Super Bowl Commercials: 2010 Preview

By Sam Brand Posted Feb 4th 2010 12:58AM

$2,600,000. That's what 30 seconds of air time costs during Sunday's Super Bowl. Can't afford it? We can't either, though we'd love a spot involving Paris Hilton licking an over-sized lollipop, rollerblading through an All-American neighborhood, led by a jive talking goat on a leash. We can dream at PopEater, but only the big bad boys of commerce cough up the cash to advertise during the grandest American event of the year. Here's a sneak peak at the ads 90 million or so of you will see this Sunday.

"Punxsutawney Polamalu" – truTV

The Grade: You can't go wrong with talking babies, giant insects, fast slugs, or tiny football players. The impossible sells. Never mind that we have no idea what truTV is. We'll watch this commercial over and over again, and maybe we'll eventually figure it out.

"Hotel Hell Vacation" – HomeAway - Preview

The Grade: This is just a preview. HomeAway, which lists rentable vacant homes like they're hotel rooms, won't unwrap their Griswold vacation spot until the big day. We're into it. We're into anything with Chevy Chase... anything except 5-minute "making of a commercial" featurettes. Wait for Sunday here to pass judgment.

"Danica Patrick" – Go Daddy

The Grade: Only an advertising genius could come up with what might be the most brainless Super Bowl spot in the spectacle's 44 year history.

"Brett Favre – Sonata" – Hyundai

The Grade: GM, Ford, and whoever else is left of America's automakers (none of whom will be advertising on Sunday, for the second year in a row) missed a big opportunity here. Why not trump the South Korean automaker on USA's big day by throwing up a spot with the NFL's real Captain America? No, not Tom Brady (though that would've worked just fine). Jared Allen! See here.

Final Verdict: Lame you say? Well, yeah. CBS and its most exciting sponsors are holding back until this Sunday. You'll have to wait until then to see Peyton Manning teaming up with "The Situation", Kiss and MiniKiss singinging for Dr Pepper, the 1985 Bears re-enacting the "Super Bowl Shuffle" for Boost Mobile, and of course, Tim Tebow touching your precious little hearts for Focus on the Family. Football rules, don't you think?