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Dads, Dogs and Automobiles: ABC’s Take on Advertising’s Biggest Night

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Every year on this Monday, everyone is asked to put pen to paper, or should I say fingers to keyboard, and explain which Super Bowl commercial they liked most.

As usual, my over-analyzing brain and the fact that I am in advertising and need to create witty comments does not allow me to do that simple task. So here are some random thoughts …

And finally … the winner of the 2015 Super Bowl commercial showdown is … emotions.

That’s right: Damn you Camry, Nissan, Nationwide and Dove for trying to make me cry in front of all my football bros on the most testosterone-filled day of the year. Damn anyone who uses “Cats in the Cradle” in any commercial, especially during any sporting event.

I guess this was the year of tears and not stupid slapstick or near nudity. So be it, but I will be prepared for Super Bowl 50 with tissues and strong onion dip to blame it on.

– Travis

So bizarre: fanny packs, big glasses bad hair and, yes, a unicorn. It had it all. Well-branded, several demonstrations of product use. Forget superglue, loctite is my choice now. – Mike

Loctite has been around for over 50 years and never done a Super Bowl commercial, so it would have been real easy for them to play it safe with a basic commercial.  It’s awesome to see a major company like this willing to take risks and trust their creative when they get the opportunity. – Nick

It is so obscure, it is hilarious and anything the Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim touch is instant gold in my book. – Marty

For me, I had no idea what the product was until the very end and because the message was so strong throughout the spot once the product was presented I instantly connected with the brand. – Jamie

Danny Trejo as hungry Marsha was a brilliant casting and creative choice that gave the spot a real comedic flair.  The icing on this comedic treat was a whiny Steve Buscemi as Jane.  Just another great spot in their “You’re Not You” campaign that started with the Betty White Super Bowl Spot from 2010. – Scott

The Brady Bunch Snickers ad with Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi was gold. It was one of the few ads I laughed out loud at. Brilliantly executed. – Sean

This was a great commercial – had no idea where it was going, it was clever and I was surprised when it ended up being a car commercial. – Jenn

The frenetic pace, devilish monologue and cultural relevancy set up the “It’s Time to Take Back Control” tagline nicely. The ad was very uncomfortable during what is probably the second-biggest eating holiday after Thanksgiving. I liked that. – Shane

Very touching – it’s an impromptu act of kindness! The world needs more “Pay With Lovin'”. – Trisha

About The Author

Travis arrived at ABC back in 1995, when photography was his main creative outlet. That passion evolved over the next decade as Travis began thinking beyond imagery and pitching his broader ideas and strategies to clients. It was the birth of the idea-based marketing philosophy: Getting to know the client inside out, learning about the successes and failures, then spinning that into an idea that could build a better outcome. That’s the cornerstone he’s built his creative-first agency on since buying the place in 2005. ABC has grown exponentially since then both in terms of people and clients. Local, regional, national, banking, destinations, nonprofits: Travis has greatly expanded services over the years to accommodate them all. He’s also assembled a talented team. Just like them, he’s greeted each morning by a simple reminder etched on the wall: “Create Cool Sh!t Today!” He’s proud to run the kind of agency that does.