[jeffrey]

By Valerie S. Johnson

Part of the fun of the Super Bowl experience is watching the TV ads. This year, for a record $2.6 million for 30 seconds of fame, companies are betting the farm to buy brand recognition. In addition to airtime, production costs can typically cost an additional $1 million for a single ad.

There’s something different in the air this year. Several of the commercials were created by ordinary consumers rather than the glamorous (and expensive) Madison Avenue agencies.

General Motors ran a contest among college students to dream up a Chevrolet ad. Other commercials for Doritos, Frito-Lay, Alka-Seltzer, and the NFL were created as the result of competitions open to the public. Anheuser-Busch’s main ad agency, DDB Chicago, produced a commercial that was conceived by two of its summer interns.

Some of the memorable ads were made by amateurs and saved the sponsors some big bucks, but the real buzz this year is the K-Fed commercial. An ad for Nationwide Insurance features Kevin Federline, who winds up working at a fast food joint because “life comes at you fast” after Britney Spears. The advertisement has already incensed the National Restaurant Association. Is it offensive? On Sunday, February 4, you can be the referee.