For all of you who watch for the commercials more than the game, here is a good rundown of 2011’s Super Bowl ads:

Best Marketing Strategy - Volkswagen

Ads are just part of marketing and Volkswagen showed how to use all of the cow for their Super Bowl spot. A pre-release of their “The Force” ad and live tweeting amplified their reach by netting 13 million views before the actual game.

Worst Marketing Strategy - Groupon

Groupon’s first foray into traditional ads was a flop. Their message of saving money on fun activities was lost when they tried to make light of real world problems such as freedom in Tibet and endangered whales. Though their explanation of the creative concept is perfectly reasonable, it didn’t come through in the final product.

The cited post also had a number of other awards:

Best Ongoing Marketing Strategy - Doritos

Most Significant Actual Announcement - Best Buy

Best Smackdown of a Competitor: Audi

Most Poetic Ad: Motorola Xoom

Most Compelling Story: Chrysler - Imported From Detroit

Read more at Influential Marketing Blog

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