It's Monday morning where you are, but it's last Friday morning where I am now. Writing this post about ads during the big game...er, Super Bowl, come and sue me NFL.
How can I write about the ads if I haven't seen the ads, you may ask.
In years past that would've been no problem. As every carmaker, beer pimper and packager of America's favorite overpriced, over salted processed foods had been releasing their shiny new toy weeks before the refs had warmed up their whistles in favor of Patrick Mahomes.
This year, there seems to be less of that premature exhibition. Or maybe I haven't seen them because I haven't been spending too much time watching TV. Or even on social media. I'm trying to cut down on both and disengage from the fury produced by too much news and too much disembowelment of America.
I did see a spot featuring Mathew McConaughey, who has quickly become the Great White Kevin Hart in his ubiquity. Unlike Kevin, Matty actually has some comedic chops. Of course it helps that he is supported by a stellar cast of celebrities who bring some zing to their 3 second, $3 million appearance in the Uber Eats extravaganza.
I also have some heart for the spot because one of the kids (they're all kids) involved in the making of the spot worked for me about 25 years ago at Y&R in Irvine.
I'll come completely clean here, I mistakenly did not give the OC crew enough credit back then. Perhaps it was because I had just spent a better part of my life working at once-vaunted Chiat/Day. They all had a spark of talent, but lacked, or I thought they lacked, a killer instinct for pushing themselves hard enough.
I know now that was my ego getting in the way. So many of them have gone on to do great work. And this Uber Eats spot is proof of that.
Speaking of ego, I also caught a sneak preview of the Coor's Light Super Bowl spot featuring a cast of sloths. I relayed my thoughts on this to Greg Hahn, founder at Mischief (maker of the spot.) Greg and I have never met, but our career paths have crossed many times over. I'm a huge fan of his work and his willingness to color outside the lines.
Many, many years ago, I had written a spot about a boy who travels to the jungles of South America with his missionary parents. One day, during a ferocious storm (cinematic production value) the 4 year old boy gets lost. He can't be found. But he does not perish.
He is raised by a pack of three toed sloths. Years later he is found -- maybe by some GOP real estate developers -- and brought back home.
Only now he communicates, moves and lives life as a human/sloth. Many funny vignettes, including the young man brushing his teeth, wooing a woman, and running cross country for his high school track team, followed suit.
To be completely honest, I don't even remember the client I wrote this for. Nor does it matter. As any creative in the the business knows, it's all a matter of turning the corner at the end. Any schmuck can do that. And probably did, yesterday.
To prove my point, take a look at this spot for Dodge Trucks that was rated the best Super Bowl spot of 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D25KC6342HY
With a little word finagling, this could've been for Ford Trucks. Or Wheat Thins. Or even Coor's Light. Or Coor's Light via Uber Eats.
This shit ain't rocket science.
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