video: Told You So

It’s that time again. Are you ready for some commercials?! I haven’t been reading up on any surprises for this year’s Super Bowl ads, but as is now the norm for the past few years, a few companies are running contests and more or less crowdsourcing their ads. However, unlike mainstream media, the people who get their content on the air are actually going to get compensation for it.*

Every year, there’s usually an ad that sparks a bit of controversy–often for all the wrong reasons–but I’m betting that it won’t be this submission to the Doritos® and Pepsi MAX® Crash the Super Bowl contest. Take from it whatever you like. It’s no Snickers/Betty White ad, but it’s still pretty amusing.

Admittedly, perhaps the “gayest” video submitted–which coincidentally also has the most views–is “Taste the Bold” which is displaying a little blowback** in the comments because it was not chosen as a finalist.

While most people might be right in thinking it’s the ad’s gay content that put it out of the running, some think that it was unfairly boosted in the view counts.*** Personally, I wonder if another reason is that it’s a direct copy of an old advertisement for Swedish newspaper Expressen that they were hoping no one would notice, even though the Swedish ad made the rounds of “Banned Commercials” shows for a while. It’s a funny joke, just not original.

Update: That wasn’t the only ad that used the exact same premise, there’s also “The Sauna”. See? Not. Original.

Yes, I know that only someone with a weird-ass brain that remembers nearly everything they’ve ever seen on television might recall that short ad. What can I say? I was a latchkey child.

In any case, I probably won’t be watching the game, but instead checking twitter during it to see if any funny ads are going to show up on YouTube or Hulu after airing. The companies spend so much money on these things, it’s practically a crime not to watch! Any other Super Bowl ad surprises been announced? Let me know in the comments.