Super Bowl Commercials: Doritos, Google win 2010 BrandBowl

The battle of Super Bowl commercials was played out online during Super Bowl XLIV. Doritos, Google, and Focus on the Family won the 2010 BrandBowl. But what's the 2010 BrandBowl?

The 2010 BrandBowl is an online competition between Super Bowl commercials from a Twitter perspective. Ad agency Mullen partnered with Social Media measuring company Radian 6, to produce the 2010 BrandBowl. Specifically, they describe it in this way:

BrandBowl was built to gauge public reaction to the brands advertising during the Super Bowl. By monitoring Twitter, we can measure people's opinions and rank the brands accordingly. The brand with the top "BrandBowl score" on Sunday night will be the winner of BrandBowl 2010, and can date the head cheerleader.

How BrandBowl Works

First we tally—using selected keywords—the total number of tweets about each brand.
Second, we look at the opinions stated in those tweets to calculate a "net sentiment" score. The purpose of this score is to measure whether the overall public reaction to a brand is positive or negative. The net sentiment score is derived by the formula:
(Positive tweets – Negative tweets) / Total brand tweets
Finally, to rank the brands, we calculate a BrandBowl score by evaluating the non-negative share of each brand relative to all brands:
(Positive tweets + Neutral tweets – Negative tweets) / Total tweets for all brands
Rolling over any brand will show all three of these figures—its BrandBowl score, its net sentiment score, and the total number of tweets about the brand. For the true ad nerds out there (it's okay, you're among friends) we also provide a link that will display even more in-depth details on any brand:
A spark line that shows the number of tweets over a timeline
A breakdown of the tweets about the brand, to show if the tweets were overwhelmingly positive, negative, or neutral
A word cloud of the most popular terms in tweets about the brand
It is important to note that we are measuring the response to brands. We are not measuring the response to any single ad.

Got that?

Doritoes' commercial won by simply having the most tweets about it (3042), both positive and negative. This is the most popular Doritoes' commercial of the four aired:



Which brand's commercial had the most positive tweets in the 2010 BrandBowl? That award went to McDonald's, Dr. Pepper and Universal, in that order. Here's McDonalds Super Bowl commercial featuring LeBron James and Dwight Howard:



The other Super Bowl commericial runners-up in the 2010 BrandBowl were Google and Focus on the Family. Here are those commercials:

Google (Impress a French Girl or "Parisian Love"):



Focus on The Family (Pam and Tim Tebow):



If you're wondering who lost the 2010 BrandBowl, it was Budweiser Select55 "Don't bring me down", which did so. Mullen's offering free creative services to Budweiser. Here's that Super Bowl commercial:



For the rest of the results, visit the Mullen and Radian 6 site for the 2010 BrandBowl.

Stay tuned.

Oakland News - Sweet Jimmie Ward dies - [Aimee Allison | OaklandSeen]

[Aimee Allison | OaklandSeen] For much of the time Sweet Jimmies was the heart of Oakland nightlife in the 90's, I would catch glimpses of nighttime boisterous dancing and singing at the spot through the grainy lens of Soul Beat TV. Now Soul Beat and Sweet Jimmies nightclub are a decade gone, and I find myself longing for that Oakland spirit. "Sweet Jimmie" Ward died Friday night at the age of 74 - a former longshorman who was one of hundreds of thousands who came from the South to work at the shipyards or on the Army base during World War II and stayed to raise families and start businesses and shape neighborhoods. Ward made Sweet Jimmies into the place to go - dressed to the nines - where old soul from Mississippi and Lousiana and Georgia was alive.

Those in Sweet Jimmie's generation brought small town manners and blues and political organizing and art. They created a legacy and culture in Oakland that defines us today. Now, Oakland's black population has plummeted under the weight of unemployment and police sweeps and shady mortgages. But you can still see the storefront of the old Sweet Jimmies at 577 18th Street in downtown Oakland. Many people don't know that for many years it was an important meeting place for African-American political and community organizations. It was a center of influence. And while many celebrate the remaking of culture and nightlife in the city, I am taking a moment to mourn what we lost. See, Sweet Jimmies wasn't just another nightclub, Jimmie Ward just another nightclub owner. He represented an era here in Oakland. And that era is over.

The public service for Jimmie Ward is this Thursday at Good Hope Church at 5717 Foothill Blvd. The event will begin with a quiet hour at 7 p.m. A public funeral will follow on Friday at noon in the same location.

Facebook can be used for identity theft, be careful

Facebook has become one of the largest, if not the largest, social networks in the World. It can bring people together to celebrate the Saints Super Bowl XLIV victory, or mourning the Colts loss, or to talk about Sarah Palin's awful use of hand-written notes for speeches. But with 350 million Facebook members, there's bound to be a crappy person or three hanging around. Some members are on Facebook just to steal your identity.

This video shows what happened when the people at Sophos Labs created a Facebook member who was a duck:



The Sophos Labs video makes sense but leaves out an important point: it's what you put in your Facebook profile, not so much who you friend. Using my profile "Zenophon Abraham" as an example, I have a lot of friends and many I do not know, but have shared business-related information, especially about events.

I use Facebook for networking; while I have information about me there, it's not my address or personal relationship status other than who my relative is (my half-sister Amanda). I don't have my instant message handle posted, I don't give details on where I am all the time, unlike some people.

And there's another strategy, too: saturation of self. My "self" - name with photo - is everywhere on the Internet because I am on so many blog and social media platforms; the idea is that so many people will see "me" that it's all but impossible for someone else to get away with saying they're me.

Me, Zennie Abraham , at the Leigh Steinberg Party 

I got the idea noticing how "out there" tech blogger Robert Scoble was - he's on a ton of networks and has thousands of contacts if not millions of them.

Identity theft is also successful when people don't know what you are supposed to look like. But, say, with Usher, it's harder to do.

Why do I mention Usher? Because there was a guy at the Leigh Steinberg Party who others claimed was Usher, including some friends of mine. I took one look at the guy and said "He's not Usher; Usher has a baby face. This guy looks like he's in his 40s." Moreover, he signed a napkin using the name "Usher". I didn't want to think the guy was impersonating Usher, but the the napkin autograph changed my mind.

But I digress. The point is, having a ready photo of Usher that we could call up on a Google Nexus Phone solved the problem. That guy, as I said, was not Usher.

Facebook is a great social network but you don't have to put everything about yourself there.

Peyton Manning didn't choke; Colts were outcoached

The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 30 to 17 in Super Bowl XLIV, a game Colts QB Peyton Manning would like to have back. Down 24 to 17 with just under three minutes to go and driving, Manning threw a slant pass to Reggie Wayne, but Saints Defensive Back Tracy Porter stepped in front of Wayne, intercepted the pass and raced 74 yards to score the deciding touchdown.




Now, some are saying Colts OB Peyton Manning choked. Manning didn't choke so much as the Colts were outcoached.

The Saints, under Head Coach Sean Peyton, had a daring game plan that featured an onside kick to open the third quarter, a varied passing game, and three different defensive game plans. Still, with all of that, the Saints could have lost the Super Bowl. The difference was that the Colts didn't seem to be prepared for the Saints' momentum changing onside kick, and for some reason avoided blitzing even one linebacker or back and putting the pressure on its front four to do the job most of the time.

But to say Peyton Manning choked is to ask a legitimate question: why is it that Manning seems to force the ball when the Colts are behind. The answer is, in 2009 Manning didn't, except for Super Bowl XLIV. In today's game it seemed as if Manning was determined to carry the team on his shoulders to make up for the Colts' defense' difficulty in stopping the Saints offense.

Manning was making trying to make up for strategic and performance problems earlier in the game, and let the whole of the Colts problems get to him. It was obvious every time he expressed frustration coming off the field, and most of the time after a dropped pass.

Peyton Manning didn't choke. The Colts' loss was a team effort. But Peyton Manning will be tagged with the "Great, but..." label until he returns to the Super Bowl and wins. To do that he will need more seasoned receivers (which he will have) and a more varied pass offensive attack that moves Manning's launch points with rolls and sprints. Finally the Colts will have to be better prepared for whatever could be thrown at them. That's not as hard as it sounds, because there's only so much one can do on a football field.

Stay tuned.

Saints v. Colts - Saints are Super Bowl XLIV Champions

Saints v. Colts - Saints are Super Bowl XLIV Champions. The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 30 to 17 in a Super Bowl game that turned on a common theme for the Saints in postseason: playing a near perfect offensive game, then holding on as the opponent made the mistakes to lose. In the NFC Championship Game, it was the Minnesota Vikings' six turnovers. In Super Bowl XLIV it was the Colts missed opportunities and errors.

Credit must be given to Saints' Head Coach Sean Payton, who once against created an offensive game plan designed to address the one strength of a defense. In this case, the Saints settled into a passing attack that had their receivers attack the hook and seam areas of the Colts defense and throw to the running backs out of the backfield to take advantage of the Colts linebackers.

Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees carried out the game plan masterfully. He was a near-perfect 32 of 39 for 288 yards, and two touchdowns.

But in most post-game evaluations it's easy to turn the analysis into what the winning team did right. In this case, the Colts did a lot correctly, but just did not take advantage of opportunities when they were given to them.

A number of normally-sure handed Colts receivers dropped passes, specifically Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon. And with his team behind 24 to 17 in the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning (31 of 45 for 333 yards, one touchdown and one interception) rushed his throws, and on a key 3rd and five with just under three minutes to go, and the Colts down 17 to 24, Manning threw for Reggie Wanye who was running an inside slant. But Wayne stopped and Saints defensive back Tracy Porter stepped in front of the pass and raced 74 yards to score.

That play was one observers would talk about for a long time. While Manning focused on Wayne, Colts receiver Austin Colley broke open on a seam route; he went unnoticed as he raced by the high safety on the opposite side of where the interception occurred.

Even with the interception, the Colts still had time to score another touchdown, recover an onside kick and perhaps score a miracle game tying touchdown again. But that was not to be, as the Colts' furious comeback drive stalled at the Saints' six yard line.

A team of destiny

This first Super Bowl win for New Orleans came at the right time for a city working to overcome the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the exodus of much of its population to various places in America and around the World. Much of New Orleans was under water, and the Federal Government's efforts under George W. Bush were so terrible that "Brownie" became a poster child for government inefficiency in a crisis.

When Sean Peyon became the Saint's coach, it was the same year, 2006, that the renovated Louisiana Superdome reopened. The same stadium that served as a sanctuary for up to 30,000 people after Hurricane Katrina. Bringing home a World Championship became more of a mission than an athletic occupation.

I said to a friend that even though I'm a massive Colts fan, I would not be sorry to see New Orleans win Super Bowl XLIV. The city needed it, and really America wanted it. Now, the task of rebuilding New Orleans has new life.

Grammy Fashion! (a quick break from the SuperBowl...)

I break the Grammys fashion down a little bit. This is the start of a new segment that I am starting called Fashion Friday where I talk about the previous week in fashion, burgeoning trends, and who's been a hot mess. Pardon this Grammys Fashion post being late, I am celebrating the Superbowl right now, as I am sure all you're as well!

Here is the link that I refer to above where I conduct a VERY serious break down of the 2010 Grammys. 

Posted by Cat of SomeRedCat.tumblr.com

Live Super Bowl Preview show beginning at 3:30 Eastern time

By "Draftnik"

Live Super Bowl Preview show beginning at 3:30 Eastern time

Don’t forget about our 2 and a half hour live show today at 3:30!!! Great Football Talk for your Super Bowl and Prizes for trivia.

Listen at www.blogtalkradio.com/Football-Reporters

Saints v. Colts - Super Bowl XLIV will be won by Colts

Super Bowl XLIV pitting the NFC Champion New Orleans Saints v. The AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts will be a game filled with passes and trick plays. It will be one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever.

The Super Bow game features the NFL's 9th best offense (2nd in the NFL in passing for the season) in the Colts against the league's 25th-ranked Saints defense. That's the key matchup. Sports observers can write about imagined challenges between specific Colts receivers certain Saints defensive backs, but the reality is one-on-one pairings are rare because of the variety of coverages used; the Saints will try to keep everything in front of them with a zone coverage system and work to prevent the Colts from hitting the home run ball.

But the Colts will mix short passes and runs; the Saints will move away from the zone, crowd the line-of-scrimage, and blitz. And that's where the Colts big play will come from, absent a blown coverage, which the Saints haven't done much this year.

The Saints NFL number one-ranked offense will be a variety show featuring shifts, man-in-motion, and a lot of play action. Look for not just one, but two flea flickers; what will stop them is the Colts defensive speed (which was augmented by more blitzing in the postseason, making it better than its 18th-ranking during 2009). The Saints will call a number of "wheel route" passes trying to match the fleet Reggie Bush against the Colts' linebackers. But the Colts will blitz more often this game, and add to their already hard-charging pass-rush. That effort will be led by Dwight Freeney, who's played a week-long game of media possum, but is ready to turn his effort up to a super human level.

The other difference will be on special teams. This is where the Saints have a slight speed edge and the Colts will have to play carefully to stop the long kick return.

With all of this, the Colts offense will be too much for the Saints. The Colts win Super Bowl XLIV, 34 to 20.

Colts v. Saints on SFGate.com | Colts v. Saints on Twitter | Colts v. Saints on NFL Business Blog

Super Bowl: Colts blowout of Saints wanted by Indy Mayor Ballard

This Super Bowl update: Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard wants a blowout game for the Colts v. the Saints (video above).

Mayor Greg Ballard

At the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party Saturday, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said "Everyone's predicting a close game; I'm not. Let's be honest. You know where I'm coming from." Ballard's appreciative of all of the enthusiasm shown for the New Orleans Saints and says they're a good story, especially around Miami's South Beach area, where one estimate has Saints fans outnumbering Colts fan "20 to 1".

Ballard, a 23-year Marine Vet, could not hide his competitive streak: "The Colts," Ballard says, "are on a team on a mission."

Another mission Ballard's a part of is readying Indianapolis to host the 2012 Super Bowl. Asked if the city had built enough hotels, Ballard assured all that the city was ready: "We've got the J.W. Marriott under construction," Ballard said, "That's a thousand rooms, and a big ballroom. Three other Marriotts going up around it", in addition to the other hotels and facilities that the city has made to meet NFL hotel room requirements of 24,500 rooms within an hour's drive of the stadium.

Super Bowl time: Warren Sapp arrested; hot high car spotted

Miami, South Beach, Florida - Super Bowl time: Warren Sapp arrested; hot high car spotted (video above).

It's Super Bowl time! This Super Bowl update is a mix of good and bad news. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive star and NFL Network Analyst Warren Sapp was arrested after allegedly committing some form of domestic violence against his girl friend Saturday morning in Miami.

 According to TMZ.com, Warren Sapp's explanation doesn't read any better than what his girlfriend told Miami Beach Police:

According to the Miami Beach Police Department, Sapp is accused of attacking his girlfriend of two years at around 5:00 AM Saturday at the Shore Club Hotel.

According to the arrest report, the alleged victim had "a swollen right knee and bruises on the back of her neck."

She claims Sapp allowed her to sleep in his hotel room -- then came into the room early in the morning and pulled her out of bed. The alleged victim says they began arguing about guys she was hanging out with earlier Friday night.

Sapp's girlfriend told cops that during the argument Sapp "grabbed her and began to choke her." He eventually threw her out of the room, she claims.

When cops spoke to Sapp, he told them he had allowed the woman to stay in his room -- but later on decided he wanted her to leave because "he was expecting company." He told police he was trying to help her and she fell.

Sapp "..decided he wanted her to leave because "he was expecting company." is a doozy. This blogger's a big fan of Warren Sapp as an NFL Legend, an NFL Network Analyst, and a TV star (he's a spokesperson for National Rent-A-Car), but Sapp should realize he's got a higher profile now and should not even be in a situation like that, regardless of the truth. Moreover, Sapp must measure his words. What Sapp said, if its true, implies that he had another woman coming over and wanted to get rid of her.

Geez.

On a much happier note, the Super Bowl in Miami draws all kinds of interesting sights and sounds, including interesting cars, like the one in the video above. It's a converted Chevy Impala with oversized wheels and a whole new drive train and suspension system. It was cruising down Collins Avenue in South Beach at about 10 PM and stopped traffic on the opposite side of the street. The driver was by himself and enjoying the Mardi Gras-like street party. When asked who he was rooting for, Saints or Colts, he said "I'll go with Who-Dat".

Stay tuned. And follow me on Twitter!

Snow totals cause State of Emergency in Pennsylvania, Delaware

High snow totals due to a bizzard-producing Noreaster caused a State of Emergency in Pennsylvania and Delaware today. The bad weather conditions from a major winter storm that came into the Mid-Atlantic region and hit Pennsylvania caused thousands to lose electricity.

A disaster emergency was declared at 6:30 am, as 60,000 people in Allegheny County are without power, and fallen trees and downed electric lines have make road travel unsafe, and in some cases impossible.

In addition to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and Delaware are under a disaster emergency watch. On Friday, most Federal Government offices closed.



Washington DC is described as a "paralyzed. The storm is called the biggest in the U.S. Capital's history.

Super Bowl gossip: Raiders affilate gives up on Jamarcus Russell

Miami, South Beach, FLA - The latest Super Bowl gossip has Oakland Raiders Quarterback Jamarcus Russell again painted as a person who doesn't care about being an improved player because he has his $30 million signing bonus.

This comes from a friend who's in a position to know. Late last night, I ran into him and his girlfriend at the 11th Street Diner in South Beach and we caught up. This person's a sports executive with close ties to a number of Raiders players, so he does know.

This blogger mentioned that he was excited that the Oakland Raiders brought in Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator. The response was "Let's hope he can do something with Jamarcus Russell. I doubt it." And he then went on to describe how a number of his offensive teammates like and hope the best for him, but consider Jamarcus Russell as someone who is more concerned about "his bling".

(That's earrings, and other jewelry some men like to wear.)

Frankly, what stops many young African American football skill position players from succeeding is a concern for bling and mink coats. This isn't being racist, but race conscious. It's also sending a message that black men like myself are sick and tired of such behavior and that Jamarcus Russell has to shape up, or he's going to be shipped out.

That's just a plain fact.

Jamarcus Russell is a man with a ton of talent, but he must change his look to an apparent desire to do more to improve his game. I contend, and did last night again, that a large part of Jamarcus Russell's problem is very poor coaching by the Oakland Raiders. I still make that assertion, but last night, my friend had the tone of a person who just gave up on Jamarcus Russell.

I haven't, but Jamarcus Russell has to put in the extra passing drill and film study work. Moreover, he has to do this: take off the earrings, forget the mink coat, and just go out and work. What he should do is make the calls himself to have meeting and drills with his coaches so that he can get better. Jamarcus Russell has to be proactive to counter this idea that he's got his $30 million and does not care about winning.