Ad Nut: The proper use of Super Bowl teasers and YouTube phenoms

Ad Nut gathers ads from anywhere in the world—campaigns the editors here aren't planning to cover themselves. Once a week, Ad Nut presents the latest collection here for your viewing pleasure. Because Ad Nut loves you.

Above: Call Ad Nut old-fashioned, but the practice of teasing your Super Bowl ad may have gone too far. I'm talking to you, Bud Light and Energy BBDO. We know you built a life-sized Pacman game, because we saw the "leaked" pictures, and now we've seen this 15-second teaser that contains several impossible-to-miss clues. Ad Nut hopes you're saving something surprising for the actual Super Bowl ad. Because otherwise you're wasting milions of dollars on a letdown.

On the other hand, the teaser below makes Ad Nut eager to see the full-length ad, which is billed as a special episode of The Brady Bunch starring tough-guy actor Danny Trejo as Marcia. In reality, it's another installment in Snickers' 'You're not you when you're hungry' series, by BBDO New York. Via Campaign US.

 

Brands are falling all over themselves to employ YouTube sensations in their marketing. Here's a pair of new videos that show how to do it, and how not to do it.

First, the not: An online video for Nissan featuring YouTube prankster Roman Atwood. Making your house into a giant ball pit is all well and good, and the video has 15 million views, but what's it got to do with Nissan? Campaign US has additional details on the video, which is part of a series called With Dad. Maybe the grand plan will become clearer when it culminates in a Super Bowl ad next week. But so far it doesn't seem to add up to a boost for the brand, because Nissan is not at all integral, or even peripherally involved, or even mentioned, in the content.

 

Now, this is how you make use of a social-media phenom! It's an ad for the haircare brand Aussie, starring (and made by) Graydon Sheppard and Kyle Humphrey of Shit Girls Say fame. An absolutely perfect fit for both the haircare brand and the duo's brand of comedy. Via Ad Week, which reported that the agency is likely McGarry Bowen. 

Here's a spot from Audi that won't be airing during the big game. Too bad, because it's a lot of fun, right down to the cameo by Jonathan Lipnicki (who played the kid in Jerry Maguire). By Venables Bell & Partners.

 

An undersized kid becomes a basketball sensation and trounces opponents who are not only twice his size but also seemingly twice his age. Why? Because spicy fried chicken put a fire in his belly! This video by Ogilvy & Mather in India has done quite well, according to Unmetric (which provides our weekly Engagement Meter feature). But between the completely unrealistic sports scenario (which is not played for laughs or as a surreal fantasy) and the fact that KFC is not exactly a top choice for athletes in training, it's just too much for Ad Nut to swallow. 

No offense to the wonderful people of Australia, but "fish jam" seems like a fair description of Vegemite. (Ad Nut prefers Nutella, of course, but hasn't tried it in pizza crust.) For Pizza Hut by Host Sydney.

 

Here's the latest Old Spice madness from Wieden + Kennedy, starring Terry Crews.

 

OK Scandinavia, we know you like your really long TV shows where nothing much happens, but a four-minute Volvo ad where nothing much happens makes Ad Nut want to hibernate. By Forsman & Bodenfors, via Marketing UK. (The brand and Grey put forward a similarly empty ad recently in China, so at least it's consistent.)

 

Here's a heartwarming tale of a Russian pet detective finding a lost terrier by making a broth out of the owner's socks and spraying it around town to lure the pooch. It's supposed to illustrate the power of Skype, but that software plays no role in the case that couldn't have been handled by any number of other tools, so Ad Nut is confused. By Pereira & O’Dell, via Campaign US.

 

Next we have an ad by Lowe Lintas and Partners for StarSports.com, which is promoting an app for watching the 2015 cricket World Cup. Does it seem weird that the spot never shows anyone actually watching cricket on their small screen? Via Campaign India.

 

Stay classy, Carl's Jr! (By 72andSunny)

 

Haters gonna hate, but Ad Nut can't find a reason to dislike this bombastic ad by Iris for Adidas's shiny new boots, starring Barcelona striker Luis Suárez and Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, James Rodríguez and Karim Benzema. Via Marketing UK.

 

This is a new global spot rolling out in 40 markets for Oreo, by The Martin Agency. Ad Nut hears there's also Red Velvet Oreos now. Come up with a nut-based flavour, then we'll talk. Via Campaign US.

 

Ad Nut will leave you with this. No further comment.

 

That's all for now. Ad Nut will be back next week with more chestnuts. Please check out The Work section for Asia-specific ads, and follow Campaign Asia-Pacific on Facebook and Twitter (@CampaignAsia) to see more good stuff throughout the week.