Once you get away from the actual first look at Super Bowl commercials, what is important to the companies spending the millions of dollars it costs to air those spots is whether or not they have any lasting impact. You can judge what you like or don't like immediately, but it takes time to find what really works and what doesn't.
A few days after our first look at Super Bowl commercials for 2011, it appears that Chrysler is emerging as a big winner with its two-minute spot featuring Eminem.
With rare exception, the initial surveys show the $9 million, non-traditional 2-minute commercial kept Super Bowl viewers in their seats — and it got them talking about a company that, just months ago many were ready to write off as dead, experts say.
“Even in places where you wouldn’t expect to get a strong positive reaction [to a Detroit brand], like L.A. and Seattle, the reaction was extremely good,” said Art Spinella, director of the Oregon-based research firm CNW Marketing.
Volkswagen's Darth Vader ad also still appears to be a big winner. The whole Darth Vadar costume thing just appears to be timeless. It's hard to go wrong with it.
The biggest loser? That has to be HomeAway with the 'Test Baby' ad it has since pulled from the airwaves.
"We're deeply sorry that the ads offended some and hurt others," chief executive officer Brian Sharples said in a statement. "It was painful for all of us to hear from those affected. … We always want to do the right thing — and we're willing to admit when we're wrong. We all make mistakes — the best we can do is correct what we can, and learn from them — and this situation is no exception."