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Podunkians are lucky folks from time to time, Super Bowl Sunday is one of those days. While the rest of Canada must make do with a simulcast broadcast of the big game from Global TV, a broadcast which dumps the American ads and inserts less entertaining Canadian fare. We Podunkians can enjoy the mass marketing wizardry of Madison Avenue, thanks to a direct uninterrupted feed from the American network of the day, this year CBS. The reasons are unknown, but probably are related to salary issues, not wanting to have someone sitting in a control room subbing commercials, so once and a while the cheap nature of Canadian Cable companies can work to our benefit.

The Super Bowl ads cost each sponsor roughly 2.3 million dollars for a thirty second spot, so the message better get out there. And it better be able to hold the interest of an audience in various stages of inebriation.

There were some clunkers and some classics, pretty well par for the course for the Super Bowl.

Pepsi won big with their commercial about a young man wandering the streets of Seattle in the 1950's, he comes across two pop machines located in the downtown area. One beside a guitar shop, the other beside a pawn shop with an accordian in the window. Coke or Pepsi, Coke or Pepsi which one will young Jimi Hendrix choose. As fast as you could kiss the sky, he's sipping on a Pepsi. It was a great ad.

Another one was for Budweiser beer, a preppy young man is showing off how smart his pure bred little dog is. The dog apparently trained in the art of fetching a beer from a barrel. The tormented visitor too has a dog,a rather sad looking mongrel, prep boy asks with a bit of a dismissive sniff "what trick can your dog do". Dog lunges at the preppie, chomping down on uh, shall we say the middle accessory, loosening prep boys hold on his beer. You would have howled and howled.

Staples scored with a take off of the Sopranos, a mean spirited Purchasing/Stores director is acting like a mob boss, forcing his co-workers to bring pastries to him to get their various office supplies. One brave worker elicits help from his local Staples, a large associate joins him in standing up the Purchasing director, ending the reign of terror at the office. On the waterfront meets 9-5.

And Frito Lay gave hope to seniors everywhere with their presentation of the race. Two seniors battle each other for the bag of new Frito Lay crispy chips. Finally the old man grabs the bag with a jump of joy, only to have his spirit crushed by the old lady, holding his false teeth in her hands.

An anti smoking ad caught your attention, looking for truth in advertising. A mock product called shards of glass, freeze pops with glass slivers, was advertised, listing all the horrible things that could happen to you by enjoying the product. The message not lost on the viewer, that the tobacco companies have had a rather loose play on the truth over the years.

By far the winner of the day though was Pepsi, with it's Hendrix commercial airing in the last two minutes of the game, they probably had a larger audience than even they could have hoped for. The Patriots and Panthers were tied as the game was winding down, no one would be leaving the TV set til the game was over, and Pepsi had their spot placed in just the right place for maximum exposure. Somewhere tonight, a media buyer is being celebrated as a giant of industry, it's picks like this that legends are made of.

Chevy won the hearts and minds of parents and kids alike, with a commercial that starts out showing numerous kids with bars of soap in their mouths. What the hell is going on you think to yourself, then a new Chevy Pick Up drives by, a kid goes HOLY SH__ and then boom, bar of soap. Pretty good imagery.

USA Today rated the commercials from most popular to most forgettable, the breweries and Pepsi had the most luck. And if you featured animals in your ad, you tended to be more memorable.

This year both the game and the ads were entertaining, so the big winner this year. CBS, this game should provide them with a big bounce in the ratings game.