5 Bright Spots in 2011's Super Bowl Commercials

Super Bowl XLV is now history. As a Pennsylvania native, I was disappointed in the outcome, as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31 to 25 (ouch...it hurts to repeat that.) Over half the people in the country tune in to the Super Bowl each year, and they are often as interested in the commercials as they are the game's outcome. Companies shell out millions of dollars to tap into the huge audience.

2011's Super Bowl commercials disappointed me almost as much as the game. Although we were treated to some appealing visual effects, many of the commercials were wrought with over-acting, yelling, and people being hit with flying objects. The "humor" left me flat. They spend a lot of time and energy coming up with these ideas? There were, however, some creative efforts. Every person has his favorites-and we all have different tastes- but these Super Bowl commercials stood out for me.

Volkswagen Passat: The Force
A little guy dressed in a Darth Vader costume is hoping to exercise some "mind power." He attempts to control a doll, the washing machine and his dog-all to no avail. He takes one last shot with his dad's Volkswagen Passat and is very surprised when his powers seem to work. Little does he know that Dad is giving him some help from inside the house with his remote electronic car key.

CarMax: Throwback
A guy pulls into a service station and is flustered when he receives overwhelming attention from a group of attendants.
"Are you trying to steal my engine?"
"I'm being car-jacked!"
He flees from the car, bumping into a milkman who has a carrier of milk bottles to deliver. The sentiment from CarMax: "At CarMax, we believe customer service shouldn't be a thing of the past."

Career Builder: The Parking Lot
Talk about a bad start to your day. With the job situation in our country, I'm sure many people can relate to this one. A man pulls into a parking lot and needs to hurry to a meeting. A car load of three monkeys-donning suits and briefcases and totally ignoring him-pulls up right smack next to the guy, leaving him no room to get out of his car. He wiggles over to the passenger seat where he is greeted with "Ron", wrecking into that side. The message: "Stuck between a bad job and a hard place? CareerBuilder.com-Start building."

Best Buy: Buy-Back Program, Ozzy Osbourne, and Justin Bieber
The Best Buy execs are touting their buy-back promotion. A customer who buys into the program can return a product within two years to receive credit toward an upgrade. The premise is ringing out the old (Ozzy) and ringing in the new (Justin.) Ozzy shows he has a sense of humor as he is pushed into the background because he's baffled with 4G, 5G and 6G mobile technology. In true Ozzy style, he adds, "How many G's are there?...and what the (bleep's) a Bieber? Justin takes a poke at himself as well at the end of the commercial. They show hin as an older, 'weathered' Bieber who answers Ozzy's question with, "I don't know, but he kind of looks like a girl."

Chrysler 200 and Eminem: Imported from Detroit
This commercial offered a poignant look at Detroit and highlighted some of its landmarks. While its purpose was advertising the Chrysler 200, it was also a reminder that Detroit is a powerful city, working its way back up from problems.
"What does a town that's been to hell and back know about the finer things in life?"
"Well, I'll tell you...more than most."
Any American should feel a tinge of pride in the Motor City after viewing this spot. It was captivating enough to hold attention for its 2-minute lengh.

Although the Doritos' commercial where the dog smacks the glass door down is said to be one of the most popular, I really don't get its appeal. Hey, it could be worse...at least it isn't the one where the guys licks everything in sight--including another guy's fingers--trying to get a taste of Doritos...gross.