The reviews are in regarding the TV spots aired during this past Sunday’s Super Bowl. My partner Nader did a great job reviewing the ads on his blog earlier this week. Before the Super Bowl we marketing people like to preview the ads. I saw nearly all of the ads shown during the telecast before they aired. However not every ad that was previewed actually did air and for a couple of the brands it was a good thing and for one of the brands I wished we had seen them all.

Biggest loser ad that did not run: GEICO ‘Swag’ spot. . Actually created as a NFL playoff spot (one that I never saw and I watched a LOT of NFL playoff football but I guess I just missed it – or ignored it). GEICO has done some terrific advertising over the years and is to be applauded for much of what the company has created in the past. Not this time. I understand that it’s Super Bowl ads are supposed to be original, fun and offbeat, but it’s none of those, simply insulting, and I daresay even racist. The only good thing I can say about it is that GEICO decided to not run it during the Super Bowl.

Second biggest loser ad that did not run – GoDaddy.com.   A parody of the too much-loved Budweiser Puppy and Clydesdale spots (one last year and one this year), GoDaddy is expected to push the environs of bad taste and this spot is no different. Again that it did not run is the best thing GoDaddy could have done. It’s arresting and surprising (many people saw it online before the Super Bowl as there was much discussion in ad circles regarding it), but it also was in very bad taste. Selling puppies to puppy mills is not funny in any way. I was shocked, and then disgusted. That’s the GoDaddy way.

Biggest winner spot that did not air. Doritos. There were actually a number of ads created by non-advertising agencies as part of the ‘Crash The Super Bowl’ contest. I loved the ‘When Pigs Fly’ ad as well as this one that did not air. The best thing about the ads is that they combine fun, irreverence and they put the brand at the center. They all hit the target audience perfectly.

Exciting game, Katy Perry did a good job at halftime for the most part (I like her), and for marketers it was a great day to highlight what can be done both good and bad.

Finally – the whole Roman numeral thing has come full circle as apparently there will not be Super Bowl L next year. It will be Super Bowl 50 so it’s possible that we are done with the Roman numerals at last. By the way this year it could have been Super Bowl IL. But that did not work so they came up with XLIX since the former would look like the Super Bowl was not feeling well. At least that’s the way I see it.