Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Best And Worst Of This Year's Ads

CSNNE Apologizes For Early Patriots Super Bowl Champions Ad

If you live in the Boston area, you might still be a little confused as to how the New York Giants are Super Bowl XLVI champions. Even though you may have watched the game, this Dick's Sporting Goods commercial told everyone in the Boston area that the New England Patriots were the world champions. Well, according to a statement from Comcast SportsNet New England, that commercial was a mistake and shouldn't have been aired before the Super Bowl.

Skip Perham, the Director of Marketing of Comcast SportsNet New England and NECN, issued this statement on behalf of the network:

"A Dick's Sporting Goods spot recognizing the New England Patriots as Super Bowl Champions ran inadvertently on Comcast SportsNet during the Celtics telecast prior to yesterday's Super Bowl. The airing of this spot was a Comcast SportsNet error and was in no way the fault of Dick's Sporting Goods. We identified the issue immediately and pulled the spot. We apologize to Dick's Sporting Goods, their customers and our viewers for this error."

I wonder if we can still pick up our Patriots championship gear?

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Chevy's 'Mayan Apocalypse' Ad

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: NFL Player Safety Ad Airs Late In Game

We heard about the NFL's player safety ad all week and late in the Super Bowl, it finally aired. The commercial focused on the evolution of equipment and rules, splicing together footage from each era of football in a seamless sequence. It began with a flying wedge and players without helmets, and ended with video of the Super Bowl 46 kickoff.

Here's the full commercial, as it aired on Sunday.

Impressive production work and all that, but consider the message once again. In the week preceding the game, Jon Bois wrote about the player safety commercial that we all knew was going to air. When taking a stab at what we'd see, he had this to say.

We'll have to wait until the third quarter on Sunday to find out whether these 60 seconds will be used to own up to transgressions and make an honest step forward, or whether they will be spent to prop up the myth that player safety has been an overruling priority for the league throughout its history. If the latter comes to pass -- and, unfortunately, I suspect it will -- we should know that we're watching revisionist history, and be thankful only that the clouds are finally breaking apart.

And he was right. The commercial was meant to subtly spotlight the safety changes that have been made over the course of the league's history. But there's still a long way to go: The concussion issues Jon mentions in his piece are the most glaring example.

So while visually impressive and perhaps a positive sign to what's to come, the NFL still has a long way to go to show it's committed to player safety. And a commercial is talk, not action.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Will Ferrell Made An Old Milwaukee Ad

Will Ferrell apparently made a Super Bowl commercial that most of the United States didn't see. The commercial in question appears to have only aired in Nebraska, which I guess would make some kind or sense ... or not. And it's just about the most Will Ferrell thing imaginable.

The commercial consists of Ferrell walking slowly through a wheat field with a dramatic instrumental playing. He's walking triumphantly, perhaps leading one to believe something big is about to happen. But nope, just more slow motion walking.

As he finally gets up to the camera, Ferrell cracks an Old Milwaukee beer with authority. The Old Milwaukee logo flashes on the screen and Ferell says something that appears to be bleeped. It's almost like an outtake from Talladega Nights.

Sorry about the quality but, you know, Nebraska and all. I'm not sure about you, but I have the sudden urge to meander through the nearest wheat field while sipping on a cool Old Milwaukee. It worked!

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Dannon And John Stamos Make An Ad For The World

John Stamos made an ad for Dannon yogurt. It has no words, meaning it has been created for multiple international markets, where the spot may be dubbed as needed to appeal to many different audiences. These are a few samples of the different dialogue you would see in other national markets.

GERMAN TRANSLATION

FRENCH TRANSLATION

RUSSIAN TRANSLATION

ICELANDIC TRANSLATION

GREEK TRANSLATION

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: NFL's 'Evolution' Player Safety Ad

The NFL kept its "Evolution" commercial, which focused on player safety, under wraps until it was aired during the Super Bowl. We were only privy to a handful of details, but said details seemed to indicate that the league would convey a rather ... not-completely-honest message. My concerns were laid out in detail here, but generally speaking, I was concerned that the League would cast the false impression that player safety was always the No. 1 priority.

It seems clear to me that it has not been. The ad does, at least, acknowledge that there is much more left to be done in the department of player safety -- in particular, of course, the prevention and mitigation of concussion-related dangers. The ad is well-produced to boot, and even incorporates a shot from the Super Bowl's opening kickoff that occurred two hours prior.

It's fine, I guess. Just don't get the impression that player safety has always come first on the NFL's list of priorities.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Clint Eastwood Represents Chrysler, Detroit

We knew that for the second consecutive Super Bowl, we were in for a Chrysler commercial that highlighted the city of Detroit. We knew that it would probably be one of the more sober, serious ads of the night. I didn't expect to think much of this ad, but then they busted out Clint Eastwood and all my cynicism went out the window.

Clint Eastwood has no outstanding ties to the city of Detroit, but it does not matter. The man talks, and you listen. He says it's halftime in Detroit, and he ... wait, did he see the halftime show? That was not a very Detroit halftime show.

After the cameras stopped rolling, Eastwood requested four thousand metric tons of steel, a crowbar, and a T-square. He is building every car in the Chrysler plant. These cars will never break down, because they are fearful of what will happen if they do.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: H&M's Underwear Ad Is Effective And Terrible

H&M ain't dumb. You don't buy your own underwear, gentlemen. Other people buy it for you: your mother, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your wife, or perhaps your manservant. All male underwear buyers therefore by definition love David Beckham, and thus he's a logical pick for underwear ads. (Your manservant is British, and therefore loves Beckham for soccer reasons.)

Still, this is a man in his drawers on your screen, which for the ladies and man-loving dudes is great, and for straight dudes is a problem because a.) he's attractive and thin, which by the numbers you probably aren't, and b.) because all you insecure guys are like, "LOL, I don't need to see this because I'm not gay, and this hot dude on screen is totally unnecessary, what with his lithe figure and impeccably cut figure."

This is probably what you were thinking, or should be thinking to cope.

"Whatever, dude. I got better pecs than that."

[/flexes man boobs]

"You should really get those moles and spots checked out. Skin cancer is a killer. I'm about health."

[/lights cigarette]

[drinks 18 beers]

You might be wondering what that Chinese says. It says this.

I wasn't sure what to do with the next part, so I just made a face of his nipples and emaciated, weak, and totally unattractive body. Someone please give David Beckham a sandwich, because he is attractive and that cannot be allowed.

Only you can prevent male anorexia. The rest of the ad is just David Beckham stretching in front of the camera, and then he shows his buttocks to the camera. You're probably going to have to watch this three or four more times, so this is the best coping mechanism I can offer.

I'm so sorry. This ad is terrible and effective and this is all we can do to fight it.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: H&M's Underwear Ad Is Effective And Terrible

H&M ain't dumb. You don't buy your own underwear, gentlemen. Other people buy it for you: your mother, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your wife, or perhaps your manservant. All male underwear buyers therefore by definition love David Beckham, and thus he's a logical pick for underwear ads. (Your manservant is British, and therefore loves Beckham for soccer reasons.)

Still, this is a man in his drawers on your screen, which for the ladies and man-loving dudes is great, and for straight dudes is a problem because a.) he's attractive and thin, which by the numbers you probably aren't, and b.) because all you insecure guys are like, "LOL, I don't need to see this because I'm not gay, and this hot dude on screen is totally unnecessary, what with his lithe figure and impeccably cut figure."

This is probably what you were thinking, or should be thinking to cope.

"Whatever, dude. I got better pecs than that."

[/flexes man boobs]

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: The Avengers In 10 Seconds

You can't have Super Bowl commercials without including a few trailers for the biggest, loudest, explosionest movies of the upcoming year. Pretty sure The Avengers qualifies in all three of those categories.

Also pretty sure Marvel and Paramount have enough money to buy all the Super Bowl commercial airtime, so it's a bit of a letdown to see they're only going with a ten second blink-and-you'll-miss-them preview of their superhero tentpole film.

UPDATE: Here is the full trailer.

All your old pals are back. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow and The Hulk. Sadly, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye gets the shaft with no screentime. Then again, considering he's the Aquaman/Chris Bosh of this group, it's not all that surprising.

Marvel and Paramount are clearly saving the good stuff for a theatrical trailer release. And by good stuff I mean Robert Downey, Jr. quips, mean Thor glances and as many shots of Scarlett Johansson as they can possibly fit in a trailer.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Coca-Cola Polar Bears Are Terrible At Drinking Coke

Coca-Cola has purchased a full 60-second block for its Super Bowl commercial, which, as in previous years, features polar bears attempting to drink Coke and being very bad at it. Here's video of the spot:

I'm sorry. Yes, I know these polar bears are terribly cute and all that, but I think this commercial begs to be deconstructed. Why are the majority of the bears hanging out on the plot of snow in the middle of the ice, even the cave clearly has a television and ample seating area? Is this one of those lame Super Bowl parties in which almost no one is actually watching the Super Bowl? And there are bears? God, I hate those parties. I always get so bored and mauled.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: A Battleship Movie. Yeah.

Early in the 2012 Super Bowl's second quarter, we have a front-runner for most interesting commercial of the game. "Interesting" is not necessarily a good thing ... but maybe it is ... I don't know, I feel as though I need some time to process this. They are making a Battleship movie. Like, the board game. Battleship: the board game: the movie. Here's the full version of the trailer:

As far as I was able to tell, this movie involved a naval fleet that battles an alien race. Okay, and this is how they work in the board game nuance:

The film will also show us both sides of the story—fromthe aliens’ perspective, as well as the humans.

They are engineering movie plots based on elements from a board game. A somewhat interesting board game, sure -- one that involves pattern detection and predictive psychology -- but still: board game. Prepare for 400,000 million trillion movie critics to write either, "now this is one Battleship that doesn't sink!", or, "Battleship sunk."

Whatever, I'll totally watch it if it gets Hollywood any closer to producing a Connect Four movie.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Pepsi Tells World Elton John Keeps Flavor Flav In His Basement

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: GoDaddy, Starring Danica Patrick And Body Paint

GoDaddy commercials have been a Super Bowl mainstay for years. They're running a pair of ads in 2012, the first of which features Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels. This formula should strike you as familiar: a meta-commercial in which Danica Patrick agrees to participate in a risque and mildly creepy commercial and remarks, "this is so crazy, I don't know whether this is going to work, you guys!!!!" throughout. Take a look:

And as per usual, GoDaddy is asking people to either a) go look up a website during the Super Bowl, or b) make a mental note to watch it after they leave their Super Bowl party, realize that what was a day of festivities has bloomed into yet another desolate Sunday night in the middle of Winter, and despair for any measure of excitement, no matter how online or artistically banal. PARTY ON, DUDES!!!

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Chevy's 'Mayan Apocalypse' Ad

I suppose Chevy's going to have to be the one to come out and say it: in accordance with Mayan prophecy, this will be the last Super Bowl ever held. Drag. I was sort of hoping for a Chiefs-Falcons Super Bowl in my lifetime. Oh well. In this commercial, Chevy convincingly demonstrates that if you do not own a Chevy Silverado, you will die.

Well, actually, another condition: it looks like you will probably also need to wear a jean jacket. There will also be frogs, because no truck commercial is complete without a misinterpretation of the Bible. Anyway, this stands out to me as one of the better Super Bowl ads of the year, because it works with a proven formula: a simple gag and top-notch production value.

These guys are going to be fine because Chevy trucks do not need gas to operate.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Hyundai's 'Rocky'-Themed Ad

Hyundai has purchased several chunks of air time during the 2012 Super Bowl. Their first commercial of the game is an ambitious, yet simple, effort that leans on one of the very most familiar songs throughout popular culture: the "Rocky" theme. And at the party this author is currently attending, people are still humming the theme 10 minutes after the fact.

And now you're humming it. Right now. All in all, a respectable advertising effort. In the fake-wacky, hyper-accessible world of Super Bowl commercials, one in which I've been trapped for the last few days, you eventually come to appreciate a well-executed, simple idea. STOP HUMMING! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Sasha Baron Cohen Returns As 'The Dictator'

Sasha Baron Cohen struck gold with Borat and watched his mockumentary empire crumble with the failure of Bruno. He's hoping third time is the charm as he unveils The Dictator during the Super Bowl this year.

If you're going to premiere a comedy during the Super Bowl, this is the blueprint. Open with a direct reference to the Super Bowl itself ("I know the final score."), lead with footage of the most attractive women in the film (Megan Fox), insert a topical reality TV joke that everyone's mom will get ("What do I look like, a Khardashian?") and then find the closest scene you've got in the movie to actual sports because for some reason advertisers seem to think we need to see sports in the movie while watching a sporting event (track meet).

Also, make sure you check out the official site for the film, RepublicOfWadiya.com. Find out all about the Republic of Wadiya and it's most loved leader Shabazz Aladeen, but make sure you translate into English first.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Budweiser's Hockey 'Flash Mob' Ad Is The Best Of The Year

Budweiser is responsible for the greatest commercial of the 2012 Super Bowl, and at the moment I can't even determine for sure whether it will air in the United States. It will, at the very least, air during the Canadian broadcast.

This is the full version of the ad, in which two rec-league hockey teams in Ontario are surprised by a flash mob of fans who flood into the arena. Take a look:

The game swiftly erupts into this big, loud affair, complete with a dancing chicken, goal sirens, and a shower of confetti at the end. And the players are SO DAMNED HAPPY about it. There's no message or joke or anything here. It's just an instance of doing something nice for people, and doing it up huge. As of this writing, I have to call this commercial the best of the year.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: OK Go's Chevy Sonic Music Video

Alternative rock band OK Go has pretty much single-handedly revived the medium of the music video over the past several years. From low-budget choreographed dance, to treadmill theatrics, to stunning Rube Goldberg machines, to trained dogs, to the Muppets, they have continually set the standard for what you can accomplish in a music video.

Now the band has created yet another new video, which is also in part a commercial. The ad version will be part of the festivities on Super Bowl XLVI.

Below is OK Go's new video for their song "Needing/Getting," which was made in conjunction with Chevrolet. The video was shown in part during the Super Bowl XLVI pregame show and will presumably run again during the big game. The video/commercial features almost the entirety of the music in the song being created by a Chevy Sonic being driven by the band. As usual, it's amazing.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl Commercials: Danica Patrick's Go Daddy Ads Extend Record

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Toyota Reinvents Camry, Everything

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Downy Brings Mean Joe Greene And Amy Sedaris Together, Finally

The 1980 Mean Joe Greene Coke commercial is one of the most iconic of all time, so you have to assume it's going to be parodied roughly 5,000 times during our lifetimes. This year, Downy brought in Amy Sedaris to tackle the seminal role of "the boy" who meets the Pittsburgh Steelers Mean Joe Greene on his way to the locker room.

The ad's a winner because it covers every base. It's got the nostalgia factor, reenacting one of the most famous football commercials of all time. Sedaris pulls in "the kids" or whatever demographic is said to be fans of Sedaris. And there's a body function joke, the core of any good Super Bowl commercial. If they could have somehow worked in a fart or a guy getting kicked in the groin, it might have been an all-time great.

When Greene says this is the last commercial he's going to do, let's hope so. There's only so many times we can go back to this well and I'm pretty sure we're there.

For complete Super Bowl coverage head over to the SB Nation NFL hub page.

The NFL's 'Player Safety' Super Bowl Commercial, And Why You Probably Shouldn't Buy It

On Sunday, the NFL will air a 60-second commercial dedicated to player safety. Will the League acknowledge its past transgressions, or simply treat us to revisionist history? The answer will determine whether this gesture is worth anything at all.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Pepsi Resurrects 'Cheating Coke Delivery Man'

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Hyundai Brings A Man Back From The Dead

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Jerry Seinfeld Wants Acura, Is Petty

Super Bowl Commercials: Jerry Seinfeld And The Soup Nazi Together Again

Super Bowl commercials are the main reason a decent majority of people watch Sunday's big game because, even if football isn't someone's favorite sport, everyone enjoys a good laugh as the newest Next Big Thing is being advertised as players are being tackled. Regardless of that, everyone seems to enjoy getting an early look at just what to expect on Sunday.

The newest commercial to leak onto the internet -- advertising the new 2012 Acura NSX -- stars Jerry Seinfeld, the famed Soup Nazi and, toward the end, a cameo appearance by the only and only Jay Leno.

Seinfeld, playing his role from the aptly-named sitcom Seinfeld, attempts to be the first to buy the hottest new car on the market by wooing the one man in front of him with various offers ranging from the famous No Soup For You Guy (he explains he owns the rights to all Seinfeld characters) to the Last Living Munchkin to access to his personal network of Manhattan zip lines.

In the end, however, Jay Leno literally swoops in and offers the original customer a jet-packed flying squirrel suit for the right to buy the NSX. It's obviously an offer he can't refuse and Seinfeld's unfortunately left hanging.

For more early Super Bowl commercials, be sure to check out our StoryStream.

Super Bowl Commercials: Hyundai Veloster Turbo Does Thing My Ford Festiva Can Do

I am going to spell out the basic concept for this commercial before you watch it, because the concept is dumb. Basically, a Hyundai Veloster Turbo is lined up on a runway next to an angry, caged cheetah. The cheetah will be released from the cage and will engage in a race with the car. After taking three strides, the cheetah realizes that it is slower than the car and gives up. This is supposed to be a metaphor for how fast the car is. It then attacks the guy who released it from a cage. Here's the commercial.

According to my second grade science teacher and my favorite PBS program featuring the Kratt Brothers, cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour. I once owned a three-door 1987 Ford Festiva that could go 75 miles per hour, so this is not impressive, Hyundai.

Be sure to check out Super Bowl ads from previous years that would never air in 2012.

Super Bowl Commercials: Audi Visits A Vampire Party, Kills Everyone With Daylamps

As we get closer and close to Super Bowl XLVI we'll start seeing more and more Super Bowl commercials hitting the internet. In this new Audi game day commercial, we see what happens when a vampire rolls up in a new Audi S7 to a vampire party.

As you can see, the vampire driving the Audi (we'll call him Bob) is strolling up to replenish the all important blood supply, because what kind of vampire party would it be without enough blood to feed on? Unwittingly though, Bob drove up with the new Audi LED headlamps on, which are also known as "Daylights". Bob steps out of the car with his cooler of blood thinking he's about to be the king of the vampire party, but then realizes what he's done. Bob has murdered all of his vampire brethren with his Audi S7's Daylights.

#SoLongVampires.

Be sure to check out Super Bowl ads from previous years that would never air in 2012.

Super Bowl Commercials: Toyota Camry Is Sort Of Like Drapes Made Of Pizza

Do you know what the best kinds of car commercials are? The ones that tell you absolutely nothing about the car they are attempting to sell you. Toyota could have told people what they changed about the new Camry that they're advertising in a Super Bowl commercial, but instead they decided to tell us about couches that come pre-packaged with attractive people in bathing suits, time traveling babies, drapes made out of pizza, and blenders that play Lionel Richie songs. Confused? Watch the commercial.

I'm not entirely sure why someone would want drapes made of pizza, and I would be horrified if a police officer gave me a massage after pulling me over. But if this car is anything like blender that plays Lionel Richie songs when I make smoothies? Yes, I will be buying one of those.

Be sure to check out Super Bowl ads from previous years that would never air in 2012.

VIDEO: Ferris Bueller's Full Super Bowl Commercial

We teased this last week, and the full commercial is now here. Matthew Broderick is no longer in his early 20s and isn't going to be taking a role as a high school student any time soon, but he's re-hashed his role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off in order to help sell sport utility vehicles. The teaser didn't indicate the product that Ferris would be endorsing, but unsurprisingly, the full version of the commercial features a prominently placed product that someone would like to convince you to purchase. Surprise!

Here's the full Ferris Bueller Super Bowl commercial for the Honda CR-V.

This car appears to be a bit less effective at hitting triple-digit speeds, then getting airborne than Cameron's father's Ferrari. The commercial should debut on broadcast television at some point on Super Bowl Sunday, during the extensive infinity-hour long broadcast.

Be sure to check out Super Bowl ads from previous years that would never air in 2012.

VIDEO: Ferris Bueller Super Bowl Commercial Teaser

Anyone know which iconic 1980's movie character with a penchant for skipping school and pretending to be the head of a large sausage manufacturer is returning for a commercial during the Super Bowl this year?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Bueller?

You don't need to be a professor in voodoo economics to know that this is a teaser for the return of Ferris Bueller in some form.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while to notice the date referenced in the teaser, you could miss it. It's the same date as the Super Bowl, hence the speculation.

As for who Matthew Broderick a.k.a. Ferris is promoting and what he's doing in a fancy hotel room, that remains to be seen. But fans of the classic film should be excited to see his return in any form. As for whether or not we'll see Cameron in his requisite Detroit Red Wings jersey hanging out in the lobby or Principal Ed Rooney working as a bellhop, we'll have to wait and see.

So long as Ferris Bueller isn't back to promote Viagra, this should be good.

Be sure to check out Super Bowl ads from previous years that would never air in 2012.

2012 Super Bowl Commercials: GoDaddy Releases First Half Ad

The 2012 Super Bowl is only weeks away and for you GoDaddy.com commercial fanatics, this is your Super Bowl (Well...).

It's time to unveil this year's lowest common denominator GoDaddy.com (excuse me, GoDaddy.co) commercial featuring scantily-clad women you don't know surrounding mostly-clad women you do know but whom you might want to see less clad, or at least more scantily.

Darren Rovell does the honors of unveiling the clip, which you can watch here. As usual, it features NASCAR's Danica Patrick and celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels chatting about the unbeatable service while a third, presumably naked, woman hangs out and gets painted on.

And as usual, the "payoff" of the commercial takes place on GoDaddy's site. However, looks like the "too hot for TV" end of the clip isn't up on their site as of yet. Alas, you'll just have to wait for the big game to be disappointed by that.

Be sure to check out Super Bowl ads from previous years that would never air in 2012.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Volkswagen Releases Teaser Ad Featuring Dogs, Star Wars

Super Bowl Commercials: Ads From Years Past That Would Never Air In 2011

Before the dot-com crash and the mainstreaming of ironic humor, and at a time when we apparently needed to advertise things like cheese and soup, the world of Super Bowl commercials was a strange one. Here are some that we will never see again.