Superbowl Car Commercials Wrapup

Each year advertisers capitalize on the Superbowl's enormous audience -- expected to reach as high as 90 million TV viewers for the 2008 event. At $2.7 million for each 30-second spot, that's some serious coin. The Giants pulled a surprise win out of their hat in the very last moments of the game, but which commercials do you feel were the real surprise winners? If you were out shopping during the big game (hey, the malls were deserted! I can't think of a better time to go shopping!) and weren't able to catch the commercials, tune in to www.myspace.com/superbowlads  for a quarter-by-quarter selection of paid promotional entertainment.

Among the complete collection of highly anticipated commercials online are the following automotive-themed advertisements:

• What do Richard Simmons, Alice Cooper and an albino snake, and an assortment of forest wildlife have in common? All of them appeared together in a collection of humorous Bridgestone tire commercials that might cause you to ask yourself:  "If you were driving down a dark deserted highway, which of these surprise roadside hazards would you be more likely to try to avoid?"

• In an automotive-styled Godfather parody, watch what happens when old luxury gets put on notice by Audi's new R8. It's about a new kind of horsepower...

Will the Badger gnaw the face off the Toyota Corolla driver?

• Cars.com demonstrates new and different ways to shop for used cars.

• Garmin shows what could happen if Napoleon had used their GPS to get where he needed to go. Who else would like to have the soundtrack to this one...
• GMC introduced its GMC Yukon Hybrid with the announcement "Never say Never."
• Hyundai raised interest in its upcoming Genesis luxury car -with a twist.
• Danica Patrick draws her audience away from the game and over to the godaddy.com site on one viewer's laptop. How many people went to their computers to watch the segment in real time?
• Toyota went Big Wheel racing with its Sequoia SUV.

Did I get them all? Check them out for yourself and let us know which ones are your favorites.

By Brandy Schaffels
Contributing Editor