Worst Superbowl Commercial: Kia Optima's Epic Ride

I don't even know where to begin. So let's start with the best part about this sixty second disaster. The only positive that this commercial has created was a comment by user sejokedu on the linked YouTube page who posted: "So basically this is telling us that the best car thieves in the universe are latinos... lol". If anyone is offended by that, my sincerest apologies, but he's right. Because whoever created this baby, got it all wrong.

Let's think for a second:  A car stolen by a cop. The stolen car stolen by a helicopter with a rocket-propelled suction device. On the way to the super yacht “Desire” (I’m gonna throw up by all these sublime details), Poseidon comes out of the water, trying to steal the car. But before he can fully get his hands on it, Aliens abduct the vehicle. Then, just when they think they have it, whoops, a black hole sucks it in, and the Incas/Maysa/Aztecs (?) worship it! 

“One epic ride.” Kia Optima. This is so ueber-f….ing ridiculous. Someone should get fired for this. What a waste of money, time and resources. A clear lack of ideas. This is clearly a vehicle that will never ever, not even in a million light years enjoy any kind of excitement other than being driven from a suburban home to school, to work, to the mall, to soccer practice and back. Zzzzzzz.... boring.

Epic is a pretty big word. If you throw it out there, you better walk the wallk, and not just talk the talk. And this is exactly where Kia fails to deliver. The idea just does not match up with the car.

If, on the other hand, Kia had invented a car like the DeLorean from Back to the Future, equipped with a flux capacitator that runs on either vegetables and leftovers or who knows what else, while having a zero % carbon footprint, and while earning 100 miles per gallon, and, on top of it all, looking like a Shelby Cobra, then - but only then - would a story like this justified. 

But a Kio Optima? Come on! It seems that the smaller and more ugly a car gets, the more outrageous and ridiculous the commercial idea (remember The 'Nissan Juke Joke'? Or the 'Hyundai Elantra Sheep' commercial?)

This was by far the worst commercial of the entire game. Not in terms of creative execution - the CGI was great! But the entire premise of the creative idea is just wrong. And at $100,000 a second, that makes me mad. Really mad.

Best Superbowl Ad: Sleepy's & Sealy

This year's Superbowl was pretty disappointing. Both in terms of game quality and excitement as well as in terms of quality and entertainment value of the commercials. The next few days will be dedicated to dissecting all the noise and buzz into the good, the bad and the ugly.

There were a few really, really good ones, lead by the one above, two handful of solid ones that lived up to par. The majority, as so often these days, were just mediocre and will sink into oblivion a few days after. And believe it or not, at a price tag of $3 Million for thirty seconds, there were even some very, very, very bad ones. One was even so awful, it deserves to be shown here. Tomorrow.

Today, we celebrate the only true touchdown this year's biggest sports event has brought to us: Sleepy's  Superbowl commercial featuring Sealy's Posturepedic matress. Why does it deserve this year's MVP award? For a number of reasons:

ONE. It takes a mere three seconds, and you are either watching, or watching and listening spellboundly, asking yourself: I wonder what's next. And you're hoping "please... no letdown here, please..." But they keep you waiting, while you're excitement grows (no pun intended). Just watch these couples and their expressions! Wonderful the acting. Whoever did the casting here - kudos! Then the resolution - the perfect fit!

TWO. The music. Perfectly on brand. In sync with the idea. Nice change of rhythm after about thirteen seconds, keeping the excitement up.

THREE. The subtle animation of "It's better on springs."

FOUR. The copywriting: "Whatever you do in bed, Sealy supports it." No one can feel offended. Hey, perhaps they're smiling because they've watched the latest show of Joel Osteen in bed. I guess we'll never know. Simply brilliant!

I wonder though if this spot was only run in the liberal parts of the country, or if the people in Utah got to see it as well. Does HBO broadcast 'Big Love' in Utah?

Tomorrow's review: this year's worst superbowl commercial. Just thinking of it makes me want to punch the wall.

Old school: How to promote an ancient technology

The guys at Vice Magazine are known for their off-beat, irreverent approach to the publishing business. That's what has made them successful. It's who they are. It's who they will be. So when I grab a copy, I always expect to see something different than in the regular high-polished, politically correct magazines. Not just in terms of editorial content, but the advertisements as well.

The one above totally did it for me. It stopped me, it made me smile. And I'm pretty damn sure it works. Why? Well, for a number of reasons:

ONE. Whoever created this knows very well that vinyl is an ancient technology, a dinosaur. There is just no way you can convince anyone in this day and age that there is even one technological benefit in a record. So they don't even try to. Not even by selling the romantic aspect of lifting the lever and gently putting it onto the record, the crackling in the speakers etc.p.p. So they took a somewhat ridiculous approach.

TWO. This approach is actually quite funny. Yes, it's true, but it's kind of stupid at the same time. Which means it's perfect for the culture it promotes, and the medium it advertises in. I bet a hundred bucks that the percentage of Vice readers who still own a record player is significantly higher than GQ or Details or any other.

THREE. The way it's written, that little copy blurb at the bottom, doesn't take itself too seriously.

"This mathematical observation is brought to you by the volcom entertainment vinyl club - reminding you to support your local record shop."

It almost comes across as a public service announcement, promoting a good cause. Which it is.

So don't throw out your record player just yet. Your next date, or - a few  years down the road - your children or grand children will think you're the coolest person on the planet when you put on that vinyl disk.

Related links:
Vice Magazine online
Vice on facebook

Terribly bad: Hyundai Elantra's Sheep Commercial

How on earth did this commercial pass multiple levels of approvals? There are so many things fundamentally wrong with this concept - it makes me really really mad! Here are five reasons why:

ONE. "If you're not driving a Hyundai Elantra, you are dumb as sheep." Are you f...ing serious? That is the message you are sending out there to the world? Because that's what I'm getting out of this. Oh my... whoever cooked up this awful mess either wasn't thinking, had no one to straighten them out, or is just very bad at their profession. I get the thinking behind it. The shot just went off into the wrong direction.

TWO. If the guys from TOP GEAR were to draw an anology like this, while testing an extraordinary, and outrageously expensive sportscar, then it would be funny. It would work. As a joke. And we would take it as such. But a serious automaker, introducing a very, very boring, cheap, and extremely ugly car?! WTF?! I cannot comprehend the stupidity that is at play here.

THREE. The creative execution is just awful. The flashing words, the quick cuts. The shaky camera movements... I can think of a bunch of other brands that this style of filming would be more suitable for, instead of a serious auto maker.  All this actually makes me quite nauseous, the way my brain processes the information.

FOUR. The first 22 seconds are 50% wasted media space, as there simply is no audio message except for the ridiculous sound. Whoever checks their phone, has the TV running in the background, or simply does anything else but stare at the TV, simply doesn't get the message. Does anyone care here at all?

FIVE. There is a complete disconnect between the message the first 22 seconds send us (Other car makers make boring cars. Hyundai makes awesome cars.) and the second message the last 8 seconds send us - "Stop setting for predictable. The 40mpg Elantra." What? What does one have to do with the other? What makes the Elantra unpredictable? Why don't they tell us? Instead they spend 75% of the time NOT showing us the car. What a waste of time and dollars!

An they really want to run this during the Superbowl? I don't get it. Someone please explain this to me.

Iconic: Dos Equis' Most interesting man in the World

Every once in a while, there comes a big idea that stands out. It sits on a clearly defined strategic platform that allows for years and years of unique creative executions. Dos Equis has accomplished just that. Its 'Most interesting man in the world' has the right amount of humor mixed with a relevant sales message. It's memorable. And most importantly, it works. It builds brand equity. It moves product.

I can't say how, but this man got me to start ordering Dos Equis again after ignoring it for years and years. Not that it's a unique beer with great taste. Quite the opposite actually. It sits right there with all the below average concoctions that need a strong branding approach and plenty of marketing support to leave the shelves (did anyone say Budweiser?). But there is something in this message that is real.

It starts with the aspirational brand image Euro RSCG has put together. Clearly, this man is not real, but somehow we all wish he was. His demeanor. The way he carries himself. The fact that he is around 60yrs old makes it even more intriguing. He's not this twenty-something metrosexual model-type. He's not a young kid without life experience. He is the guy you wish you met in a bar, even if it just were for a few minutes. He's got that special something around him that makes both men and women gravitate towards him.

"The police often question him just because they find him interesting." Hilarious!

"Some say that he found the Fountain of Youth but didn't drink because he wasn't thirsty." Fantastic!

"He doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis." Brilliant!

Let's deconstruct this sentence for a moment. This is neither a binge-drinking teenage kid nor a pre-game tailgating drunkster - "I don't always drink beer" - and it leaves enough room for interpretation: a) he drinks other things as well, or b) he only drinks occasionally. "But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." It sends us another message. He has an open mind. He tries new things. He simply prefers Dos Equis. They don't tell us why. There obviously doesn't seem to be a product benefit here. But who cares? He's the most interesting man in the world. Wouldn't you want to meet him? I would. And I would drink Dos Equis with him.

Related link:
The Most Interesting Man in the World on Facebook