Isms: Views on life in rural America

If you spend up to $7 million for 30 seconds of television air time, you better get your money’s worth.

After watching Sunday’s world championship football game, I think several companies didn’t get the bang for their buck.

Which ads were misses?

To me, the concept of Jon Hamm and Brie Larson in an oversized refrigerator spread thin. Go figure, they were promoting Hellman’s mayonnaise.

Another miss was the e.l.f. Cosmetics ad, featuring Jennifer Coolidge. A face stuck to glass doesn’t make the cut, even for a makeup peddler.

FanDuel’s ad featuring Gronk attempting a field goal missed the mark, just like his three-point attempt. Early previews led viewers to believe the kick was good, which would give customers who bet a minimum of $5 on the game to get a share of $10 million in free bets.

During the live kick, he missed, causing confusion. The sports betting company said those who placed bets would still receive a share.

Even though I didn’t frantically search for the remote or yell at Scott for changing the channel, I wasn’t fazed by the Tubi commercial that mimicked changing channels. Well played, Tubi. I think the prank caught a lot of viewers off guard. That’s a sign of successful advertising.

My personal favorite was a throwback to my high school years. Watching John Travolta reprise “Summer Nights,” from the movie “Grease,” with “Scrubs” actors Zach Braff and Donald Faison as T-birds was genius. Loved it ... and caught myself singing along.

I’ve only watched one season of “Breaking Bad.” That didn’t stop me from chuckling at the Pop Corners campaign, with a spin on the TV show. If you’ve ever eaten any of the pressed popcorn snack, you know you can’t eat just one.

Watching Ben Affleck sling donuts at Dunkin’ was clever, too. His heavy Boston accent was funny and the interaction with JLo, at the end of the advertisement, was hilarious.

“You’re embarrassing me in front of my friends,” he tells her, after she asks what he’s doing working the drive-thru window.

“Grab me a glazed,” she responds.

I’ll take one, too.

Another favorite came from car maker, Kia. A family of three arrives at what looks like a relaxing destination, only to have the baby start crying. No binky in sight. Dad battles through countless obstacles to retrieve the forgotten pacifier and returns, only to have the child spit out it.

Wrong color, the mom quips. If you’re a parent, you’ve probably had a similar experience. I know I have.

Scott and I both laughed at the Busch Light bit, which pans to singer and animal rights activist Sarah McLachlan, sitting next to a wolf. It cracked us up.

Pass a Buschhhhhhh.

Ads this year seem to have segued from super sexy to super cute. Maybe that’s a welcome change. Or, maybe ad agencies creating the 30-second commercials have figured how to reach the majority of the audience watching the game.