Super Bowl Picks with Creative Director Scott Smith

Freelance creative director Scott Smith’s career included work on major campaigns for iconic American brands the likes of Allstate, Kellogg’s, and McDonald’s, not to mention a Frito Lay Super Bowl spot, so who better to ask about the highlights and lowlights of this year’s Super Bowl commercial crop?

SCREEN: What was your favorite spot of the night?

SCOTT: I gravitate towards the entertaining spots, and sometimes you get lucky and an entertaining spot will be smart, as well. I thought there were a lot of entertaining spots this year, but the one which made me laugh the most was GM’s “No way, Norway” with Will Ferrell. It also made me aware of something I didn’t know. Not that I cared much, but at least I know something I didn’t already know.

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

SCOTT: There were a lot that I didn’t like for various reasons, but I’d have to the one that I remember to be my least favorite, was the Skull Shaver spot. I wasn’t sure if it was a parody spot or not. I was waiting for something funny to happen, but it was a real ad.

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

SCOTT: I’m contradicting myself here, because I think the crutch of using “celebrities” is out of hand. And at the same time, my favorite spot, “No Way, Norway,” had three celebrities in it. But I think if you take Will Ferrell out of the GM spot, it doesn’t work as well. Yet Matthew McConaughey as a flat person for Dorito’s, Timothée Chalamet in Cadillac, or Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis hawking Cheetos, could be replaced with non-celebrities and still work.

SCREEN: Any final words here, Scott?

SCOTT: In my opinion, investing in a Super Bowl spot is a poor decision. I think $5.5 million for :30’s could be better spent serving the brand in some other way.