February
4, 2008
Diet Pepsi Max Wins Fifth Annual J-School Ad Bowl
The big game is over and the ad refs have
made their call — Diet Pepsi Max won best overall Super
Bowl commercial in the 2008 Ad Bowl Poll. USC’s School
of Journalism and Mass Communications hosted the annual Super
Bowl advertising rating that combines academics and football
fun.
Students in Associate Professor Bonnie
Drewniany’s
Honors College Super Bowl Advertising class gathered
for the big game at Newsplex, the USC/Ifra converged
newsroom, on Sunday evening, Feb. 3.
The class systematically
rated each ad during the Super Bowl in three categories:
most persuasive, strongest brand identity and most
likeable. They also calculated the overall favorite.
The creators of the winning ad will receive the coveted
Cocky Award.
Watch the winning video in flash format> |
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How the students and
faculty ranked the ads
RANKING |
Persuasiveness |
Brand ID |
likability |
Best overall |
First |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Tie: Classic Coke Balloons and Classic
Coke Frist & Carville |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Second |
Tide Stain Remover |
n/a |
Tide Stain Remover |
Tide Stain Remover |
Third |
E*Trade Banking Baby |
Doritos Tortilla Thins |
Doritos Tortilla Thins |
E*Trade Banking Baby |
Fourth |
Classic Coke: Frist & Carville |
E*Trade Banking Baby |
E*Trade Banking Baby |
Doritos Tortilla Thins |
Fifth |
Budweiser Clydesdales |
Budweiser Clydesdales |
Bud Light Fire |
Classic Coke: Frist & Carville |
How
alumni and friends of the University ranked the ads
Ad Bowl Poll also has an online voting component. At the
end of the game, viewers went to the J-School Web site and
cast their votes.
Budweiser won best overall for its commercial featuring
a Dalmatian who becomes a personal trainer for Hank the Clydesdale.
Diet Pepsi Max came in second overall in the online poll.
RANKING |
Persuasiveness |
Brand ID |
likability |
Best overall |
First |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Budweiser
Clydesdales |
Budweiser
Clydesdales |
Budweiser
Clydesdales |
Second |
Budweiser
Clydesdales |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Diet Pepsi Max |
Third |
Tide Stain Remover |
Doritos Tortilla Thins |
Doritos Tortilla Thins |
Doritos Tortilla Thins |
The winning team
Diet Pepsi Max was named 2008 Ad Bowl Poll V Champion based
on its first place ranking in the student poll and second
place ranking in the online poll. The creators of the Diet
Pepsi Max commercial will
be invited to I-Comm Week March 31-April 3 to receive the
Cocky award.
Why we do it
“We think that we already have a very strong
advertising program. There are always things that we
can do to relate what goes on in the classroom to the
real world,” said Charles Bierbauer, dean of
the College of Mass Communications and Information
Studies.
“We want students to be aware that if
they’re in the advertising program, there are
lots of things that they can get into,” he said.
“The Super Bowl ads are so important because all
of the media attention they receive. These ads are viewed
as the single best spots of the year,” Professor
Drewniany said. |
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 Fan reaction
More than 60 students, friends and faculty gathered to view
the most anticipated ads of the football season. While many
of them were required to be there for Professor Drewniany’s
class, others came to share in the Super Bowl experience.
 Graduate student Doreen Goodwin said, “I enjoyed participating
and having an impact, with my votes surveyed and classified.”
Lindsay Parks, a sophomore marketing major, said the Ad
Bowl experience made her look at the advertisements more
in-depth. This was her first time participating in the event
and she said she’d like to come next year.
“My favorite commercial was the Pepsi Max commercial
because it achieved the best brand identity,” Stephanie
Helling, a junior broadcast journalism major, said.
Lauren Pappas-McCaw, an international business major enrolled
in the Super Bowl class, commented, “I was really surprised
by Pepsi’s comeback this year.”
See which
ads won in the first four Ad Bowl Polls >> |
