Who won the Brandbowl?

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers for being the 2011 Superbowl champions! But there was more than one winner (and loser) that night.

Aside from the football action on the pitch, we were also eagerly anticipating the ads during the breaks. With a 30 second spot costing USD$3 million, we were excited to see what the advertisers had up their sleeves.

The fact that an ad is a Superbowl ad creates enormous interest for the brand in question. Of course, with the reach of social media, the value of that $3 million is stretched further. Several advertisers, including Doritos and Volkswagen, chose to release some of their ads earlier on Youtube to stir up interest and hype. But even with the effectiveness and reach of social media, one cannot deny the allure of capturing 111 million people’s attention at the same time.

Below are our picks of the best and worst of Superbowl XLV’s ads.

Best

1. Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial – Imported From Detroit

The longest Superbowl ad of all time did not disappoint. Clocking in at 2 minutes and costing at least a mean USD$9 million, the ad wonderfully narrates Detroit’s story. Heavily affected by the recession, it underlines the city’s determination and why it rightfully deserves its moniker, the ‘Motor City’. A wonderful ad from Chrysler, it gave me goosebumps when I first watched it.

2. Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

Released 3 days before the Superbowl, it drummed up considerable interest online before the Superbowl. With a miniature Darth Vader trying to harness the power of the force, it is hard not to be charmed by this ad.

3. CarMax – Kid In A Candy Store – 2011 Super Bowl Commercial Ad

This ad shows how one feels when you are a customer at Carmax. (Hint: Really really happy) Simple premise, wonderfully executed.