The Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads of 2010

The Super Bowl is the time of year when many companies show the world their creative "A-game" and set the tone of their marketing efforts for the rest of year. 2010 showed a surprisingly solid batch of commercials during this year's Super Bowl. We wanted to take a moment to show you the best, the average and the worst ads from the 2010 Super Bowl.

The Best

Home Away Griswalds

The classic 80’s movie National Lampoon's Vacation gets an updating thanks to Homeaway.com. I don’t know what they do, but I want to go to the site to see the rest of the movie.

Coca Cola - Hard Times / Simpsons

Coke and The Simpsons, it’s the best match since The Simpsons and Butterfinger. 

Volkswagen - PunchDub

Volkswagen plays with the slug bug game and gives a great punch line.

Dr Pepper Cherry - Dr Love / Little Kiss

Kiss and little people. What could be better? Nothing, that's what.

Bud Light - Asteroid

Bud Light’s theme for the Super Bowl this year appears to be avoiding disasters through Bud Light. The world’s worst astronomers discover Bud Light makes it all better.

Google - Parisian Love

This ad does a great job of showing how Google is used in life. Surprisingly effective.

McDonald's - Play You For it

McDonalds revisits familiar territory with a new version of the classic Michael Jordan/Larry Bird commercial from the 90’s.

Snickers - The Game

Abe Vigoda and Betty White in the same commercial! Score one for Snickers.

Godaddy - Movies / Danica Patrick

GoDaddy.com doesn’t shy away from the sexist commercials but for once, they don’t just focus on women with large breasts.

Vizio - Beyonce / HDTV 

I don’t know what it will do but I want it.

The Last Airbender

It’s hard to believe that M. Night Shyamalan has a movie that anyone wants to see, but this trailer makes it look very promising.

The Average

Bud Light - Plane Crash

LOST has returned and Bud Light cashes in on the phenomena. 

Boost Mobile - Shuffle

Now here is something I never thought I would see. Mobile Boost dusted off the Bears Super Bowl Shuffle (one of the most embarrassing sports events ever) and made it fun. 

Cars.com - Timothy Richman

Fans of Wes Anderson should enjoy this little slice of life ad.

Teleflora - Valentines day/ Don Rickles talking tulips

Don Rickles makes everything better. 

Denny's - Chicken Warning

Good day to be an American (unless you have cholesterol issues). Bad day to be a chicken.

Doritos - Underdog

Doritors returns with their fan created commercials. Speak boy, speak.

Focus on Family - Pam & Tim Tebow

Anti-abortion group Focus on Family does a surprisingly good ad that isn’t political. It even has a little humor in it.

Shutter Island

Great trailer that reminds us that Scorsese can do horror just as well as gangster films.

Honda Accord Crosstour - Squirrel

I have no idea what this has to do with Honda but it sure is pretty.

EA - Dante's Inferno - Go To hell

Don’t know how the gameplay is, but it looks amazing.

The Worst

Coca Cola  - Sleepwalker 

A sleepwalker risks his life to get a Coke. It felt neither creative nor inventive. Coke has done so many great ads over the year, this one just felt lazy and uninspired.

Michelob Ultra - Lance

Lance Armstrong hawking beer just feels wrong.

Bud Light - Bridge Out 

Bud Light gives us a swing and a miss. There appears to be a small town of highly functioning alcoholics that would risk their lives by forming a human bridge to get beer. Why?

Bridgestone - "Your Tires or Your Life" 

What starts as a nice homage to Mad Max style films ends in a bit of misogyny. Fail.

Dockers - Wear the pants

Free pants not withstanding, watching a bunch of pudgy men walk around in their underwear is not good for anyone.

ETrade - Baby Girlfriend

The Etrade babies have over-stayed their welcome. Time to put them down for a nap.

Bud Light - Light House

I was waiting for that moment when the house crashed down around them because they drank out a retaining wall.

Monster.com - Fiddling Beaver 

I’m not really sure what they where thinking when they created this idea because a beaver that can play the fiddle certainly doesn't need help getting a job. It's pretty amazing all on its own.

Hyundai - Paint

Calling a Hyundai a beautiful work of art is really stretching the meaning of ”art”.

Dodge Charger - Man's Last Stand

I’m not sure if they are saying men are a bunch of slobs or women are shrews. Regardless, the Dodge Charger is here to straighten it all out.

CBS Late Show - Dave 

I don’t know how CBS did it, but having Dave, Oprah and Jay together watching the Super Bowl was comically awkward. For three people that are in front of millions on a daily basis, they couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable in front of the camera.

There you have it. The good, the average and the worst of the 2010 Super Bowl ads. What were your favorites and which did you think were the most ill conceived?