By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

Note to VW: PunchBug only works for the aircooled Beetles. There are going to be a lot of bruises on the coasts. In the midwest, not so much. A good nostalgia play by VW at a good time in the market.

Note to Audi: Hiliarious. I wasn’t even remotely thinking Audi until the end. Too busy singing along with the Cheap Trick! Best use of music in an ad for the whole game, IMO. Did anyone else catch the GEM electric thingy that the GPs were driving in the beginning? Probably the best use of a Chrysler product in an ad for the entire game, since the Charger ad was so lame.

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

Hyundai is making the most of the new Sonata launch. I liked the “3300 quality experts” ad that aired before the game–if you watch the chassis carefully, it starts out as a basic unitbody and turns into a car as it surfs through the plant. The second ad, featuring paint quality, demonstrated one of the processes that’s near and dear to my heart–the basic anti-corrosion coatings that go on before the paint goes on. The grey bath that the car popped out of is the electrocoat–a special primer that keeps rust at bay and helps keep the paint on. Did you have a favorite Hyundai ad?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Ok, I take it back, the Audi ad isn’t my favorite Super Bowl ad, this Bud Light Lime ad is my favorite. Looks to be a ’67 GTX clone. I’m wondering if it came from Ted Moser’s Picture Warehouse. Maybe they just repainted this Belvedere and added the GTX hood scoops.

By Rich Truesdell

Automotive Traveler

The votes are in on USA Today’s 21st annual Ad Meter competition and Bridgestone had the highest rated car-related video out of the 51 over-hyped commercials that ran during yesterday’s Super Bowl. The spot, featuring Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head driving a Pontiac Solstice, was the best received of the more than dozen spots that featured automobiles. The spot finished behind the online contest-winning winning spot for Doritos and two commercials for Budweiser, which had won the last ten competitions dating back to 1999. We have all the best car-related spots over on Automotive Traveler, so drop in and have a look.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Anything new revealed here that you guys didn’t already know about?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

So how about those Steelers? I actually missed the Super Bowl, but I just finished watching all the car-related Super Bowl ads over at Jalopnik and would say that this Audi ad was the best. Which did you like? And what did you do this weekend?

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

I give Hyundai some props. They dragged out their original twenty-year-old O.G. tagline for a humorous Superbowl ad celebrating their NACOTY win. I had a boss way back when (1989) who bought an early Hyundai Excel and referred to it as the “Hi-un-die, uh, I can’t pronounce it!” You’ve come a long way, Hyundai.

Am I the only one who thinks the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday? Think about it: to enjoy the game, most people need to ingest a significant amount of alcohol, and not watching is just un-American. I know I’m not alone here. Anyway, here’s the news:

• The more the merrier? Recent years have found Lotus only making tiny two-seaters, but the company’s next product, the Eagle, will have room for four. You can’t see much in this photo, but overall, the car looks pretty hot. Auto Express News
• Does Wal-Mart want to be a player in the green car market? As strange as it sounds, the answer might be yes. How long before people are driving Sam’s Club cars? Fresh Plaza
• Buick released pricing for the Lucerne Super today. The announcement kicks off an aggressive  campaign which will target nursing homes, Old Country Buffets and Turner Classic Movies fans. AutoBlog
• Talk about impaired judgment! In the Land Down Under, a drunk was recently arrested for doing burnouts in a police parking lot. Top Gear 

For most people, commercials are the highlight of the Super Bowl, and while the General was the only one of the Big Three to air one, there were still some awesome automotive spots. Cars.com offered some interesting negotiation techniques, Bridgestone narrowly avoided killing Richard Simmons and Alice Cooper, Audi introduced its snarling R8 in a sweet Godfather-themed spot, Garmin used Napoleon to drive home that their units are small and powerful and Toyota used badgers and big wheels to great effect. Which was your favorite?