Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Brands We're Most Looking Forward to

There are a lot of reasons to watch the Super Bowl every year. You never know if you're going to see a brilliant checkdown pass, a whimsical off-tackle run, a crucial buttonhook pattern, a...

"OMFG, JUST SAY COMMERCIALS ALREADY!"

OKAY, FINE.

So then, commercials. The Super Bowl has lots of those too, and they're typically pretty awesome. You are definitely allowed to watch the Super Bowl for those and for those alone. They never disappoint.

For example, you're going to want to keep your eye out for the four commercials below. They're awesome, and they'll be even more awesome within the parameters of the Super Bowl than they are on YouTube.

Cars.com

The best Super Bowl commercials give people something to remember them by. Like, you know, a catchphrase. "Where's the beef?" comes to mind.

This year, my money is on the Cars.com being the catchphrase-provider. It's going to be hard for people to simulate having a second head, but it's not going to be very hard for people to say "Hey baby I want that car! Hey baby I really want that car!" in a falsetto voice.

This will be particularly easy for prospective car buyers, of course.

As for everyone else, it won't be difficult to replace the word "car" with something else. The message and the desired effect (weirded out friends and/or salesmen) will be the same.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen won the Super Bowl commercial war last year with the Darth Vader kid. There's not an actual war, mind you, but Volkswagen won it anyway.

Volkswagen's ad used two very simple tricks to appeal to viewers. People will respond if they see Darth Vader, and they will respond if they see cute kids are doing cute things.

This year, Volkswagen is switching things up just a little bit. Instead of a cute kid, they have a fat dog. Darth Vader shows up later, just long enough to force-choke some random hater in a bar (we've all been there).

The Star Wars stuff is a little forced, but I'll be damned if it doesn't work anyway.

Then again, I guess I'm just a sucker for Star Wars. So are you, whether you want to admit it or not.

GoDaddy.com

Put a bunch of hot chicks in skimpy clothing, put them in front of a camera and play a catchy guitar riff. If you do that, you can sell anything.

GoDaddy.com has been selling its product with this formula for years, and it works. I still don't know what the hell GoDaddy.com does or why I should care, but I know I want it every time I watch one of their commercials.

I guess I'm a sucker for hot chicks, too. Pretty sure I'm not alone there.

Old Spice

Old Spice commercials are freakin' awesome. I've always assumed this is because they consist of awesome things, like explosions, lazers, chocolate fountains and Terry Crews.

Old Spice's Super Bowl ads have found a new way to be awesome: camouflage.

That's right. Initially, they don't seem to be Old Spice commercials. Next thing you know, Terry Crews is on your TV screen and all sorts of crazy crap is happening.

All because Old Spice is "too powerful to stay in its own commercial."

We should all aspire to be as cool as Old Spice commercials.