Balance of Food

Ranking food and drink Super Bowl LIII ads

The Burger King Super Bowl ad used footage from the 1982 film 66 Scenes of America from Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth. The fact that the Heinz ketchup doesn't pour well lends authenticity since Heinz promoted the thickness of its ketchup throughout the 1970s. The Whopper is also very minimalist, so if there are other ingredients, they aren't visible.

We are invited in the ad to #EatLikeAndy, which would be inviting if we could consume the product from that time. The bun Warhol eats likely didn't have high-fructose corn syrup and the ketchup would have been free of high-fructose corn syrup. That burger would taste better than the current model.

Leth said in an interview that Warhol initially suggested they use McDonald's.

Unlike most companies who use dead celebrities, you could likely conclude that Warhol would appreciate the idea of using the footage in an ad.

The target audience of younger people may not be that familiar with Warhol. If people are going to #EatLikeAndy, they will eat a small bite of a Whopper and not eat any other Burger King food.

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Kristin Chenoweth was in the latest Avocados from Mexico ad with a reverse play on dog shows where human performed the tricks. The guacamole was incorporated in the ad unlike a lot of food ads. This ad was closer to the best than the worst of the Avocados from Mexico ads. The hard part is that avocados haven't looked as good in the stores and have gone up in price. Then again, the avocados I saw in the Santa Monica farmers market last week looked gorgeous. I would pay more to get the avocados of old.

Chenoweth added sparkle to the ad and nice on the part to have a female lead in the series of ads.

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Super Bowl ads can be good to publicize a little known company. Devour frozen foods from Kraft Heinz have been around for about 3 years. That was literally news to me. The ad features a couple where the husband has turned into the "3-minute man" — a double entendre that ties into the food porn mentality of the company. The entrees are more exotic than typical frozen food.

The ad was rather good to spark curiosity. However, frozen food doesn't inspire food porn IRL.

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Chance The Rapper combined with the Backstreet Boys to remake I Want It That Way for the new Flamin' Hot flavor for Doritos. I remembered the song but had to look up which boy group did the song. Yes, I recognized Chance better than the Backstreet Boys. Flamin' hot snacks have a certain niche appeal and this ad will help out that flavor. That said: Cheetos (fellow Frito-Lay product) does it pretty well. A good ad for the target audience for the product.

Super Bowl ad analysis in recent years

2018   2017   2016   2015   2014   2013   2011

Corn syrup came up in a non-food ad for Bud Light. The Budweiser product noted that Miller Lite and Coors Light had corn syrup while Bud Light did not. Corn syrup is different from high-fructose corn syrup but having corn syrup in a beer does seem odd. Then again, there are beers outside of the 3 listed options that taste better and don't have corn syrup.

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Pringles had another stackables ad. The concept hasn't changed, incorporating jalapeno, cheddar, as well as sour cream and onion. The problem is that people aren't going to buy 3 different canisters to produce these combinations. The ad hits the target audience but will get lost in the wave of Super Bowl ads that were more clever.

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Planters had a really good ad, complete with a Planters peanut-shaped vehicle and a funny Charlie Sheen cameo. Mr. Peanut saves a guy from eating kale chips, giving him mixed nuts. The only drawback was having Alex Rodriguez in the ad. Planters promotes protein; Rodriguez is known for (allegedly) using steroids. He didn't get strong (allegedly) from eating nuts. Rodriguez doesn't add anything to the ad and is a detriment.

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Drink and candy ads were:

• Michael Bublé for Bubly. This felt like a spin-off on the Bai Super Bowl commercial with Justin Timberlake and Christopher Walken. The latter ad will be better remembered than the 2019 spin-off.
• The Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer ad was a bit muddled in the beginning and kept thinking this was a goof ad. If this ad keeps running, the ad may improve with more visiblity.
• The Pepsi ad with Steve Carell, Cardi B, and Lil Jon fell within the Pepsi ad spectrum where the ad is about visual distractions. I've never seen a Pepsi ad to this day that reflects on the quality of the actual product. The commercial also likely suffered being at the end of the first quarter when people are running for the bathrooms.
• Christina Applegate was in a cute spot for the M&Ms chocolate bar. This ad actually incorporated the product since the M&Ms were stuck together in the chocolate bar. Was fun watching the actress who played Kelly Bundy be the mom. A good ad that will need more exposure in the coming weeks.

photo credit: Burger King

What's Tempting: All you can eat at Long John Silver's

As a scrawny kid who was fixated on the fine cuisine of Long John Silver's, if you had told me that someday I could have an all-you-can-eat Long John Silver's dinner, I would cry with joy.

Like most things kids wish for, the reality as an adult is not as exciting.

If I were an adult who needed to gain a few pounds, the reality of an all-you-can-eat Long John Silver's dinner would be an ideal invitation. Unfortunately, these days needing to lose a few pounds is the reality.

Despite the current weight status, I came across those words that would have made me happy as a child. On Sundays, you could get all you can eat at Long John Silver's. I decided to indulge the kid within me to experience an all-you-can-eat Long John Silver's meal.

The deal was fish or chicken with 2 sides and 3 hush puppies. The 2 piece fish dinner with 2 sides and hush puppies was $7.29. The all you can eat special was $7.99.

The kid in me would have picked chicken but I actually went for the fish. In recent times, the chicken pieces haven't always been consistent. The other logic was that fish would be lighter, even with the breading, and I could eat more of the fish.

They started me with 2 pieces of fish with the fixings. While I ate Long John Silver's 1-2 times a year even as an adult, I had ordered fish or chicken by the piece. So this was my reintroduction to fries, cole slaw, and hush puppies.

The fries were hot and average with little taste. The cole slaw was slightly above average but perhaps was more appetizing since this was the only portion of the meal that wasn't deep fried. I remember the hush puppies being darker than the ones I got. Darker usually means tastier with fried food.

The fish was what I came for and most of the focus was on the fish. I paced the fries so that most of the fries would be gone through 2 pieces. I only nibbled on the hush puppies since they didn't offer much satisfaction. I ate most of the slaw through 2 pieces.

The fixings can slow down the momentum of the all-you-can-eat experience. But they were also part of the challenge. I did wonder if the fixings were unlimited, but I had no interest in eating beyond the servings I received.

The spirit of the unlimited is that you can't take anything with you. The crumblies are the exception to the rule only in that they are barely food. For those who aren't Long John Silver's fans, crumblies are the leftover pieces of deep fried batter. They are not healthy by any definition but they do taste good.

The chain has served crumblies for years but in recent times, they have acknowledged the crumblies as part of the experience.

The best moment, perhaps even more than the food, was going to the counter to get another piece of fish. I waited for what seemed less than a minute and I had a piece of fish to add on to my meal. No money was transacted.

I realized in the middle of the fish piece #3 that the meal was going to stop at 3 pieces of fish. If I had been younger and weighed less, maybe I had a shot at 4 pieces of fish. I wasn't going to suffer over the deal, especially since I had beaten the system. Without the fixings, I might have had 4 pieces of fish but we'll never know.

I might have had 4 pieces if we could choose a mixture of fish and chicken. I realized that the setup was geared in one direction for a reason.

Traditions can go on, even if we cut down on their foods

BalanceofFood.com fast food coverage

BalanceofFood.com What's Tempting coverage

I did this for lunch instead of dinner so that might have cut down on the amount. I also walked a mile to the restaurant and would walk a mile back. I also drank water to make up for the salt and not spend calories on soft drinks.

The Long John Silver's approach to all-you-can-eat doesn't fit the typical pattern. Everything was deep fried except for the cole slaw, though you can choose 2 non-fried side dishes. A true all-you-can-eat dining experience should have a bit more variety. But fast food offers very few all-you-can-eat options. Red Robin offers bottomless steak fries. Olive Garden offers unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks.

You might think an all-you-can-eat experience is a roadblock on a good eating program. Sometimes having such an experience can free you up on how you think about food. This meal did offer a bit of variety; a non fast food option can provide more extensive variety of different flavors and textures.

While this might seem a horrifying curveball on the way toward better eating, sometimes the most unusual detour can make you appreciate the progress that you made.

photos credit: me

Ranking food and drink Super Bowl LII ads

Food advertisers aren't rising to the occasion for Super Bowl ads of late as we definitely saw last night during Super Bowl LII. Still, there were a few intriguing ads.

Avocadoes from Mexico had a nice comeback from last year. The secret society concept was adjusted to have a self-contained universe where they had everything they needed, including avocadoes from Mexico.

Someone discovers that the chips are not in the self-contained universe. Panic ensues. A woman at the buffet table points out that you don't need chips to enjoy avocadoes.

This ad was reasonably clever, and light years ahead of last year's ad. This ad also told us something about the product, a trait rarely found in a Super Bowl ad. Since most of the play of these ads is well past the date of the Super Bowl, the 2018 ad should have a larger impression through February and March.

Doritos Blaze gave us an idea of how hot their new chip flavor is in the taste spectrum. We don't know what kind of hot Blaze is but it's hot. Having Peter Dinklage mouth the rhymes of Busta Rhymes looks good in a Super Bowl ad but not sure how well the ad will translate beyond the days after Super Bowl LII. Consumers will have a basic idea about Doritos Blaze but may be more clueless about what make Mountain Dew Ice distinct. Morgan Freeman mouthing Missy Elliott was interesting to look at but might not play too well come late February.

Wendy's reminded us for the second year in a row that its beef is not frozen as opposed to McDonald's burgers being frozen. Pounding a point home can be a good way to use a Super Bowl ad but this difference may not be the reason why most people pick Wendy's over McDonald's. This ad was slightly better than last year's ad mostly because this year's edition didn't use a lame version of a classic rock song.

Bill Hader is not someone I would think of as being Super Bowl ad material, but the Pringles ad was pretty decent. Reminding consumers of the many flavors is a smart choice. The ad uses that variety to sell different flavors of the standard chip. The visual is also about the stacking of the chips, showcasing their unique shape. The ad should play better beyond the Super Bowl timeframe. The exotic flavors also appeal to younger audiences, a key snacking demographic.

Super Bowl ad analysis in recent years

2017   2016   2015   2014   2013   2011

Kraft had a nice ad that didn't mention food at all, but showed us how you family. There were a lot of endearing ads this year. The Kraft ad was very nice but could get easily lost behind ads such as the Hyundai one with cancer patients.

We won't spend too much time on ads that involved candy and soft drinks. The Danny DeVito M&Ms ad was clever and will last well beyond the Super Bowl. "Do you want to eat me?" might exist in your nightmares but you will remember.

The Coca-Cola ad was cute about different likes and loves, but this pattern neglects why someone would drink a Coca-Cola. The company might want to spend some money on that topic. That ad makes a lot more sense than what the company is doing to Diet Coke. The twisted mango ad might be the worst Super Bowl ad I've seen in awhile. The young woman didn't seem to understand what the product was, a similar thought to diet soft drink consumers everywhere. If your spokesperson is bored, trust that we are bored too.

videos credit: the companies behind the ads

A tale of 2 fast food justification ads from Subway Canada and A&W Canada

This is the story of two fast food chains in Canada. Each restaurant recently ran what I call a justification ad during the NHL Center Ice free preview in early April.

One of these chains ran the ad mostly because of a recent scandal. One of these chains is known to be much healthier than the other one. But which ad was more meaningful? You might be surprised.

Subway Canada chicken comes up short on chicken, according to CBC Marketplace

Subway Canada ran a justification ad after a scandal where a CBC Marketplace investigation revealed that in a lab test, the chicken in the Oven Roasted Chicken Sandwich had an average chicken DNA of 53.6% and the chicken strips in the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki was 42.8% chicken DNA.

Subway started out talking about fresh vegetables. The visual was small farms, but the wording was peculiar.

"What does quality mean to Subway?" A rather good question.

The ad talks about fresh vegetables day in and day out "partnering with hundreds of growers, including many family-run farms, who deliver over 50 million pounds of vegetables in a year."

You probably heard "family-run farms" or maybe even "family farms." But you certainly got the impression that most of those growers are not family-run farms. And is there a distinction between "family-run farms" and "family farms."

Subway certainly goes through a lot of vegetables, though quantity doesn't mean quality. While I have never eaten at a Subway Canada, I certainly have had quite a few sandwiches in the United States, though not recently. I was never that impressed with the vegetables. The worst tomato slices on a regular basis and iceberg lettuce weren't inspirational.

"100% white meat chicken with seasoning and marinade free of artificial colours and flavours."
"At Subway, we're committed to serving great tasting quality chicken you can feel good about in every bite in every sub every day."

Subway will not let the chicken thing die. Instead of letting the dust settle, the company is suing CBC and running this ad, 2 things I would have advised the company not to do. I would have advised the company to threaten to sue, but only because that convinces enough people that you did sue.

In the Marketplace episode, one person in the focus group thought one of the Subway Canada samples had fake grill marks. That may not fall under "colours and flavours," but still feels a bit weird. The marinade (perhaps) in the competitors only dropped the percentages by 10-15 percentage points.

Subway may be "committed" but the results haven't backed that up. Start out with dubious wording about vegetables that never mentions the quality of the product, and follow it up with what is almost certain to be a lie, and you have an ad that screams "deceiving."

People went back to eating Taco Bell taco filling even after the restaurant troubles. Subway can't leave well enough alone.

Drinks in frosted glass mugs. Makes onion rings fresh every day. "Believes the quality of a burger begins with its beef" meaning raised without the use of hormones/steroids.

"What kind of place cares as much about what goes into their food as how it tastes?"

The premise is pretty weak. Frosted mugs and hand-made onion rings aren't going to dazzle you. And we already knew the beef doesn't have hormones or steroids.

U.S. fast food outlets don't sing about the quality of their food, outside of Wendy's fresh, not frozen, beef.

I haven't had too much food from A&W Canada but the food I have had is fairly recent. I'm not sure their food stacks up as well as they think it does.

But the commercial feels honest, straightforward and not filled with deception, even if the topic is burgers and fries. A&W may not be all that high and mighty but you feel like everything you are told is true.

BalanceofFood.com advertising coverage

You could watch the Subway Canada ad without paying attention, and not know about the scandal, and be convinced that the Subway Canada is the better ad. You could laugh at the idea of a burger and fries place running such a justification ad.

Canadian ads from 2017 spring NHL Center Ice free preview

We have a couple of food ads in the spring update of Canadian ads via the NHL Center Ice free preview.

Swiss Chalet took us on a world flavor tour, including butter chicken. Montana's offered up a 7 oz. steak, no specific cut, with 2 sides for $14.99, a price that seem expensive compared to U.S. prices.

You can find the update here.

video and photo grabs: Subway Canada/A&W Canada

Subway Canada chicken comes up short on chicken, according to CBC Marketplace

Americans might remember the case against the Taco Bell Beefy Crunchy Burrito where the allegation was that the taco filling contained less than 35% beef, below the ridiculous low USDA standard that taco filling "must contain at least 40 percent fresh meat."

Stephen Colbert opens up can of sand as Taco Bell lawsuit gets more publicity

By those standards, the chicken at Subway Canada is "meaty" by comparison.

Marketplace, a CBC-TV investigative show, conducted research on fast food chicken in Canada. The other major fast food chicken scored between 84.9% chicken DNA (McDonald's Country Chicken) to 89.4% chicken DNA (A&W Chicken Grill Deluxe). Tim Hortons Chipotle Chicken Grilled Wrap (86.5%) and Wendy's Grilled Chicken Sandwich (88.5%) were the other major contenders.

The Subway samples scored considerably lower than the others; the Marketplace team got more Subway chicken to sample.

Marketplace sampled the Subway Oven Roasted Chicken Sandwich: its average chicken DNA was 53.6%. The average of the Subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki chicken strips was 42.8% chicken DNA.

With other ingredients and marinating, 100% isn't viable. The other major fast food chicken scored in a reasonable range. The Subway chicken ended up with a lot of soy, according to the Marketplace research.

Still better than the Taco Bell taco filling allegations but not likely what Canadians want in their fast food chicken.

"SUBWAY Canada cannot confirm the veracity of the results of the lab testing you had conducted. However, we are concerned by the alleged findings you cite with respect to the proportion of soy content. Our chicken strips and oven roasted chicken contain 1% or less of soy protein. We use this ingredient in these products as a means to help stabilize the texture and moisture. All of our chicken items are made from 100% white meat chicken which is marinated, oven roasted and grilled. We tested our chicken products recently for nutritional and quality attributes and found it met our food quality standards. We will look into this again with our supplier to ensure that the chicken is meeting the high standard we set for all of our menu items and ingredients." — Statement from Subway Canada to Marketplace

Subway Canada says it plans to sue the CBC for $210 million. The company issued its own tests after the Marketplace finding, though those findings did not address the issue of chicken DNA. CBC posted its findings online on the tests.

CBC Marketplace chicken episode (CBC News)

The CBC television show noted that the fast food chicken overall had about 25% less protein than in a home-cooked equivalent and 7-10 times the sodium levels of pure chicken.

Registered dietitian Christy Brissette noted on the show that most of the fillers are variations on salt or sugar. The sugar adds carbohydrates to a product that, unadulterated, has 0% carbohydrates.

BalanceofFood.com Canada coverage

BalanceofFood.com fast food coverage

The show pointed out that the soy protein filler and other fillers were designed to bring the cost of the product down. You think you are getting chicken in your fast food chicken or beef in your fast food taco filling. They start with 100% chicken or 100% beef but starting isn't finishing.

Fast food in the United States and Canada is a game. We will trick you into thinking you are eating what you think you are getting. You will get us not too much money for stuff that contains food. 

As long as you know fast food is a game, then you know the rules. If you are going to do fast food, know the rules. Or pick places that are less likely to play the game.

The 4 people the show gathered as taste testers were fast food aficionados. They seemed surprised that what they were getting was not 100% chicken. Those who frequent fast food the most should be the ones that really know how the fast food game is played.

The best way to "Eat Fresh" is to buy quality ingredients and make them yourself. The home-cooked chicken scored best among the taste testing. The chef used a few herbs and some salt. No carbohydrates, no fillers, no soy. Just chicken and spices. 

photo credit: Marketplace/CBC

Checking out Canadian food ads from 2017 winter NHL Center Ice

Editor's note: The following is a slightly condensed version of a feature from our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com. The full feature can be found here. The column is reprinted here with full and complete permission.

We've seen milk and sports in ads in the United States but they're usually pumping up chocolate milk, regardless of the sweetener. And quite frankly, most milk ads are lame or awful (such as TruMoo's "no junk food please" ad).

The Dairy Farmers of Canada ran a pair of ads designed to promote milk drinking. They are clever, interesting, memorable, and not a single word about chocolate milk.

The first ad mocks the standard beer commercial about which drink to turn to after the game. The outdoor hockey with men above the standard NHL age level adds a nice Canadian touch.

The second ad plays on the classic "no use crying over spilled milk" line. What would happen if the milk was so good that it would be worth a tear or two?

Coca-Cola pool ad explores sexuality already standard in Canadian ads

We already gave a spotlight to the Tim Hortons perfect partners campaign, with the parallel of food pairings and human pairings. (Click here if you missed this ad.) This is the latest Tim Hortons Roll up and Win promo. There are no donuts, food, or coffee in the ad but if you are looking for a taste of Canadiana, this ad will help.

McDonald's in Canada and the United States seem to be run in parallel universes. The Canadian version has had a double Big Mac for some time ready for the U.S. to steal. The U.S. goes in a confusing Big Mac direction with Goldilocks and the Three Bears type serving sizes or A&W Canada that has established this hierarchy (Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger). Meanwhile, McDonald's Canada decided the Big Mac just needed bacon. The burger comes with the argument as to whether bacon takes away the Big Mac name for the new sandwich. Sometimes in this world, it's fun having an argument where no one really cares who is right.

Speaking of A&W Canada, this chicken burger ad looks like it is set on a high school campus. The theme of chicken not raised on antibiotics continues. The message is that the chicken is this good but doesn't cost too much, especially for the high-school audience. U.S. outlets will sell a chicken sandwich on a hamburger bun but it would never be a chicken burger. Canadians buy burgers identified as such made from chicken, lamb, and other animals not associated with a burger in the States.

Swiss Chalet is encouraging people to bring a buddy in its 2 can dine for $14.99 deal. The quarter-chicken deal with roll, side, and Swiss Chalet sauce is a pretty good deal for $7.50 Canadian. The food isn't exciting but you will get full. I finally got a chance to do Swiss Chalet last summer — yes with someone else. I did feel more Canadian afterward. Someday, I'll do Boston Pizza.

videos credit: companies featured in ads

Coca-Cola pool ad small step toward inclusivity in food ads

The pool boy is at work. We see a young woman eyeing the pool boy. Then we see a young man doing the same thing. The siblings battle to see who could deliver a Coca-Cola bottle before the other one. The mother ends up getting to the pool boy with a sandwich and a Coke long before the siblings make it.

The new Coca-Cola is global and that includes the United States, a country that hasn't done a whole lot with gays and lesbians in advertising. When the ad runs in the United States, the theme will be a new experience for Americans. And let's be honest, the approach is relatively tame: this ad only shows that a man could be interested in another man.

Our friends at CanadianCrossing.com, our sister blog, have noticed a pattern of gay/lesbian friendly ads in Canada, including a campaign for Tim Hortons perfect partners. The ad include a gay couple that had their first date at Tim Hortons.

American companies worry about criticism from conservative elements in society. But as we've seen, when presented as no big deal, the reaction becomes no big deal. Tim Hortons didn't make a big deal; the couple is one of several pairings in the ad.

For more on this topic, check out the story at CanadianCrossing.com.

Ranking food and drink Super Bowl LI ads

We saw some really amazingly clever and emotional Super Bowl LI ads. Too bad most of those ads were for cars (I'm no longer in a job that covers cars) and beer. As for the food and drink ads, most of them were okay. But this wasn't the year for food and drink in Super Bowl ads.

The King's Hawaiian Rolls ad was by far the best of the food ads. The ad built on the existing ad campaign of hiding the rolls because they are so good. The dad has a secret compartment in the kitchen not realizing the kid finds them in the grandfather clock. The ad also mentions the new BBQ sauces that are coming this spring. While mixing more than a message in an ad that costs $5.1 million combined with a future message can cut back on the value, the BBQ sauces mention is growth for the company. Presuming this ad will run for awhile, the BBQ sauces become more relevant in the next few months. Just don't make the Blackberry mistake of promoting a product people couldn't get for awhile.

Snickers has a great campaign and has run memorable Super Bowl ads. This was not one of them. Even if you had sound where you were watching the game, the live ad didn't stand out at all. The Western theme dulled the impact of the candy bar. The dialogue was meant to be jumpy because it was live. The beauty of the ads is that one person is jumpy while everyone else is normal. This ad felt like everyone on the set, including the camera person and the director, was hypoglycemic and needed a candy bar with peanuts.

Avocadoes from Mexico had a decent concept on paper: a secret society that isn't so secret. One of the secrets is that avocadoes have good fat. This ad would have been more relevant if the group had just started the ad campaign. The group has run better ads during the Super Bowl and this was not one of them. The brief Jon Lovitz appearance, which had been teased online, had no purpose yet 30 seconds of Lovitz might have been a better sell.

Super Bowl ad analysis in recent years

2016   2015   2014   2013   2011

Those ads were way better than the attempt for pistachios with an elephant on a treadmill. Did the pistachios make him fall? Promoting the protein advantage for pistachios is a good thing (actual nutrition) though you might have wondered whether the elephant would rather have a Snickers.

The two fast food ads were okay to what the hell. Wendy's used Foreigner's current lead singer Kelly Hansen and the group's updated version of Cold As Ice to pound home the theme that Wendy's fast food burgers are fresh, never frozen. Most millennials (sadly) probably can't tell the difference between that version and the Lou Gramm classic. This would have been a better spot at the beginning of this campaign, but the use of the song drives the point home better than the previous spots.

Analyzing food ads from Super Bowl 50

KFC continues to dilute its brand with the Georgia gold ads. The newest KFC "Colonel" is Billy Zane, who I honestly mistook for Kiefer Sutherland. At least Zane is closer to the Colonel than Rob Riggle, who also appears in the ad. Riggle is the literal opposite of Colonel Sanders' gentile image. As we noted, Jim Gaffigan was the best pick of the actors in the role. But KFC has OCD when it comes to replacing the Colonel, a concept that was funny about the time last year when Gaffigan replaced Norm Macdonald. Meanwhile the signature dishes are ignored for honey mustard barbecue. At least Nashville hot chicken is a thing outside of KFC.

McDonald's had a Super Bowl ad but we only count ads that run from 6:30 pm Eastern to the conclusion of the game. But the campaign has definitely taken the "Big" out of the Big Mac.

The Internet went crazy for the Bai ad with Christopher Walken with Justin Timberlake. I like a subtle Super Bowl ad, and Walken reciting 'N Sync lyrics was pretty hilarious. The ad is much better than the product that doesn't off much of anything. Bai probably isn't bad for you, but there isn't much there there.

I'm not a fan of Lebron James or Sprite, but I loved the non-promotion within a promotion within the ad. James told us he won't say "drink Sprite" even if everything else tells us that message. A beautiful ad that will unfortunately led to more Sprite consumption. I don't drink too many soft drinks but you can do better than Sprite.

What's Tempting: Real treats from childhood

Coca-Cola ran an ad that reinforces its tradition, tying food to the soft drink. I love the message in the ad, even if it belongs to a time 40 years ago when the soft drink taste could back that up. The food is modern, but the Coca-Cola to go with it existed 40 years ago in the United States. I'm fascinated by the use of nostalgia to sell a current product that isn't relevant to the current product. The Little Debbie's campaign leaps to mind where the ad wants you to go back in a non-existent time machine. A good ad for a product you can only get if you buy Coca-Cola in almost any country other than the United States or Canada.

"Fiji water is a gift from nature to us to repay our gift of leaving it completely alone. Bottled at the source, untouched by man. It's Earth's finest water."

This is the content of the Fiji water ad in Super Bowl LI. English teachers and philosophers would have a joyous time breaking down the first sentence. Fiji water clearly isn't left alone since you are drinking the water. So nature is giving us a gift that goes against the spirit of the gift. That doesn't sound like something nature would do to us. Untouched by man is skeptical since man is bottling the water. The people who are drinking bottled water probably feel bad about fresh water reserves or how the people of Flint need bottled water because the state of Michigan made deliberate decisions to give Flint residents water that they couldn't use for drinking or bathing.

Or perhaps the people who can afford Fiji water can afford to not think about these questions.

At least that was an ad for water. I almost missed the Life WTR ad that didn't sell any water.

BalanceofFood.com advertising coverage

Skittles qualifies as food in that you can eat it. The Skittles ad about the lovelorn boy throwing Skittles into an open window was cute and a little over the top. This was the kind ad Skittles should run in a Super Bowl. Skittles will run this ad into the ground and eventually you will be sick of it. But that won't happen for awhile so enjoy.

videos credit: the companies in the ads

Manulife insurance advertises ways to stay healthy

A health insurance company that helps its customers be healthy? This sounds like a foreign concept to those trapped in a for-profit health care system in the United States.

In this case, the concept really is foreign since the new Manulife Vitality program is in Canada. The TV ad campaign shows people debating between choices. When they make the right choice, they get a surprise appearance from long-time Toronto Argonauts player and coach Pinball Clemons.

Choosing stairs over an escalator; apples over chips; a bicycle over a car. Small steps but they do add up.

The insurance program gives rewards and offers discounts based on healthy living choices.

The campaign puts people right on the cusp of the fork in the road. My local grocery store has stairs right next to an escalator as you walk into the store. Most of the time, I take the stairs. Sometimes the escalator wins out. But most people don't think about the stairs when an escalator is there.

An apple versus chips isn't usually a visible choice but we are surrounded by invisible choices. We have apples in the crisper in the refrigerator and chips in the cupboard. The visual reminds us we have healthy and less-than-healthy food scenarios all around us. What we choose matters.

The bicycle vs. car isn't as likely but we all have seen scenarios where people drive a very short distance.

I discovered this campaign while analyzing Canadian ads for the fall version of the NHL Center Ice free preview. The power of television can make an impact on a society. If you watch someone choose an apple over chips, you can visualize making the same choice for yourself.

videos credit: Manulife Canada

What's Tempting: Adult Halloween candy

Adult Halloween candy sounds a bit dirty like erotic lollipops carried as part of a "naughty schoolgirl" costume. Fortunately, this column doesn't get any dirtier than the previous sentence.

Kids think about Halloween candy as a reality starting on October 31. Adults start thinking about Halloween candy much earlier. Chances are you already have bought some or all of the Halloween candy.

Some people can't handle having the bags of candy in their house, waiting for the big day. They might feel tempted to break open a bag to try out the candy. But we have good news: you can buy Halloween candy just for adults.

Buy some really nice chocolate for yourself. High quality, dark chocolate. If you enjoy the nonpareils, the chocolate drops with the shiny white "beads" on them, this is your time.

Not everyone who buys Halloween candy is a parent, but they are adults. Parents understand the concept of "this is for adults" and "this is for children." The idea is to create a separation in the house. The "adult" candy is for the adults; the "children" candy is for the children.

The candy you buy for yourself shouldn't be that tempting to the child. They won't want you to break into that supply for them. Kids know that their focus has to be on the candy valuable to them. They can't waste time on the idea of candy that isn't in their wheelhouse.

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Children are smart enough to know the difference between adult and child candy. Adults are smarter than children, so by transitive property, adults should really know the impact of adult candy vs. children candy.

So what does having "adult candy" accomplish in a household?

• The children candy no longer is a temptation. It's not for you. That candy serves you no purpose. Besides, you have your own candy.
• You're still eating candy. But adult candy is not as binge-worthy as children candy. Adult candy is consumed in smaller amounts and meant to be savored.
• Adult candy takes longer to consume. So you can't make the excuse that you are out of candy for yourself when you still have candy.
• Eating less candy over a long period of time is still eating candy but you consume far fewer calories with better taste.
• If you have adult candy, watching children eat their candy isn't a trigger since your candy is an option.

This idea of adults eating children candy doesn't come up in September or July. The children candy at the supermarket checkout isn't a consideration in March or August. October is a trigger month because candy is everywhere.

This battle between adult candy vs. children candy isn't so much about candy, but about nostalgia. I loved 3 Musketeers bars as a kid, especially if they were a little bit cold. For about 35 days a year, a 3 Musketeers bar is tempting. The bar is tempting not because of the taste of the candy bar but, because, nostalgia.

I remember eating a 3 Musketeers bar. I also remember eating bologna sandwiches as a child. I don't want to go back to eating bologna sandwiches or 3 Musketeers bars.

My nostalgia is for Kentucky Fried Chicken back when the chicken was cooked to a dark brown on the outside. My nostalgia is for a time when you could buy a soft drink off the shelf, any soft drink, and know that high-fructose corn syrup was a strange concept that wouldn't make sense to the palate.

When I do have a need for candy or something sweet, I have a list of possible adult sweet options. Children candy isn't on the radar.

My tastes are not the same as when I was a child, thank goodness. My adult palate is much more enjoyable. I appreciate nonpareils.

"Member berries" is a creation from the current season of South Park. Eating the member berries brings back nostalgia, the yearning for a simpler time. The berries themselves talk about some past time and memory.

Have those wonderful memories of being a child eating Halloween candy. Enjoy those memories. But you don't have to relive those memories for yourself.

Give out Halloween candy to children. Watch the joy in their eyes. If you have kids, watch them eat their candy. Live the Halloween candy experience through others. You have had your fun with children candy. Embrace your adult candy, adult tastes. Let children enjoy their candy; you enjoy your candy.

photo credit: South Park/Comedy Central