'Ferris Bueller' Super Bowl Ad Trumped by Jerry Seinfeld Commercial

Acura Commercial Trumps Honda 'Ferris Bueller' Super Bowl Ad, Say Critics

By Daniel Distant, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno have elected to star in an upcoming Super Bowl commercial for Acura's newest car, the NSX.

The two stars, known for being avid car collectors, are competing over Acura's brand new hybrid concept vehicle, known only as the NSX.

Seinfeld is in the majority of the commercial, seeking to be the very first person to own one of the sleek, all-wheel drive concept car, which is set to be produced starting in 2015.

With a hefty price tag of $3.5 million for a 30-second spot, the nearly 2-minute extended commercial could cost upwards of $14 million.

Seinfeld tries a variety of methods to become the first NSX owner, including trading the famously funny "Soup Nazi" from his hit series "Seinfeld," and handing over a real alien life form.

Including Seinfeld and comedian Jay Leno in the commercial was viewed as a sort of challenge to Honda's commercial for their new CR-V automobile.

Honda's ad stars Matthew Broderick, portraying some of his same stunts from the classic movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Once again, he skips out on responsibilities, attends a parade, and narrowly avoids being caught by authorities in a host of shenanigans.

While many fondly remember the film, some critics thought it too focused on the vehicle, and less on the star and plot. Other characters from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" were missing, which could have lent some nostalgia to the otherwise sales-oriented ad.

The departure from highly sexualized ads for 2012's Super Bowl could be very telling. Instead of relying on the typical "sex sells" strategy, many companies are trying to be more creative and funny with their ads— an idea boosted by the likes of Seinfeld, Leno, and Broderick.

Researchers at the University of Wisconson-Eau Claire have analyzed Super Bowl commercials for over 20 years, and they found that ads with sexual content scored 10 percent below the average for likability.