Capture Your Life ... For A Year

With just one second a day, 25-year-old Becky Krause captured her entire life in a 6 minute video. Easy enough right? Except it take a full year to do. She captures memorable occasions such as aging grandmother to news of her sisters' pregnancy, and world news such as the election and Hurricane Sandy. But there's plenty of "everyday moments" that make life exactly that. From subway riders to a coworker walking by her cubicle.

SuperBowls Best Commercials 2013

By: Liza Dawson, Advertising Exec

Advertising agencies choose a target audience when they strategize creative. Football targets a mostly male audience: A beer-drinking, female-objectifying, male audience. Yes, the Super Bowl has evolved into a widely-received and celebrated, distinctly American event, but if ad execs still must choose a target, the safest bet would be the aforementioned males. 

So, when a good amount of television commercials that air during the Super Bowl are made specifically for these guys, why do people act surprised? Sure, they appear antiquated what with women's rights and all, but not every demographic is as socially progressive or savvy as the advertising elite. 

With that explanation, I attempt to not hate as freely as I am want to do, on SB47's ever popular commercials. I also will not comment on the unfair replay and delay of certain spots due to NOLA's power problems. 

Adweek noted that the "humorous and emotional" ads won last night. Were they expecting many dramatic ones? I don't know. But I also liked the funny ones. The emo ones were nice, sure, but also kind of awkward. You could have subbed any profession into "Farmer" and elicited tears with moving stills, music, and VO. Jeep's salute to the military was overly powerful with Oprah's narration, but would I watch again? No. Here are some comical spots that I still remember, which hopefully means something; in no particular order. 

Oreo. Unexpected plots always win me over. Whisper-fighting? Who has ever seen someone angrily whisper "I'm gonna call the cops"?

Taco Bell. Again, unexpected to have a cast of senior citizens. Unexpected to play a hit song, but in another language. 

Best Buy. Only because Amy Poehler finally admitted what I've been feeling for my entire professional life. Yes, Amy, it does make us feel uncomfortable when people say the word "dongle." Every day when we present endless decks and pass these things around, and debate whether they are compatible with the projection system, I feel uncomfortable. 

Sorry to say it because crowdsourcing threatens the creative business of advertising, but Doritos anthropomorphic goat was awesome. The scary panicky tone worked. 

I am afraid I will never get the image of Bar Rafaeli and the "brains" makeout sesh out of my head. It is still singeing the deep recesses of my memory. So it goes in copywriting that your first idea is usually shit. This was definitely GoDaddy's first idea. A simple marriage of brains and beauty. Not even reinvented. And Bar is so, like, 3.5 years ago. 

And now if I could put on my advertising professional hat for a moment, I would like to award Samsung's Next Big Thing with top honors for making light of the entire Super Bowl ad pressure frenzy while at the same time driving home their campaign without extremely overt demos or gimmicks. The online teaser spot did just that, and in the broadcast two minute, entire pod spot, I can truly say I was entertained and even forgot the Samsung was selling me something. I laughed not because I was supposed to. In filmmaking, directors often give nods to other films as an inside wink. This was a better version of that. Calling out the ridiculousness of these ads while at the same time, making a brilliant one. That said, I'll never trade my iPhone. 

No matter what ratings the commercials received on Adweek, AdAge, USAToday, or CBSSports.com, it was the most-watched Super Bowl ever, which means that all of the advertisers got what they wanted: millions of eyes on their products. And when that happens, everyone is a winner. 

That is, unless Beyonce's coma-inducing performance has sent you into shock and wiped your brain completely, male or female.