One of the most expensive media buys a company can make, the superbowl is always paid close attention by hundreds of millions of viewers. And so of course everyone likes to give their opinions on what ads were good, bad, or just weird. We generally have to suspend our opinion on great strategic ads, because the superbowl spots are always more about entertainment that solid ad messaging. But we’ve pulled together a list of some winners and losers below, with the embedded ads. Let us know in the comments section which ads were your favorite.

Winners:

Google – With Google’s first-ever television media buy, it showed everyone how integrated it has become into our lives, and also emphasized all the different things you can do on Google. Add in some warm and fuzzy feelings at the end and you’ve got a recipe for success. However, we were confused that Google released the ad online before it aired during the superbowl. Why ruin the surprise?

Denny’s- There is nothing more captivating than screaming chickens. With an ad message tied well to the promotion, these ads were funny and strategic.

Dodge – This commercial speaks to men, and is enjoyable for women. With grabbing creative, this was an easy favorite.

Doritos – Lot’s of commercials and consistent messaging make Doritos a consistent superbowl success. We thought the ads this year were the funniest yet, and hope they can keep it up.

Losers:

Bud Light – Although the spot was entertaining, there was only one spot! We’re used to seeing several bud light commercials, and seeing much funnier ones than the Lost parody that they aired. Sorry Bud Light, but you set the bar too high, and our expectations were let down. Hopefully you’ll be back in full force next year.

Focus on the Family – This commercial sparked a lot of controversy before the superbowl for it’s strong anti-abortion message, which had everyone poised to pay attention. Yet when the ad aired, the abortion message was taken out, and so the message came across as weak. Without a strong value proposition the ad did little to attract supporters, and didn’t drum up any outcry from the detractors (which is sometimes a good thing).

What did you think about the superbowl ads? Which were your favorites?

When the Tiger Woods scandal broke, the world cringed. But maybe none of us cringed as hard as the folks at Nike Golf. From 1996 – 2006 they supported Woods with $140 million in sponsorships. The deal was renewed in 2006 for presumably upwards of 100 million. So what will Nike do now that Tiger’s reputation is ruined? Support the icon of their brand and let it reflect on their reputation? Or drop him and try to save face before any more bad news surfaces?

This is the very expensive question that many in the advertising world are asking. With huge implications for the brand either way, Nike has a crisis on their hands. What would you do if you were in Nike’s PR/Marketing departments? We took a little poll around the office to see where people stood on the issue. Let us know what YOU think in our comments below.

Darren Easton, Creative Director: I say keep him. According to research, Mr. Whipple was the most hated brand icon in advertising history and yet Charmin was the #1 toilet paper brand for 20 years. People talked about him because they didn’t like him. So what?… they talked about him.

Lucas Hanyok, graphic designer: I’m not sure what Nike will do. I am one who believes someone’s personal problems should be left alone. To me he is still an icon of GOLF. Nike should continue to support him as an icon of the sport. On the other hand your personal life becomes your brand in ways, and will stick with you no matter what you do. Your personal brand is not just one thing that you do, it is the total of all things you do. If I were Tiger I would keep my stance as: “leave me alone, I’m really good at golf”

Dave Cyphers, owner (obviously joking!): I think they should pay him more; he just added a whole new dimension to “Just Do It.”

So there you have it, some insight from our greatest minds. What is your stance? Do you think Nike should give Tiger the boot or support him?

Bonjour, dear ad friends. Sorry that we have been away for a while. We have been quite busy with client work, which we are very okay with!

We just wanted to give you the heads up that you can check in on us anytime you want. You can see what we are working on, what secret talents our employees have, and what your account executive looks like, if you are trying to put a face to the name you speak with on the phone all the time (or if you just want to be creepy). It is all here on our blog and in our Flickr photo stream. So feel free to check up on us every now and then. We don’t mind. Spy away!

Today just so happens to be The Cyphers Agency’s twentieth year in the biz. Over those 20 years, we have grown and changed, both figuratively and literally. So to celebrate, we are enjoying some old stories and cupcakes!

Here are some stories that have been bouncing around:

“…I remember that year when we swiped that rock star creative guy from the agency downtown and Bob our HR guy acted like we were going to get some old Sicilian message (e.g. fish wrapped in newspaper) sent to our office”

“…I remember when one dude accidentally cut his head and we found out that another employee got queasy at the sight of blood and he hid out in the bathroom until all evidence of the accident was cleaned up”

“…I remember when Julianna told a media rep that she loved them at the end of a business voicemail. ‘I love you. No, wait, I don’t love you. I don’t know why I just said that’. Now THAT was a priceless moment”

“…I’ll never forget many years ago, our first major agency review. We were up against several of the big names in Baltimore and DC and we rocked the pitch. It was then I knew we had arrived!”

Needless to say, we are a very unique crew here at The Cyphers Agency, and I mean that in the most loving way. Sometimes, it can get a little crazy around here and strange things happen. We roll around on a scooter to get from department to department, and we have yoga balls in our office that are used more for throwing and bouncing than exercise. We play music and eat chocolate (a lot, in the WOM department). But mostly, we simply love what we do, and we look forward to doing it for another 20 years.

We would like to officially welcome Howard Mont to The Cyphers Agency as the new Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He will be leading the agency’s business development team to create new client relationships.

We don’t like to brag, but Howard is pretty awesome, and we are pretty lucky to have him. In his 40 years of professional and entrepreneurial experience, he has worked at and owned a number of prestigious firms, including Ackerman, Mont, White, a full service advertising agency in New York City. He is more than passionate about what he does and really knows the biz.

Aside from his professional experience, Howard also loves to cook, and doesn’t hesitate to give us culinary tips and advice. If only he would cook lunch for us every day…

We are happy to have Howard (and his huge ring) on our team here at The Cyphers Agency. We look forward to working with you!