Leo Burnett SVP Jeff Candido 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 Leo Burnett SVP and Creative Director Jeff Candido stop by Screen to present his picks…

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

JEFF: Just like last year’s QR code spot for Coinbase, my favorite ad this year stood out by feeling like someone hit pause in the middle of the Super Bowl advertising onslaught: the TurboTax Safety Dance spot. It’s simple, it made me smile, I know what brand it’s for, and I know what they’re trying to tell me. Also, great use of music. All the TurboTax “Don’t do your taxes” spots were smart, but the dancer was my favorite.

Here is that groovin’ spot...

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

DAVID: Two ads stood out by making me say, “They got THAT person, and THAT’S what they did with them?” The first was whatever liquor brand (ok, it’s Remy Martin – I had to look it up) made the spot with Serena Williams giving a halftime speech. I was actively paying attention to this spot, trying to figure out what it was telling me. And I still couldn’t. The other was the Downy ad with Danny McBride. He has been hilarious in ads before. But not this one.

Here is that Downy McBride spot…

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

JEFF: More Ben Affleck, less Jesus.

SCREEN: Any final words here, Jeff?

DAVID: I wonder if any of the ads last night got people to google anything as much as they googled “Is Rihanna pregnant?”

Thanks so much for chiming in, Jeff! 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.