Super Bowl XLIII: Which ads will score, which will fumble?

Assuming you've been reading our prior blogs about getting the right TV and right HD service for Super Bowl XLII, you're now properly outfitted with all the gear you'll need to watch the Arizona Cardinals battle the Pittsburgh Steelers down in Tampa.

But not all the "Big Game" action is going to take place between the goal posts. For many viewers whose teams are sitting on the sidelines—like me, a long-suffering NY Jets fan—the day is just as much about checking out the high-profile Super Bowl ads and half-time entertainment as it about the game itself.

We can safely assume the half-time fare will be a hit—Bruce Springsteen hasn't had a bad live show, well, ever, and it's unlikely he'll experience any wardrobe malfunctions. As for the ads, the Big Three car companies are on the sidelines, leaving it to the soft-drink makers, beer companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers to make their Big Game mark. Or in some instances, miss that mark spectacularly, which is often even more amusing.

The ads we're most looking forward to are 3D spots by Pepsi's SoBe Lifewater and DreamWorks Animation, and a 1-second ad run by beermaker MillerCoors. To see the DreamWorks commercial—a preview of its upcoming Monsters vs. Aliens 3D movie—and the SoBe spot in 3D, you'll need 3D glasses, which are available for free at SoBe displays in supermarkets. You'll be able to reuse the glasses a night later for a special 3D presentation of NBC's comedy, “Chuck.” The DreamWorks and SoBe spots are slated to run at the end of the second quarter, right before half time.

Another groundbreaker: 1-second spots from Miller High-Life, which says the going rate for this year's ads—$3 million for a 30-second spot—doesn't make sense for a brand that touts high value. Instead, it'll run a 1-second commercial starring pitchman Wendell Middlebrooks. Although the company won't say exactly what will air, you can check out 30 1-second spots on http://www.1second.com, the website MillerCoors created for the event. Unfortunately, not everyone will see the ad (and not because they blink or sneeze while it's on). Apparently, Anheuser-Busch is the official national alcohol advertiser, so Miller had to buy commercials time from the various local NBC affiliates.

Adding to the fun: Our colleagues over at The Consumerist will be live-blogging the commercials, offering their running commentary on the best and worst of the lot "for those who don’t have any friends or whose friends don't make interesting enough commentary." Make sure you check them out.

—James K. Willcox
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