2007 Superbowl Ads Review: Emerald Nuts Robert Goulet

I generally really hate commercials that use a celebrity just so they have a commercial with celebrity endorsement. Typically, that type of commercial shows no relationship between the celebrity, what they are doing, and the product. It is all about the celebrity name. This lazy approach to commercial writing and production is a total turn off to me.

While, on the one hand, I hate this commercial for that very reason; on the other hand, I love the fact that the spry and still handsome Robert Goulet is shown wreaking havoc everywhere he goes, until he meets up with someone who is not asleep. The 73-year old prostate-cancer survivor puts people half his age to shame with the energy level he showed in the commercial. Perhaps the writers would have been better off crediting his antics and vibrancy to their product, rather than showing him as 'a villain' being defeated by their product.

The ad mentions that one handful of nuts at around 3:00 p.m. when blood sugar levels typically drop off will help workers keep from falling asleep. They need to stay awake because otherwise the evil Robert Goulet will 'mess with their stuff.' I have no idea who determined that Robert Goulet was synonymous with creating disasters, but again, seeing him bouncing around and being so agile was refreshing; and a boost for seniors everywhere.

It was really difficult to rate this commercial because of the love/hate thing I have for it. In the end, Robert Goulet saved the commercial for me from being a total waste of my viewing time. In this case, which is rarely the case as far as I am concerned, a celebrity did save a commercial and make it fun. For that reason it earned 2.5 of 5 possible daisies from me, although I still did find the writing lazy and boring. It was watching Robert Goulet which kept me awake: not the nuts and not anything else about the commercial.