Mark’s Musings – February 6, 2019

Mark Fortune

Well, that is certainly a turn of events. The temperature going from 10 below zero and several inches of snow on the ground last week to a high of over 50 degrees and a lot less snow on the ground on Monday, Feb. 4 as I write this week’s column. Hopefully you managed to get some sleigh riding in!

The Super Bowl? Some claim it was boring – and it was the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history which is saying something considering the rules that are now in place to protect the quarterback that did not exist back in the days of Bradshaw, Montana, Elway and other greats of the game. And yes, I did have a hard time throwing that last name in there being a Browns fan and all. But as the saying goes, defense wins championships. I am not sure who coined that phrase but it gets tossed around about as much as the Rams quarterback did.

It was cool to see someone besides Tom Brady win the MVP – none other than former Kent State Golden Flash quarterback Julian Edelman. And also cool – Muskingum University alum of 2000 – Josh Boyer – is the New England Patriots cornerbacks coach and picked up his third championship ring with the team.

Now let’s talk about the commercials. Also boring? Your opinion? Well, the NFL’s very own two minute commercial featuring too many greats to mention in this column was ranked the number one spot according to Ad Meter / USA Today. But I thought that several of the ads lacked a sense of purpose and branding which left you wondering who it was for? I can recall prior years when the majority of the spots were, as they say, spot on. Notice I did not mention the halftime show–what? On the other hand, the singing of The National Anthem was a powerful performance by Gladys Knight.

Other noteworthy spots in the top five included the Amazon Alexa spot with Harrison Ford, Microsoft’s “We All Win” spot, Hyundai’s spot “The Elevator” and the spot featuring the Coach thanking the First Responders who saved his life–which was a Verizon spot–although I did not know that.

Sometimes it seems that these marketing geniuses – for all of their talent – and the time and money invested to prepare a Super Bowl spot – just seem to miss the obvious point of a commercial – which is to ensure that people remember your brand. Or at least that’s what I thought it was supposed to do? But on the other hand, several of the messages were inspiring and hit an emotional trigger.

Let’s enjoy the weather this week–we never know what might be coming down the pike as the saying goes–but we do know what’s coming in Coshocton–it’s time for the annual Chocolate Extravaganza!!! This deliciously sweet event features local homemade decadent treats for all ages and is the primary fundraiser for the Pomerene Center for the Arts. Plan now to attend–it’s at the Coshocton County Career Center this Saturday, Feb. 9–you can find out more details on the time and cost inside this issue of The Beacon.

You can also check out the selection of Valentine’s Day ads inside this issue–take advantage of the local selection of restaurants, florists, bakers, gift shops, jewelers and more to pick up a gift for your significant other. The important thing is to shop local.

Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion