Super Bowl Ads Feature 'Mario Rap', Pixel Phone, Two Batmen, and Warnings of 'Premature Electrification' (sportingnews.com) 75
Despite the absence of cryptocurrency ads, this year's Super Bowl still managed some geek-friendly advertisements. There was even a riff on "the classic intro from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, the live-action series that ran from 1989-1991," according to Kotaku: the infamous Mario Rap, which advertised Mario's plumbing business (and in its 2023 version featured the URL for a website).
[T]hat website is indeed up and running, and is everything you would hope it would be from a struggling small business servicing the Brooklyn and Queens areas. There's excessive animation, broken image links, a careers page (still under construction, sadly) and even a novelty mouse cursor.
Kotaku's article includes both versions of the rap, along with reactions from Twitter. (Apparently the phone number in the advertisement really works).
There were also several ads from major tech companies. Google purchased a long ad touting their Pixel phone's ability to remove people from photos (starring Amy Schumer, Doja Cat, and Giannis Antetokounmpo), while Workday drew attention to its enterprise-grade finance and HR software with an ad in which actual rock stars like Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, blues player Gary Clark and members of KISS all urged the software's corporate users to stop calling themselves "rock stars".
Other tech-company ads aired from E*Trade, SquareSpace, and a star-studded Uber One ad in which rapper Puff Daddy auditions singers for their new jingle.
There were also the obligatory celebrity reunions — like Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, or the actors from Breaking Bad. But for comic book geeks, a trailer for D.C.'s new movie The Flash included a surprise appearance by Batman — play by both Ben Affleck and by a 71-year-old Michael Keaton, a full 34 years after Keaton played the caped crusader in Tim Burton's 1989 movie Batman. "Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past," according to a press release cited by People. James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy and new co-CEO of DC Studios, recently said, according to Deadline, that The Flash "is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made." He added that the film's storyline "resets everything" for the franchise.
The last Blockbuster video rental store in America played its own advertising prank during the Super Bowl. They announced their own ad which could only be viewed on their Instagram feed during halftime -- or in person at their store in Bend, Oregon. But, as CNN points out, "the store is also renting VHS copies of it for $2."
And for those geeks concerned about the drawbacks of climate change-fighting vehicles, RAM trucks ran an ad about "Premature Electrification" — for consumers excited about electric vehicles but "lacking the confidence about getting and being able to keep a charge." (Although a disclaimer printed at the bottom of the ad warned "Get excited, but not too excited. Pre-production model shown. Availability in the U.S. expected late 2024. Range lengthening technology to come later.")
[T]hat website is indeed up and running, and is everything you would hope it would be from a struggling small business servicing the Brooklyn and Queens areas. There's excessive animation, broken image links, a careers page (still under construction, sadly) and even a novelty mouse cursor.
Kotaku's article includes both versions of the rap, along with reactions from Twitter. (Apparently the phone number in the advertisement really works).
There were also several ads from major tech companies. Google purchased a long ad touting their Pixel phone's ability to remove people from photos (starring Amy Schumer, Doja Cat, and Giannis Antetokounmpo), while Workday drew attention to its enterprise-grade finance and HR software with an ad in which actual rock stars like Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, blues player Gary Clark and members of KISS all urged the software's corporate users to stop calling themselves "rock stars".
Other tech-company ads aired from E*Trade, SquareSpace, and a star-studded Uber One ad in which rapper Puff Daddy auditions singers for their new jingle.
There were also the obligatory celebrity reunions — like Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, or the actors from Breaking Bad. But for comic book geeks, a trailer for D.C.'s new movie The Flash included a surprise appearance by Batman — play by both Ben Affleck and by a 71-year-old Michael Keaton, a full 34 years after Keaton played the caped crusader in Tim Burton's 1989 movie Batman. "Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past," according to a press release cited by People. James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy and new co-CEO of DC Studios, recently said, according to Deadline, that The Flash "is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made." He added that the film's storyline "resets everything" for the franchise.
The last Blockbuster video rental store in America played its own advertising prank during the Super Bowl. They announced their own ad which could only be viewed on their Instagram feed during halftime -- or in person at their store in Bend, Oregon. But, as CNN points out, "the store is also renting VHS copies of it for $2."
And for those geeks concerned about the drawbacks of climate change-fighting vehicles, RAM trucks ran an ad about "Premature Electrification" — for consumers excited about electric vehicles but "lacking the confidence about getting and being able to keep a charge." (Although a disclaimer printed at the bottom of the ad warned "Get excited, but not too excited. Pre-production model shown. Availability in the U.S. expected late 2024. Range lengthening technology to come later.")
The problem with Super Bowl ads nowadays (Score:5, Insightful)
Almost all of them are trying way to hard to be "Super Bowl Ads" - and, pretty much universally, failing miserably.
Advertisements for mass layoffs dont do well (Score:2)
How would one advertise such a trend anyway?
Re: The problem with Super Bowl ads nowadays (Score:3)
I don't get the whole "premature electrification" thing. Is it supposed to be a riff on premature ejaculation? And so... they don't have cars ready yet. I don't get it? It seems more ew than anything.
Re: The problem with Super Bowl ads nowadays (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't get the whole "premature electrification" thing. Is it supposed to be a riff on premature ejaculation?
Yeah, it appeared to be a parody of the typical pharmaceutical ads for male "performance issues". I suppose it also could be a meta joke about how large truck owners are stereotyped as compensating for their own lack of endowment.
I'm sure this ad will be shown in future advertising company brainstorming sessions as an example of what not to do. There's a reason your average truck commercial typically depicts manly men doing manly things and the truck barreling down unforgiving terrain like a mechanical honey badger that doesn't give a fuck. That's what sells trucks. This ad just reminded me that I'm advancing in years and potentially have limp noodle problems to look forward to as an old man. Thanks Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep/Ram, I really needed that.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Isn't premature ejaculation caused by an over-stimulated noodle? Rather than being limp, it's too sensitive, or your body responds too quickly to stimulation.
I think the treatment is pretty much the opposite of what you get for a limp noodle. Thicker condoms to reduce sensation, that kind of thing. I'd check but I'm not googling that.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm sure this ad will be shown in future advertising company brainstorming sessions as an example of what not to do.
I thought it could have been a really good commercial for a fossil fuel pickup truck! Instead, its an advertisement for an EV pickup truck, that doesn't exist yet, which seems to accentuate some peoples' fears that EVs have "extremely" limited transit range. Just change the product to a gas guzzler, and it would have been a really clever commercial lampooning pharma commercials and mocking EV owners as having "performance issues" with their truck.
Re: (Score:2)
Geez, did you guys have your sense of humor surgically removed?
Re: (Score:3)
It was basically an anti-EV ad (from Ram, aka Stellantis), who is a laggard in the EV space. Disguised as a crude, juvenile attempt at humour.
Re: (Score:2)
Ah, that good ol' catch-all word "Woke", which apparently now means "Person Who Didn't Like A Commercial". I'll add that to my "List Of Favourite Things Woke Now Apparently Means On The Internet", alongside "Being A Fan Of The Concept of a Metaverse" and "Removing Material Out Of Concerns About Copyright Infringement".
It was an "ad" for a vehicle that doesn't exist which and which paints today's EVs as if they're constantly running out of charge (at random times!) and take forever to be filled up.
And yes,
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
It's apropos that commercial was targeted at truck enthusiasts, since the pickup truck is the dickhead vehicle of choice.
Re: (Score:2)
So buying a truck to pull an RV or boat is me being a dickhead? I bet your fun at parties.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I do the same with BMW drivers and I live in California. I can't see how your state has worst drives then my state but I definitely get your drift of dickheads that drive "that kind of vehicle". We have those same truck drivers here but the same bad drivers are in Teslas and well, BMWs.
Shame, because I always thought Utah had lots of nice people. I know California doesn't.
Re: (Score:3)
The days of Super Bowl ads being entertaining are long past. I don't know why anybody cares anymore. I do the same thing I do during the Super Bowl ads as I do during the ads for any other game, take a piss.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:The problem with Super Bowl ads nowadays (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Yep, thanks to http://adland.tv/ [adland.tv] posting many before Super Bowl Sunday. Even weeks in advance. :)
Re: The problem with Super Bowl ads nowadays (Score:2)
So? (Score:2)
I must have missed almost half of these, but regardless, the point of advertising is to influence the consumer. If you don't like that, write letters to the FTC to change advertising regulation. FFS, so many articles today are written with some axe to grind, but they just engage emotion instead of pointing toward real solutions. It's boring. Do better.
Cryptocurrency is geek friendly? News to me. (Score:5, Interesting)
Cryptocurrency stopped being fun the moment people started dumping ungodly sums of real money into it. When you could still realistically mine coins with a single GPU and send a few Doge between friends as a joke, that's when it was amusing. Now it's just a greater fool game for people with more dollars than sense, and mined by people who are more interested in the business aspect rather than possessing a genuine interest in technology.
Re: (Score:2)
When a tech blogger says something is "geek friendly", he means it's of interest to other tech bloggers - not people who are actually involved with tech.
sooooo (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:sooooo (Score:4, Insightful)
People spend a lot of money to create ads that they try to make memorable. Some work, some bomb. It's interesting to discuss why the ads fall into one category or the other. It's also fun to discuss the ones that are enjoyable in their own right. My wife and I got a kick out of the Breaking Bad one, rolled our eyes at the guy hawking "attractive cougars near you" (while holding a mountain lion), and couldn't figure out why a beer ad spent most of its time pretending to be an ad for two other brands of beer.
Re: (Score:3)
...why a beer ad spent most of its time pretending to be an ad for two other brands of beer.
The reason is that all three of the brands being advertised are made by the same corporation.
That corporation also makes several other brands of beer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Molson_Coors_brands [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Oh. Em. Gee. Eye two was wondering about the Blue Moon commercial. I thought it was either dumb or bold. Come to find it's brilliant.
Re: (Score:2)
For the ignorant NSFW
Hope they get Flash right (Score:4, Interesting)
Flash is supposed to be the movie that reboots the entire DC universe of movies with new actors. Hope they have chosen well and the story is good... to be honest most multiverse stories turn me off, DC or Marvel. Infinite possibilities is kind of a buzz-kill for story stakes.
Still kind of wish they had used the Flash from the TV show and at this point I'm sure they do as well.
Batman is just cool at any age. Hopefully they cannot possibly make a bad Batman.
Re: (Score:2)
Presumably the story is yet another re-hash of the Flashpoint comic. It's not the greatest story, just your usual "time travel can have unintended consequences" stuff. It's more to do with DC's need to reboot everything because Ezra Miller went off the rails and some other key actors quit, as well as the actor who played Cyborg in Justice League having fallen out with them.
Batman was in the cancelled Batgirl movie, which starred Keaton. Apparently they can make a bad Batman.
I'm interested to see what Gunn d
Re: (Score:2)
I can understand why Ray Fisher was so pissed. The Snyder cut of Justice League shows Cyborg had a major story arc that gave the character motivation and depth. Joss Whedon basically trimmed his role down to almost nothing.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah. Apparently he wasn't treated well by Whedon either, and his complaints were ignored. Based on what former Buffy cast members have said in the last few years, I can believe it.
Re: (Score:1)
Ezra Miller went off the rails and some other key actors quit,
Basically I agree, except for here... no key actors quit that I know of. Cavil was pushed out along with WW and Aquaman actors. They never really made anyone else key to my mind.
I think it's pretty amazing they are going forward with an Ezra based movie given what happened, it sure seems like they will strive to have him in here almost not at all...
Batman was in the cancelled Batgirl movie, which starred Keaton. Apparently they can make a bad B
Re: (Score:2)
Didn't Affleck quit? Or at least say he didn't want to do more Batman.
Re: (Score:1)
Didn't Affleck quit? Or at least say he didn't want to do more Batman.
He only half quit because he felt drained, but I never felt like he quit-quit... he was always going to come back if he thought a script was good. From what I can tell he really didn't like the Deathstroke movie they were trying to get together and decided not to be a part of it, the fact he's back in Flash movie says to me he didn't really drop the notion entirely...
I think he's fine doing more Batman, as long as it's not bad Batman. :-
Re: (Score:2)
Didn't Affleck quit? Or at least say he didn't want to do more Batman.
He only half quit because he felt drained, but I never felt like he quit-quit... he was always going to come back if he thought a script was good. From what I can tell he really didn't like the Deathstroke movie they were trying to get together and decided not to be a part of it, the fact he's back in Flash movie says to me he didn't really drop the notion entirely...
I think he's fine doing more Batman, as long as it's not bad Batman. :-) He is getting a bit old though, maybe he really is out.
I think it was mostly that DC completely blew his iteration of the character.
The big issue was that Christian Bale left a big mark on the character and Ben Affleck is a very different kind of actor, meaning you need to transition the role over. But instead of giving him a stand-alone movie to introduce his version of the character they threw him straight into ensembles as a secondary character. So Ben Affleck was stuck as a miscast Bale Batman instead of having a chance to build an Affleck Batman.
Re: (Score:2)
Flash is supposed to be the movie that reboots the entire DC universe of movies with new actors.
It's already off to a rocky start if that's it's purpose. It's star has been caught doing odd things with an underage girl, as well as breaking into neighbor's houses and picking random fights with people whom are apparently all Nazis.
Re: (Score:2)
and picking random fights with people whom are apparently all Nazis.
Doesn't Ezra Miller know that the Peacemaker sidekick role is already taken?
Re: (Score:2)
With James Gunn at the helm, most likely he'll just use this movie as a coda on all the old crap and go off and do his own thing. The original plan was Supergirl & Batgirl were going to be in the DCEU but we all know how that turned out so I doubt any of the characters shown will reappear in the future.
It'll be interesting to see if Gunn saves anything from the DCEU at all - maybe his Suicide Squad / Peacemaker characters, maybe Shazam but that's it.
Re: (Score:1)
Peacemaker has been renewed for another season. I guess they could do a hard reboot if they wanted to but hopefully they dont.
Re: (Score:2)
Batman and Superman will inevitably remain in the DCEU, perhaps not with the current actors. I wonder what they're going to do with Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves.
Re: (Score:2)
Supposedly The Batman & Joker sequels are considered standalone, set under an "Elseworlds" moniker
Re: (Score:1)
Batman is just cool at any age.
Nope. Batman is going the way of the American Western of the 1950's. The culture that revered the idea of an ubermensch that ruthlessly fought for the values of (American) society is dead. Today's culture is about "sensitive", civilized "cis-trans" woke men and woke values. Although, its funny to speculate that the wokesters imagine themselves as "woke vigilantes". Maybe that's what the future Batman looks like.
Hopefully they cannot possibly make a bad Batman.
IMO, all the pre-Nolan Batman movies were bad. I didn't even like the Michael Keaton one, a
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Thank you. Exactly this!
Re: (Score:2)
Still kind of wish they had used the Flash from the TV show and at this point I'm sure they do as well.
I expect there's a couple reasons for this. First, acting talent is real and the demands of carrying a feature film are quite a bit stronger than carrying a genre TV show. I have no idea how to evaluate acting talent, but in general in general you get more talented people in film.
Second, if you use the TV actor, even if he has the chops to carry it, then audiences are going to perceive it as a TV film rather than a proper movie and that will definitely hurt its billing.
Of course, at this point I suspect the [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:1)
One of the things that makes Batman cool is that he's an ordinary human, so anything he accomplishes he does so through intelligence, toughness, or being ridiculously rich.... ok, not an entirely ordinary human.
Yeah I think this is why Batman remains so popular over time, that and a really good tragic backstory... it's the lack of that depth of backstory (almost said Batstory) and resources that is why I think other characters like Batgirl are never as popular.
The thing I find annoying with the fan is that
Re: (Score:2)
One of the things that makes Batman cool is that he's an ordinary human, so anything he accomplishes he does so through intelligence, toughness, or being ridiculously rich.... ok, not an entirely ordinary human.
Yeah I think this is why Batman remains so popular over time, that and a really good tragic backstory... it's the lack of that depth of backstory (almost said Batstory) and resources that is why I think other characters like Batgirl are never as popular.
True, though Batgirl is a poor comparison since she's almost by definition a secondary character. But yeah, people forget that story is central to comics as well.
The thing I find annoying with the fan is that his superpower is so overpowered.
(I think you mean Flash here, thanks autocorrect)
I kind of agree but from what I remember the TV show had some reasonable approaches to people fighting against his powers. Have to admit I never did finish watching the series so I guess it's not too awesome... I got really tired of his love interest subplot. But I did like the actor who played Flash.
Er, yeah, the Flash, though fans are pretty overpowered as well* but even the approaches to fighting against his powers seemed to be either catching him off-guard or his super speed being inexplicably slow, though I ducked out of the series pretty early as well.
* If DC or Marvel hasn't made a fan-themed character at some point whose powers come fro
Re: (Score:2)
I expect there's a couple reasons for this. First, acting talent is real and the demands of carrying a feature film are quite a bit stronger than carrying a genre TV show. I have no idea how to evaluate acting talent, but in general in general you get more talented people in film.
Well if you're right that bodes poorly for DC's future since they have flat out come and said going forward they will not only ensure the same actors in serials will act movie roles as well, but also said voice actors for comics will do the same.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know. I was rather looking forward to watching Black Adam destroy Superman. Just wave some kryptonite at him and its a done deal. I enjoyed Black Adam a whole lot more then the last couple Superman movies and it was on par with the last few Batman movies (which I enjoyed). The Joker with Joaquin Phoenix was also very good movie.
Then again, I like the comic characters that will kill. Superman should of owned Earth, but no, pansy in a leotard.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
He's just not "hero" material.
Yeah and I even felt that way *before* all the news about him came out!
Re: (Score:2)
Flash is supposed to be the movie that reboots the entire DC universe of movies with new actors.
Wow your understanding is lacking. The Flash has mostly finished filming and was in post production before they announced a re-building of the universe. It was just waay too far along to cancel.
What the Flash will do is reset the universe. It will unlikely form any introduction to the new world beyond a post credits scene or two. Don't get your hopes up.
Re: (Score:2)
Wow your understanding is lacking. The Flash has mostly finished filming and was in post production before they announced a re-building of the universe.
If you read more deeply (and watch interviews with James Gunn) yes that movie was made like that before the re-build effort... but they have chosen to turn what that movie was, into the core launch of that re-building.
Aiding that was the fact they wanted to chuck as much material with the current Flash actor as possible.
It will unlikely form any introduction
Ads in a Sports show ... (Score:1)
that only 2.5% of the worlds population watches ...
And even though it is near mandatory for USAians to watch, 38% still don't ...
Re: (Score:3)
that only 2.5% of the worlds population watches ...
And even though it is near mandatory for USAians to watch, 38% still don't ...
True as that may well be, not every company's demographics are to a worldwide audience. Turbotax, for example, is unlikely to find much traction in the Chinese market.
But let's try it your way: could you kindly point to a televised event, broadcast on a single network, of any country, recurring annually, which has ad slots, which has a larger audience? Even if there is some such broadcast, does the Super Bowl not come in second or third place? There's still value in that.
But really, the draw to Super Bowl a
Chiefs fans in Germany did the Tomahawk chop (Score:2)
https://awfulannouncing.com/fo... [awfulannouncing.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Lefties can cry about it all they want. They'll probably ruin football with flags in the next handful of years anyway. Then viewership will really drop off the cliff at that point. Be about as popular women's NBA.
super bowl? (Score:2)
What is this 'super bowl'? Some special bowling tournament? American culture is to hard to understand for foreigners. Oh, wait, I forgot, I'm an American.
Premature Electrification (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Why do they advertise things you can't buy? GM's, Nissan's, and Dodge's EVs, in particular.
Cryptocurrency ads (Score:2)
There was an ad for NFTs, which might as well be the same thing as cryptocurrency.