I knew that there would be some mention of Superbowl commercials in tonight’s brand management class. Eh… I always hear people making a big deal about watching the commercials, sometimes only the commercials, even going so far as foregoing the big game itself. I guess it’s obligatory for marketing people to be interested in these sorts of things.

I learned shortly after beginning formal marketing studies that there’s more to marketing than promotions. It’s important to understand your company, customers, competitors and distribution channels (the 4 Cs). Only then can you concentrate on the 4 Ps of the product, pricing, place and (then and only then) promotion. I keep finding that there are extensions to this marketing mix. Services marketing adds three additional pieces (people, process and physical evidence), while Web 2.0 marketing adds four more (personalization, participation, peer-to-peer and predictive modeling). Anyway, the point of the matter is that there is more to marketing than quirky commercials and slick ads. My interest in commercials is how well they fit into the overall scheme of an entire marketing plan.

That’s not to say that I wasn’t interested in watching this year’s Superbowl commercials at all. It’s just that I was much more interested in the game itself. A few of the commercials this year stood out. Probably the most noteworthy one in my mind was the Doritos commercial that involved the guy and the snowglobe that he said was a fortune-telling crystal ball:

It was really quirky, and the Doritos people usually come up with something good every year.

I also thought that it was an important statement that some of the commercials capitalized on the current state of the economy. The ones I remembered included Hyundai…

…and Cash4Gold…

It was also good seeing Ed McMahon back in the pitch business after his recent bout of medical and money problems.

I also had the opportunity to get stoked for a couple of the upcoming movies. Particularly Angels & Demons…

…and the movie remake of The Land of the Lost…

Normally I don’t go for remakes, but I go for almost anything with Will Ferrell in it.

I’m sure there were some other good ones, but those are the ones that I particularly remembered. Correction, those are the ones that I remembered that I viewed favorably. I also remembered my disappointment in this year’s GoDaddy commercials. I’m a staunch GoDaddy loyalist, so I would be one of the ones to turn in just to see their commercials. I’m sure that part of it is due to the desire to push the limits butting heads with standards and practices. Kind of like the punchline to the standards and practices discussion in the Gee Whiz episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force — standards and practices ensures that a really funny idea is turned into a totally lame or mediocre end-product. But GoDaddy’s come out with a few good ones that are on their website (and a few that didn’t make it).

For the rest of the best Superbowl commercials, you can check out YouTube (or any number of sites whose commentators are blathering on-and-on about silly commercials).

There’s something at the core of my being that can’t stand anything to do with inaugurations, regardless of who’s getting inaugurated. They just seem so “kingly” and offensive to my anarchist sensibilities. There are also the practical, physical aspects of such events that bother me as well. For example, today’s inauguration of President Obama was costly. It was so costly that it was declared a “State of Emergency” by President Bush. This move helped to get some additional taxpayer dollars to pay for the parties and gala balls that will not only attract those seeking to be part of a historical moment, but the lobbyists who seek to influence the Democrats’ decisions over the next four years. Remember the parties at the Democratic National Convention last year?

While the costs were exhorbitant, the thing that bugs me the most about inaugurations is the distraction and disconnect created by such events. Other than a few rogue tweets I received, everyone I know was transfixed by what was going on. Haters of Obama became his most ardent supporters. People were filled with the feeling that they were experiencing something rare, even beyond seeing only the 44th President this country has ever had. While I have been critical of Obama in the past (and will continue to be), I don’t mean to take anything away from one man’s annointment through the mechanisms of the American electoral process. At the end of the day, though, Obama is one man. Repeat after me: ONE MAN. Claiming that “the dream” has been achieved because one man reached a pinnacle is a bit premature. True change on a global scale can only be realized when a whole lot of individuals wake up, make positive individual changes and stick to those changes. Obama might be able to lead others to the well, but the people need to make up their own minds to drink.

I think a lot of opportunities are missed with traditional inaugurations. If I was elected President, I would put my foot down and sternly decline the expensive inaugural festivities. After taking the oath of office, I’d take a few questions as I ran over to the White House for my first official day on the job, even though I’ve been working for the citizens of the country well before deciding to run for public office. And when the one reporter that still doesn’t get it asks me who my designer is, I’ll answer back, “You may have heard of him — JC Penney!” Instead of balls and expensive get-togethers haunted by lobbyists of every ilk, visitors to DC will be able to participate in teach-ins at every public place in the city. I’d be sure to stop by each and every one of them for some feedback on what real Americans want as part of my daily listening tour. No taxpayer money whatsoever will be spent on my inauguration. If private donors (who understand no strings are attached) can’t be found to fund the festivities, they won’t happen. Ehhh, maybe the world’s not ready for that sort of person holding elective office.

But there are questions that are still to be answered from today’s events. Why do I know that Michelle Obama wore a gown by Isabel Toledo? What insidious pet projects are lobbyists pushing for now that Democrats are in power? How does a school get named for a President before he has even taken office? Why is the media re-hashing the same economic policy options from months ago like we’re going to do it all over again? When will people realize that the most pressing forms of slavery aren’t from the distant past, but the one’s we are experiencing today? Forget about that nonsense, Michelle’s gown was really super cute — maybe I need to order one, two or maybe even twenty. You see, thanks to the mainstream media, the nature of politicians and the ease by which we are too easily distracted, even though there’s a new President, the distraction party won’t be over by a long shot. I guess it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Tom at Kn@ppster posted a video of Rick Sanchez’s commentary regarding Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher’s new gig as a war reporter. He is now in Israel reporting for the  conservative website Pajamas TV. Joe the Plumber told Toledo, Ohio reporters the following about why he is doing this:

I get to go over there and let there [sic] “Average Joes” share their story, what they think, how they feel, especially with world opinion, maybe get a real story out there.

Rick Sanchez of CNN seems more than a bit peeved about Joe’s comments about journalists covering war:

While I’m not sure about Tom’s predictions coming true, I definitely agree with Sanchez’s commentary. Joe the Plumber utilizing his fifteen minutes of fame doesn’t bother me (I’ve gotten used to tuning out stuff like that), but like Rick Sanchez, I do take offense at his calling for media to avoid covering the hell of war. Joe himself hoped to “maybe get a real story out there.” With the way media covers Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton as if it was a matter of life-or-death national security, I would think Joe would want the media to actually start covering things that really are life-or-death national security issues. When the media does its job (which it rarely ever does), it can ferret out wrong-doings that those in power would like to sweep under the rug. Besides, freedom of the press is one of the five guarantees in the First Amendment. Or do conservatives not believe in the First Amendment?

My recommendation is that Joe the Plumber get a real story from his trip to the Middle East. He’s in Israel talking to “Average Joes”. Why stop there? I propose that he stay true to his mission. Instead of just hearing one side of the story, why doesn’t he talk to “Average Joes” in Gaza? The West Bank? Lebanon? Other parts of the Middle East? I’m sure that “Average Joes” exist everywhere throughout the world. They too have their stories that deserve to be told. I’ve never been to the Middle East, but I’m sure their “Average Joes” want the same things America’s want — to live free and in peace.