Best and Worst
For the 19th year in a row, I played “Monday Morning Quarterback” and gave my no-so-humble opinion on the best and worst Super Bowl ads. I haven’t been able to enjoy the Big Game since Super Bowl XL, when the Steelers beat the Seahawks. The ads were a bargain back then at $2.4 million dollars. Last weekend’s price for a :30 ad was between $8 and $10 million. That gets you 124.9 million viewers in the US, down 2 million from last year.
Every year since 2005, I’ve grabbed a legal pad and a pen and actively watched each ad, then offered up my opinion on the Top Three and Bottom Three Super Bowl ads. It was great to see friends Rob and Reba at CBS-6 Monday morning, even if I did have to get up at 3:30 am and be at the TV station by 4:40 am. I ended the day 12 hours later with a fun chat with my buddy Jeff Katz at WRVA.
ICYMI, here is a list of my picks and a link to Virginia This Morning, where I got to chat with the inconquerable Bill Bevins and the lovely Amy Lacy, who I haven’t seen in years.
Top Three
I think Budweiser’s spot might be one of the best of all time. Freebird. Tempo change. Cute story and triumph. It gave me chills. Dunkin’s brought back the 90’s sitcom vibe. It was wicked good. They must’ve stuffed 30 celebrities into that :30 second ad. For Hellmann’s, I have only two words: Andy Samberg. “Sweet Sandwich Time! Banh, Banh, Banh!”
(Xfinity – Jurassic Park…Works gets the Honorable Mention)
Loved the concept, but I’m not a fan of the brand, so it didn’t make my top 3.
Bottom Three
The Ritz ad was dry as a saltine cracker. Lots of talent, but not lots of jokes.
The T-Mobile spot was bad – from its’ Pepto Bismol color and design to the uninspiring music. The Backstreet Boys must be hard up for cash these days.
Genspark AI is a first time super bowl advertiser. It might be their last. Wasted use of Matthew Broderick and a vanilla spot that sounds like it was written by AI. (That’s actually true…it was written by AI and done by their in-house marketing team. They wasted $20 million because it played TWICE!)
(Wegovy (Novo Nordisk) gets the Dishonorable Mention)
The last thing I want to think about while I stuff my face with nachos is the 45 seconds of nauseating side effects of Wegovy, which includes nausea and 37 other maladies.
What was your best and worst? Tell me. Love, love, love your emails.
MONDAY:
MEDIA DAY
TV Morning show. Breakfast at McLeans Restaurant on Broad. Radio show call in. TV morning show. Magazine interview. Lunch from Wendy’s in the car. Radio show. TV show. Radio Show. Write a Blog. Radio Show. 4:40 am to to 5:40 PM. Special thanks to my sidekick Madison+Main Account Exec and PR Specialist Anne Bowers, who showed up before dawn and huddled with me in a dark parking lot in 11 degree weather. #shesachamp
TUESDAY:
TAILGATE TIME
Tuesday evening, four Madison+Main-iacs (VP Leanne, Account Manager Kiebs, Designer AJ and Copywriter Lauren) headed out to First Call Environmental to attend their quarterly meeting and these folks do meetings right. Their awesome company culture was on full display in this scaled-up tailgate where everyone showed up and “chipped” in! Our team got to help judge First Call employees’ food offerings, and displays, though it’s hard to pick effectively when everything looked and tasted so good. Account Executive Leigh Ann “Kiebs” Kiebler delivered their new printed collateral for the team to see, and we’re thrilled with the response. We’re such big fans of FCE, and can’t wait to keep creating with and for them.
WEDNESDAY:
GRANITE
I had a great time catching up with a great friend at a great new place in Bon Air. I managed to get two bourbons with Will Shewmake and learned about Granite Grill. They’ve only been open 3 months, but I can tell it’s already a big hit. Brought to you by Big Kitchen Hospitality, it’s the same restaurant group that owns Tazza Kitchen (3 locations) and Conejo Grill.
THURSDAY:
BACK TO CLASS
Thursday, Anne Bowers was back on the move, as she and copywriter Lauren McKinney joined our clients at DriveSmart Virginia and IIHS and Ms Hines first period class at Richmond’s High School for the Arts. These young minds are helping us to create better messaging for our campaign to promote seatbelt usage here in the Commonwealth. Stay tuned to see what we come up with, with the help of the community!
FRIDAY:
DAVE ON IN THE AIR!
I called WRVA and delivered my Weekly Report on events in RVA this weekend, but I won’t be here to do any of them. I’m leaving on a jet plane and I’ll be back again on March 1st. So VP Leanne Pillow will be subbing on the Weekly Report and she’ll be on air with Rich Herrera on Friday 21st and 28th, while I’m on a BIG BOAT floating around the Mediterranean. Maybe I’ll send some pics to make you jealous. Maybe I won’t because I can’t afford the Verizon International Data Plan.
Anyhoo…don’t miss these cool happenings while I’m gone: ICYMI, here’s the link.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Haunted Dinner: The Haunted Valentine’s Dinner | Presented By: Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours
Dates: February 13, 2026
Location: Patrick Henry’s Pub & Grille
Address: 2300 E. Broad Street
Phone: (804) 543-3189
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Price: $64.00 per person
Some want a visit from Cupid. Others want a second Halloween. We want to help them both. This Friday the 13th, just a day before Valentines Day, join Haunts of Richmond for an evening of ghostly tales of love from across the River City. Turns out that RVA’s spirits can be romantic as hell…
Tickets are $64 and include an entree, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages, applicable taxes, and gratuities for the Patrick Henry waitstaff. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase on the evening of the event from the full service bar. Entree and dessert selections are made during the booking process.
A variety of beer, wine & spirits, will be available for an additional purchase.
“I am one who believes that one of the greatest dangers of advertising is not that of misleading people, but that of boring them to death.” – Leo Burnett