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Bruce Lindsay ReportingIt was the biggest Super Bowl audience in a decade. An estimated 90.7 million people watched the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks yesterday. That's five percent more than the 86 million plus who watched last year.
Advertisers paid two and a half million dollars for 30 second commercials in Super Bowl yesterday. So, were all those viewers impressed?
Advertising agents and clients met for lunch to rate the best and worst Super Bowl commercials. Richter 7 Advertising sponsored the eleventh annual AdBowl. Today's post mortem over lunch looked much like the big game itself with footballs, goalposts, and even referees who tallied the votes. The experts weighed in on the year's most awaited spots and gave a lukewarm reception to most.
Rachel Hill, Assistant Accounts Director: "We thought this year was an all-right year. We thought there were some gems, but overall we think there could be some better ads, pushing the creative envelope."
The voters gave awards in categories ranging from "Should Have Punted" (the worst), to "Most Valuable Ad (the one they judged best.) As a group, the most popular ads pitch one specific product.
Rachel Hill, RICHTER 7: "Everyone loves the funny ads. The humorous ads, those are always the beer ads."
But the best in show went not to a bottle, but to a brute, and nearly everyone agreed.
"My personal favorite was the FedEx Neanderthal ad; I just liked the way it kept getting funnier and funnier."
So which ad was your favorite? We've put together a list of the most popular ads and want your vote for the top.
