
Coca-Cola's "Hard Times" spot featured characters from "The Simpsons." (Coca-Cola Co.)
The Super Bowl is more than just a game.
While fans of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts have a rooting interest in the game others watch just for the fanfare and the commercials.
CBS charged about $2.5 million per 30-second spot. Thirty-five companies or groups paid to air spots in this year’s game.
This year’s offerings range from the serious — Focus on the Family’s controversial Tim Tebow spot — to the humorous — Denny’s spot warning chickens to get out of town.
So, which ones had you rooting to see it again and during which ones did you get up for seconds (or thirds)?
Here are some of the highlights:
• Dwight Howard and LeBron James got things started with a recreation of Michael Jordan and Larry Bird’s famous “The Showdown” Super Bowl ad from McDonald’s of 17 years ago.

Betty White felt better after a Snickers bar.
• Betty White showed she could take a hit, particularly after she has a Snickers bar.
• Tim Tebow tackled his mom to drive a point in the Focus on Family ad in which she spoke about her decision to keep him despite a troubled pregnancy.
• Boost Mobile went retro with a spoof on the Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle.”
• Doritos showed its funny side with a fan-inspired “Leggo my Eggo” kind of theme: in one spot a bark collar kept a dog owner from the chips and another spot had a boy protecting his “mama” and his Doritos from the hands of her new boyfriend. Then it took an odd twist with a “Miracle” casket filled with Doritos.
• Coca-Cola’s first spot was “Hard Times,” which featured characters from the “The Simpsons” lifting the spirits of C. Montgomery Burns.
• It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl without a Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com ad with a GoDaddy.com girl bearing the Web site’s logo across a halter top.
• Bud Light’s “Here We Go” campaign kicked off with a T-Pain inspired harmonizer ditty. Bud’s human bridge offering proved more amusing.
• Career Builder kept the mood light with its take on “Casual Fridays” … just another day at the office.
• Dodge voiced men’s frustrations and declared they should take matters by the horns in “Man’s Last Stand” – and drive a man’s car – in this case a Charger.
• Not a fan of all the CBS promos throughout the game, but the Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman spot for “The Letterman Show” took the cake. (According to Oprah’s Twitter, all three were in the same room in Letterman’s Studio for the filming of the ad.)
• Dockers’ “I Wear No Pants” not only crashed the Dockers.com site, might’ve added 15 minutes of fame to “Pants on the Ground.”
• Brett Favre was in the Super Bowl … making fun of himself, yet again … for Hyundai.
• Google got in on the act, reminding viewers it’s a search engine.
The Who performed live at the half.
107 comments Add your comment
Louie
February 7th, 2010
6:11 pm
Hot damn, FIRST!!!
south
February 7th, 2010
6:37 pm
second!
Sanford Drive
February 7th, 2010
6:38 pm
So, which bandwagon team should I pull for? Saints or Colts?
south
February 7th, 2010
6:41 pm
There’s no more room on Saints bandwagon
south
February 7th, 2010
6:43 pm
Not bad for snickers
south
February 7th, 2010
6:44 pm
Tat’s what all the hoopla was over Tebow add? I couldn’t even tell what the point was.
Sanford Drive
February 7th, 2010
7:20 pm
I can’t believe they got Leno and Letterman in the same room.
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
February 7th, 2010
7:37 pm
my 1st favorite…Dorito’s ad..”keep your hands off my mama”…2nd…the Bud Light ad w/ the plane crash..the survivors find the beverage carts fully stocked with Bud Light….3rd…the ground hog playing the violin…
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
February 7th, 2010
7:39 pm
Sanford Drive …did they..?? technology is so advanced..could that sofa scene have ber super imposed/faked..??? just sayin…
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
February 7th, 2010
7:43 pm
south….I was mortified by the commercial….it made me pro-choice…I was soooo into abortion before the ad…..(I apoligize for the sarcasm…I’m with you…nothing wrong with the Celebrate Life commercial…) that organization had the cash…we saw the commercial….life goes on…
Your Breath Smells like Feet
February 7th, 2010
8:09 pm
I like the Doritos with the Chocholate Lab. The Bud Light human bridge was stupid.
Nicolia Disfagonious
February 7th, 2010
8:15 pm
I thought Tim “The Man” Tebow looked sexy. He will make some lucky lady happy.
GO GATORS !! Wish he had 1 more year.
Ginger
February 7th, 2010
8:19 pm
Liked Jay, Oprah and David….did not expect to see it..
MCook
February 7th, 2010
8:25 pm
I can’t believe that NBC let Leno do that ad…
Louie
February 7th, 2010
8:28 pm
Well, where do I start.
All the ads are good.
Now, back to the game.
STILL L M F A O
Sugarfoot
February 7th, 2010
9:16 pm
Dave, Oprah, and Jay.
sherryl
February 7th, 2010
9:17 pm
still not quite sure what NOW got their panties all in a wad about….
John
February 7th, 2010
9:23 pm
Troy Polamalu….instant classic
groan
February 7th, 2010
9:24 pm
Two words for Roger Daltrey, lip synch.
craig
February 7th, 2010
9:24 pm
truTV…puxatawney polamalu!! lol
Karmann
February 7th, 2010
9:25 pm
Just saw the Budweiser commercial with the Clydesdale and the Bull. It’s my Fav so far!! I love the Clydesdale’s!!!
south
February 7th, 2010
9:32 pm
Yea…goes back to the days of the Clydesdale’s kicking field goals
south
February 7th, 2010
9:33 pm
these new e-trade commercials are funny
Your Breath Smells like Feet
February 7th, 2010
9:36 pm
How about the Go Daddy one where it looked like Dana was going to get on with another chick? Lesbo action.
Dawg
February 7th, 2010
9:48 pm
E-Trade, all the way.
FNFAL
February 7th, 2010
9:50 pm
anything with Danica Patrick
Bobby dee
February 7th, 2010
9:51 pm
Doritos and the dog!!
Big Brown
February 7th, 2010
9:54 pm
E-Trade and the first Dorito’s commercial with the dog collar….some of these commercials are really bad, especially for what they have to pay!
Bad Karma
February 7th, 2010
9:58 pm
Wow, somebody actually spent money on those stupid, insepid, uninspiring, lame, Bud Lite commercials? My dog could create a better commercial than that. Boo! Loser! In fact she could have done better than most of the commercials. I guess the real creative thinkers have been furloughed.
Boo Doodley
February 7th, 2010
10:00 pm
Does a 10 pound bag of flour make a big biscuit?……LOL
Bill
February 7th, 2010
10:00 pm
And why does the U.S census bureau needs a completely incomprehensible (to the great unwashed)Super Bowl commercial to the tune of a half a mil. I will never understand. God help us !!
Chuck
February 7th, 2010
10:03 pm
Best? Dave Oprah and Jay. The only one that made me laugh out loud.
Worst? That Audi ad… making they’re cars a complicit tool in a fascist green-police state. Bad idea!
Courtney
February 7th, 2010
10:04 pm
They were almost all bad. The U.S. Census ad was the worst.
Truthpaste
February 7th, 2010
10:05 pm
If all little boys protected their mommas like the one in the Doritos commercial, we’d be better off. ROFL
Give Me A Break
February 7th, 2010
10:05 pm
Of course this topic brings out the complaining malcontents.
Jimmy Quad
February 7th, 2010
10:07 pm
The Who commercial in the middle was pretty damned sloppy.
David Granger
February 7th, 2010
10:08 pm
The best ad, bar none, was that little kid bitch-slapping the hell out that bug-eyed punk. Wish that had been Terrell Owens…woulda been perfect.
Drew
February 7th, 2010
10:10 pm
Yes, it does beg the question, WHY ARE WE PAYING MILLIONS TO ADVERTISE THE CENSUS???
A lousy commercial at that.
jethro
February 7th, 2010
10:12 pm
the Google ad (french searches) was easily the best
Forrest Gump
February 7th, 2010
10:13 pm
Louie the Lizard!
Chaz
February 7th, 2010
10:17 pm
Frankly, I’m beginning wonder what could be so great about a light beer. Or corn chips.
Tech Buzz
February 7th, 2010
10:23 pm
O.k. the damn Saints win the Super Bowl, you happy NFL. You guys have made the freakin’ Saints the “Holy Grail” of the league since Katrina!! Now give them the freakin’ trophy so they can FINALLY shut the hell up!!
By the way, ALL the commercials SUCKED this year!!!!
Bailey
February 7th, 2010
10:26 pm
Tebow tops! Anything GoDaddy last.
Bill
February 7th, 2010
10:27 pm
Yes I’m a complaining malcontent and yes I was unpatriotic when I didn’t support the war and yes I was un-american when I wondered who was going to buy all these houses and shop in all these stores. And yes I’m anti-capitalist when I want people to actually produce and create something to EARN a bonus.
montanadawg
February 7th, 2010
10:35 pm
E-Trade and Danika RULED the ROOST!!
Dr. Phil
February 7th, 2010
10:36 pm
Maybe Colt McCoy’s mom will do an ad next year.
jess
February 7th, 2010
10:38 pm
I thought all the commercials except ETRADE were totally LAME. Nothing worth the fees they paid to air them. Also nothing there that makes me want to purchase what they were attempting to sell. A HUGE WASTE of time and resources.
jUNIOR qUICK
February 7th, 2010
10:42 pm
keep yous hands off my mama was best ad. how could you guys not put that one in the choices?
paul "has a small" johnson
February 7th, 2010
10:42 pm
When the kid protechs his momma and the casual friday commercial
willie
February 7th, 2010
10:43 pm
kid ‘bitch slapping’ the horny dude was pretty good.