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It’s all down to the Colts and the Saints. The game is going to be great. There’s nothing better than a day to chill out and watch football and have junk food. Friends and family all gather around the large flat screen TV and scream and cheer about the game.

But this year, who will win? The Colts scored a victory in 2007 and it will be interesting to see if they win it again or if the Saints can upset them and sweep in for the victory. The game will be played in Miami at the Dolphin Stadium and currently the field is very soggy because of all the rain and storms moving through the South.

Sports addicts say that this is the greatest day of the year. However, the Super Bowl is popular for reasons other than the football game and that would be the ads and the half time show. If companies wanted to buy a spot for a bowl ad then they are SOL.  On January 7, 95% of space had been sold out so there were very few remaining spots. And a 30-second spot sold for up to $3 million each. And these spots came with a high price tag because of everyone that watches. Last year, the Nielsen Company reported that 98.7 million viewers tuned in. So it will be interesting to see how many tune in this year.

As for this year the company that bought the most advertising time is Anheuser-Busch. They reportedly purchased five minutes worth of ad time. So that means the company spent $30 million alone just to buy the airtime. While other advertisers didn’t buy as much airtime, there will still be commercials from other companies including PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, GoDaddy.com, Coca-Cola, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Kia, and more.

And this year’s performer during the halftime show will be the rock band The Who. This is one of the biggest parts of Super Bowl Sunday. Last year alone the NFL reported that 151 million viewers watched the halftime show. And this year the super bowl will be broadcasted in 230 countries so the number could be much higher. So these companies may be paying a lot but they are sure getting their name out there. Oh the Super Bowl is going to be great!

Those crazy folks on Madison Avenue had a difficult task getting this year’s Super Bowl ads ready. At $3 million per 30-second spot, these commercials have to deliver humor and entertainment and pitch the product in some shape or form to consumer concerns. Unfortunately for advertisers, this meant trying to address the recession worries that seem to overshadow pretty much everything else nowadays. Recession = downer = not funny. So how did advertisers pull off funny commercials while tackling the recession? Let’s just say some did better than others.

Workplace anxiety
Slapstick has been a huge favorite of advertisers lately. In this spot, however, the slapstick goes to the side of frightening. Employees throw a heavy snow globe through a glass vending machine window and then at a fellow employee. Given all the stress that’s will be building in America’s offices over the next few months, this ad is just not that funny. Today it’s snowglobes, tomorrow it’s an AK-47.

Power Fantasies
Some advertisers obviously figured that, in a time when people feel helpless, the best commercial should fulfill that need for control. So they created this piece about a creepy guy who uses an omnipotent bag of Doritos to fulfill his criminal desires. See also the GoDaddy.com pervert spot (not shown here).

Inspiration
For decades, Budweiser has relied on the Clydesdale to awe consumers into buying a six-pack. So, does the Clydesdale featured in multiple ads last night have the clout to lift viewers out of their economic blues? Probably not. But, lucky for Bud, alcohol does.

Assurances
I think Hyundai was trying to shoot straight with this one. But, to me, promising people that they can bring their car back if they lose their job only underscores how precarious our situation really is. Result: good feeling gone; bad feeling still here.

Avoidance
Momma always said, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Some advertisers listen to Momma evidently. Ads from Toyota, Audi, and Pepsi stayed far away from any sign of the office, taxes, or money problems.
Were these ads worth $3 million plus? Tell us which ones you liked or hated.