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By JOLYN RESNICK jresnick@leader.net
Monday, January 31, 2000 Page: 1A
Sports fans who braved heavy snow to watch the Super Bowl at area bars
Sunday night said they loved most of the commercials, but wouldn’t buy some of
the products, no matter how cute the ads were.
Some couldn’t even remember which companies pitched the merchandise.
Dave Liskov, 47, of Dupont, said he couldn’t remember the companies that
produced two commercials he liked during a past Super Bowl.
Sitting at the bar at Grotto Pizza in Edwardsville, Liskov roared with
laughter at the *E-Trade ad that boasted about how much money the company
wasted making the commercial.
That one worked, Liskov said.
Lynda Zajaczkowski, 35, of Plains Township, snickered at a Budweiser
commercial in which a dog runs into the back of van. She said she won’t buy
the beer. “I drink what I like.”
Advertising professionals agreed that consumers won’t buy products just
because companies spend a fortune to produce and air funny or heartwarming
commercials.
“People are smarter now,” said Carla Kiwior, of Kee Wee Studios,. “They
don’t easily fall into categories any more.”
Mary Rose Snopkowski, marketing director for LA Bank, said she liked the
Mountain Dew commercial, in which a man goes to great lengths to reclaim a can
of soda from a cheetah. Still, she wouldn’t drink it.
However, she said she would go to some of the Web sites that were
advertised.
“My absolutely favorite was the monkey commercial,” for *E-Trade, she
said. She also liked the Federal Express commercial featuring characters from
the Wizard of Oz. The Nuveen commercial, was “creepy, but it was neat,”
Snopkowski said.
In the Nuveen commercial, paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve is at an awards
banquet. Reeve is introduced by a speaker, then stands and walks across a
stage to accept an award.
The consensus was mixed with the Nuveen commercial that used digital
imaging to show Reeve walking.
Liskov thought it was a positive ad. “I don’t know what Nuveen does, but I
liked the commercial,” he said. Steven Rector, 24, of Kingston, also thought
the advertisement was good because it helps raise awareness of Reeve’s
disability.
John Kalp, of New York, said he didn’t know how to interpret the ad.
“Reeve caught me off guard. With the Super Bowl, people look for new, funny
commercials.”
Michael Hagan, 35, of Luzerne, said he thought the advertisement was
“weird. It almost looked like they were making fun of him.”
And, George Paddick, 51, of Bear Creek, said he initially thought the piece
was insensitive. “On second glance, I thought it might bring hope to these
people, but it bothered me.”
Jessica Ras, 9, of Kingston, said the monkey commercial was funny. Sitting
with her parents at the Grotto, the youngster tried, but couldn’t remember
which company produced the ad. It was *E-trade
Kiwior said she thought the Nuveen commercial was “depressing,” but a
friend who was watching the game with her enjoyed it. However, she said,
nobody at her house could remember which company produced the ad.
Kiwior said it takes more than putting a $2 million spot on the Super Bowl
to make people try a new product. “I hope these people aren’t sinking all
their eggs in one basket.”
Call Resnick at 829-7210.