3

Great use of the excitement surrounding a major music event.








Coca Cola
America the Beautiful
7
6.06

This one will be controversial, taking a traditional Americana



approach and creating a melting pot of languages and nationalities.



Some will love it, many will hate it.








Wonderful Pistachios
Part 2
7
6.04

Cracking open Colbert’s head to reveal little green pistachio



head was funny yet disturbing.








Toyota Highlander
Joyride
2
5.88

Can’t lose with the Muppets. Terry Crews is hilarious!  








Audi
Doberhuahua
7
5.87

Disturbingly Funny. I had to watch it again!  



Not sure what it does for Audi, but it certainly entertained!








Beats
Beats Music
7
5.44

Ellen DeGeneres is always funny, and when combining her



trademarked dancing with great BEATS music, it was a perfect pitch.








General Mills Cheerios
Gracie
6
6.75

Hard to give a bad score to a cute kid getting a new baby



 brother and a puppy, but any brand could have made that commercial.








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