Super Bowl 2012: Matthew Broderick channels Ferris Bueller in ad
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Who says Super Bowl commercials need to wait for the Super Bowl? Honda is getting a jump on game day competition with Monday’s release of the full-length version of its hotly anticipated Honda CR-V commercial starring Matthew Broderick.
In the commercial, Broderick conjures one of film’s (and his own) most beloved roles -- that scamp Ferris Bueller taking the day off from school and making the most of it. Only this time, it’s Broderick who’s playing hooky by ditching a day of filming in Los Angeles.
The commercial revisits several key moments from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ including the music, the towel turban, the star’s habit of talking directly to the camera, the reckless valet and, of course, the fun-filled day on the run.
Amazingly, Broderick doesn’t hit a smidgen of traffic as he makes his way from the beach to the Natural History Museum, back to the beach for a little tai chi (if the timeline is to be believed) and more.
The most famous line from the movie -- ‘Bueller, Bueller, Bueller’ -- is revisited; but this time, the line comes when the valet brings up the Honda for ‘Broderick, Broderick...’
Fans of the classic 1986 John Hughes film might be disappointed that only Broderick shows up in the commercial. How much more fun would it have been if the commercial had included Mia Sara and Alan Ruck...
Meanwhile, buckle up, America. You’re about to be barraged with Super Bowl commercials.
The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been for Super Bowl commercials. Companies are paying NBC an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second spot, and more than $6 million for a 60-second spot. Even that marquee stage isn’t enough. Advertisers want more eyeballs, so they’re pulling out all the stops to drum up interest -- and a captive audience.
Our sister blog, Company Town, notes that Kia Motors is currently showing its upcoming Super Bowl Optima ad in movie theaters. That ad features scantily clad supermodel Adriana Lima, Motley Crue and mixed martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell for good measure.
And Volkswagen has rolled out a commercial ... for a commercial.
The only question is this: Will these early glimpses of Super Bowl commercials help advertisers? Or will ‘seen-it-already’ audiences use the game day replay as an excuse to go in search of more guacamole and chicken wings?
Perhaps any publicity is good publicity. Last’s year’s big commercial -- Volkswagen’s ‘The Force’ -- featured a boy dressed like Darth Vader and using dark powers to (allegedly) start the family Passat. It now has nearly 50 million views online and has won all sorts of honors.
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-- Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch
