The Other Big Game

Until that stunning fourth quarter, it was looking as though the over-the-top commercials would be the only interesting part of Super Bowl 42. Turns out they were just the most interesting part. With the price of a 30-second spot up to a staggering $2.7 million this year, it's vitally important for companies to make a good impression before television's largest audience. Here's a breakdown of who got their money's worth and who should ask for a refund.

The Best

5. E-Trade: Baby
Is it a direct rip-off of the Quiznos "Baby Bob" ad? Absolutely: a beyond-precocious baby brags about the stock profits he earned using E-Trade while a clown ties balloon animals in the background. But this one is much funnier than the Quiznos ads, mainly due to the natural, improvisational dialogue: "Me and the boys were talking about what to do with all this extra coin, and I was like, 'I'm renting a clown.' And I did. Bobo here. And, uh, I really underestimated the creepiness."

4. Coca-Cola: Balloons
The best special effects are the ones that make you forget they're special effects. So kudos to the team behind this inventive Coca-Cola ad. In it, two giant balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (Underdog and Stewie Griffin from "Family Guy") float after a Coca-Cola balloon. They float through midtown Manhattan after their prize until the balloon of a lovable loser snatches it away from them. You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

3. Diet Pepsi: What Is Love
Diet Coke maintains such a vice grip on the calorie-free cola sector that you could almost forget Diet Pepsi exists, until the Super Bowl rolls back around. But the Pepsi crew made an impression with this funny ad, in which a nation of celebrities, parents, game show contestants and Hibachi chefs nod off to the tune of Haddaway's "What Is Love." That is, until they get their fix of Diet Pepsi Max, infused with ginseng and extra caffeine. Then they're back to doing the head-jerk from Saturday Night Live's "A Night at the Roxbury" sketches. Extra points for the Chris Kattan cameo at the end.

2. Budweiser: Rocky
Why this commercial was so winning is a mystery, considering it's a retread of the "Clydesdale Donkey" ad from 2004. But while this version isn't quite as funny as that predecessor, it's much cuter. Hank, a Clydesdale deemed unworthy to represent the Budweiser brand, is trained by a Dalmatian, only to return triumphantly the following year. Adorable animals, a training montage: I don't know how much more you could ask for.