Super Bowl Ad Reviews: Q3

No Doritos ads, this quarter, so straight to the best and worst.

Touchdown: The "Sizzle and Steak" Award: Coke "Happiness Factory"

There's a saying in the ad biz: sell the sizzle, not the steak. This means wrap your message in high production values or a special offer, rather than focus on the key benefits. This is often a good strategy in a low-interest category or where there is little differentiation among competitive products.

But this ad delivers both sizzle and steak. The animation and production values of the inner workings of a Coke vending machine deliver more Coke magic. Each stage of the delivery of this bottle of Coke charmingly depicts a benefit, for example, the penguins at the North Pole pack it with cool refreshment, while the fireworks and parade endow it with celebration and excitement.

Fumble: The "This Ad Ain't Goin' on Tour" Award: Revlon "Don't Fade Away"

What a missed opportunity. Sheryl Crow sings a very appealing song about not fading away, the key benefit of the Colorist product. But instead of just letting the communication happen, they force it by explaining in laborious detail that the Colorist treatment won't fade away over the weeks of the tour. Get it? Just in case you didn't, they bring in her stylist who fears for his job because the Revlon product is so good she won't need him any more. At least he'd get to escape from this dreadful scene.