I have to be honest I spent more time scanning the #AdBowl hashtag comments on Twitter than I did watching football today. The game was great, but the online activity was incredibly interesting. The ups, the downs, the love, the hate—it had it all.

While this commercial didn’t make my Top Picks list, bar none the most controversial ad was Groupon’s “Save the Money.” Some thought it was hilarious, others mildly amusing, but most tweeters were enraged and in complete disgust as they felt it was in poor taste and that it exploited Tibet. I can’t disagree with any of them. Ironically, Free Tibet saw a spike in donations yesterday—no doubt a response from perturbed Superbowl viewers.

Now on to my Top Picks!

Gold: Chrysler “Imported from Detroit”

This is the winner in my mind on so many levels. It has everything you want in a commercial. An incredibly written brand story. Beautiful cinematography. Emotion. Staying power. Brand memorability. This is much more than a car ad. This is a call to all Americans to buy import…from Detroit. It doesn’t hurt that you have motor city’s own Eminem backing the brand either.

I’m not normally a fan of all the overt “rah, rah” American patriotism crap, but these people need a lift and I know if I were a Detroiter I’d be damn proud. Nice work Chrysler.

Silver: Volkwagon “The Force”

I have probably watched this one 20 times already and each time I laugh just as loud—out loud. Maybe I’ve connected with it because I’m a parent. Maybe because I loved Star Wars as a kid. Or maybe because I wish I had some extraordinary power. Whatever the reason I don’t really care. I just love it.

Bronze: Carmax “Kid in a Candy Store”

I feel like an epileptic at a strobe light convention! I feel like a douchebag at a Nickleback concert! Yeah, yeah—they could have gone on and on with the clichés and I guess that’s why I think it’s a great ad. Because they didn’t. Instead of just making us laugh they brought it back to the beginning and reinforced the brand.

Runners Up:

Audi A8 “Prison Break” – funny.
Motorola “Moto Xoom” – just damn cool.

Honourable Mentions:

NFL “Brand American,”
Mercedes “Diddy,”
Bridgestone “Reply All” & “Karma”

#FAIL:

Everyone else for spending $3M and not getting my attention!