CBS to Super Bowl Advertisers: Make an Offer

After flap over pro-life piece, 'responsibly produced' spots OK

(NEWSER) - After various advocacy groups cried foul over CBS’ decision to eschew its usual policy and air an ad during the Super Bowl that will feature Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and carry a pro-life message, the network said today it will allow similar spots during the Feb. 7 broadcast—as long as they’re “responsibly produced,” CBS tells BusinessWeek . More»

Internet registrar readies big push

(NEWSER) - The new web domain suffix ".co" is about to get a whole lot more exposure. Go Daddy, which manages half of America's web addresses, will push the suffix in two Super Bowl ads, reports the Los Angeles Times . It will do so in typical Go Daddy fashion, with racy ads and a spokeswoman who probably won't be wearing much. More»

But then-'Tonight Show' host didn't have time

(NEWSER) - Last night’s Leno/Letterman/Oprah Super Bowl ad could have been even more epic; Dave originally wanted Conan in it, too. Late Show executive producer Rob Burnett called Conan’s producer to ask if the red-coiffed one would do the spot, but O’Brien was hard at work finishing his Tonight Show run at the time. “It wasn't as if they even said no,” Burnett tells The Wrap . “I just think they weren't in a position to consider it all.” More»

Focus on the Family wins by going understated

(NEWSER) - After weeks of hype, controversy, and speculation over what it would entail, the actual Focus on the Family ad featuring Tim Tebow was discreet, lighthearted, and rather anticlimactic. That didn't appease the National Organization for Women, however, whose president simply turned focus from the (missing) pro-life propaganda to Tebow's playful tackle of his mother, the Los Angeles Times reports. "I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it," she says. More»

Megan Fox is great, but most ads are in 'meh' territory

(NEWSER) - It's a rare year when the Super Bowl itself eclipses the ads, but 2010 was such a year. Bob Garfield declares in Advertising Age that most of the spots were skippable and asserts he is "totally pro-TiVo." His picks for a few of the (relatively speaking) best and worst: The good (3.5 or 3 stars):

• Audi: This spot about overzealous eco-police is "very funny for all the obvious reasons."
• Chrysler: The company figured out a way to "reach manly men without bullying girly men" in a spot selling Dodge Chargers.
• Budweiser: The 15-second spot for Select 55 offers "no horses, no babies, no jokes. Just 15 seconds of interesting news."
• Denny's: It's overdone, sure, "but the public doesn't care about novelty." The chain successfully promoted its free breakfast Tuesday, and people will line up.