Last Updated on 3 February 2009

I’m in a timezone where watching the Super Bowl requires an all-niter. So, first thing post-game Monday morning, I Googled “Super Bowl XLIII ads” and watched the TV commercials back-to-back.

My overall reaction was… very little reaction.

Marketers anticipate Super Bowl ads with the enthusiasm and eagerness of a 7-year-old waiting for Santa Clause. This year it feels like Santa brought coal.

At minimum, to be effective, ads should (1) be relevant and (2) make a consumer feel better connected with the product or brand it is promoting.

Car crashes, violent monkeys, koala punching, oil dipstick whipping, bowling ball to the skull, and snow globe hit to the crotch. Oh, and I shan’t forget jumbo breasts to promote web hosting.

I’m not sure I can categorize very many of this year’s ads as effective.

Not that Super Bowl ads have to be art, but this year they seem especially immature and pointlessly violent? Is it just me, or did you notice too? Was a study released indicating that violence, a lá Funniest Home Videos resonates with the Super Bowl watching demographic?

Sure, there were a few exceptions. I think Wieden+Kennedy did a nice job with Coca-Cola’s ads “Heist” and “Avatar” ads. Pepsi’s “Refresh Anthem/Forever Young” played well.

Were advertisers tuning into America’s frustrations? Are we that angry with our jobs?

I guess it is good news for football, is that Monday around the water cooler, instead of “Hey, did you see that commercial?” we were “Hey, did you see that play?!”

What did you think?