Casting Director David O’Connor Shares His Super Bowl Picks and Pans

In the advertising world, Super Bowl Sunday is about anything but football. It’s about the commercials! We were honored to have Casting Director David O’Connor stop by Screen to present his picks…

SCREEN: What was your favorite spot of the Super Bowl?

DAVID: Workday “Rockstar” spot felt like it belonged there. Had the mix of absurdity and star talent. It was relatable for the average viewer, and I remembered the product after the first viewing. I was really looking for something that caught my attention amongst a very safe crowd of commercials. However, I did like a bunch more… but that was my overall favorite.

Here is that rockin’ Workday spot…

SCREEN: What was your least favorite spot of the night or a spot you felt could have been more successful?

DAVID: “Blue Moon”… or was that the product?  Production was great, just walked away thinking about Coors Light and Miller Lite more. Just think it missed the mark on product branding. They lost the battle of the branding in my view.

Here is that Blue Moon spot… or was it a Coors commercial? Or Miller Lite? Well, let’s watch…

SCREEN: What would you like to see more or less of in terms of advertising in next year’s Super Bowl?

DAVID: The Super Bowl has been the place for launching new ideas and brands. Risk-taking felt like it was lacking. No OMG moments or major “water cooler” chat surrounding them. Oh, I was happy to see, from a Casting Director’s point of view, a nice mix of celebrity spots with just your typical working commercial actors…. Mixed with some real people spots. 

SCREEN: Any final words here, Casey?

DAVID: When the “He Gets Us” spot(s) captures more attention than the big players I think it’s time to risk at and go for the 2-point conversion… oh, that happened.  Maybe a field goal for the win!  Hmmm… guess we saw that as well. 

Thanks so much for chiming in, David! Check back here at SCREEN for more insight and interviews from advertising creatives across the country. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.