Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Why Ferris Bueller Will Save the Day

While many have felt that the early release of the 2012 Super Bowl commercials has spoiled the party, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Honda and its Ferris Bueller’s Day Off knockoff ad has me more excited for commercials during the big game than any other year in my short life. What can I say; I’m a child of the 80s.

The 2012 Super Bowl has shown the new trend in advertising for the event, with ads for the game getting their own promotion before the actual commercial airs on Sunday. For those playing at home, that means companies are making commercials for their commercials.

It feels like the least entertaining episode of the Twilight Zone.

While I initially scoffed at the idea like an old man being told Madonna was this year’s halftime performer, my mind changed as soon as I saw the Matthew Broderick ad for Honda on YouTube.

With all stops being pulled out, Honda hired director Todd Phillips, who you may know from the Hangover movies, to put into works the second coming of the Day Off scenario. While the sequel wasn’t nearly as good as the first, it was one of the best commercials in a long time.

Plus, the entire buzz it has created before the Super Bowl will have non-fans of football hunting for the spot all game. Even some diehard football fans will be watching tentatively as the commercials parade by.

I can’t be the only one.

With almost 11 million views on YouTube (bound to be twice as high as the game and commercial are played), I know I am not the only one that disagrees with the popular sentiment that sharing the commercials before the game is bad business.

The anticipation of the commercials used to be something that fans and non-fans could enjoy during the big game, but there are still plenty of ads that weren’t leaked. The point for Honda is that people will be talking about his Ferris Bueller’s Day Off remake before, during and after the game instead of just during and after.

Honda is doing it right. If this strategy is deemed successful, you should expect a heavy dosage of the same method from everyone next season.

If you stay very quiet, you can hear the Debbie-downers who hate the idea of pre-releasing ads sigh in unison as they read this.

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