Okay, so where am I?

I’m digesting the numbers from the Super Bowl and it looks like over 100 million people watched the big game again. I’m pretty happy because the taking the Philadelphia Eagles and plus six points was the steal of the year (uhhhhhm, hypothetically, because I would never gamble, of course). I have the DVR on fast forward trying to look at the commercials again and making sure I hear that Ram Trucks commercial properly.

I mean, was that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stumping for the truckmaker? Was the good doctors speech about about the value of service really being used as a voiceover to sell trucks? Really? Remember when MLK said “I have a dream that one day a recording of a speech I gave about redefining greatness as a function of your readiness to serve your fellow man will be licensed by my descendants for Ram to use in an offensive truck commercial.”

Wait? Whaaaaat? He didn’t?

In a season marked by President Trump battling the National Football League over kneeling during the national anthem, you would think that using MLK to sell trucks is the the wrong mistake. And given everything that is going on in the country right now centering on race, it seems that there too much emotion to go there. In previous years, this high-risk move might have worked. Today? Not so much.

Needless to say, Twitter was set on fire with criticism of the ad…here’s a handful of sarcasm from the Net:

A little checking discovered that Ram Trucks did not release this spot ahead of time like many of the other companies who spent $5 million for thirty seconds of air time. They were clearly looking for the surprise element, but now they potentially have a big problem with people being irked, the King Center for one:

“We need to show everyone that it’s not just for your colleagues in accounting anymore!”

“How about we put a dictionary-definition millennial in front of a yellow brick wall and she can hold a can of Diet Coke Twisted Mango, dance awkwardly, and mumble to herself?”

“We can let the music play for 30 seconds over her inane mumbling and $5 million well spent! Right?!” 

The post Dilly Dilly: Trying to Not to Punch the TV during the Super Bowl Commercials appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Before I get to the top Super Bowl commercials leaked before Sunday, I just want to say that I feel a huge measure of vindication. “Why?” you ask? Because of stories like this from Variety:

Madison Avenue Hopes Super Bowl Ads Won’t Get Trumped by Politics

Analysis: Big Game. Small Ads?

Madison Avenue heavyweights say they don’t want their ads to play off politics or social issues in Super Bowl LII. Will the commercials be as memorable as in years past?

Last year, post-Super Bowl, I said to “Blame Trump” for all of the misguided ads built for the game to combat the President and his perceived (or not-so-perceived agenda). The ads may have resonated for the snowflakes, but those of us who spend money in big quantity on consumer goods were appalled. True be told, I am still a little salty at my colleagues in the advertising world who let these ads push forward. I’ll run down the winners and losers (mostly the losers) next week after I digest them in the moment.

Currently, I’m scouring the prop bets for the Super Bowl on Sunday and pretty thankful I placed a few dollars on the Eagles early and got six points back (the current line as of posting is the Patriots -4). What does that mean? I means the New England Patriots can win by five points and I can still win my bet. I’m feeling good about this since the the Patriots have won five of these recently, all by less than five points. Easy money? Ha! Only Las Vegas, offshore books, and local bookies make money on the big game.

Back to the prop bets, I’m considering a few:

• Grey +120
• Blue +140
• Red +500

• Yes -200
• No +150

Total number of Donald Trump tweets during game?

• Over 5.5 (-115)
• Under 5.5 (-115)

The post LEAKED: Your Guide to the Super Bowl Commercials and Betting Props appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.