If you were busy getting your beer at the first moments of the game, you might have missed Sarah Ferguson, former Duchess of York, in a marvelous cameo placement. Schwab's ad is in fairy-tale form, and a lovely young girl is told a charming story about how she'll be carried off by a prince and taken care of for the rest of her life. Unless, says the divorced royal, it doesn't all work out. Then, she had better know her p-e ratios. Great message, funny set up, totally wasted on the testosterone-filled moments of the Super Bowl kickoff.
Context does matter in advertising.
I hope to see this ad resurface someplace where woman can respond to its dead-on punchline. The true test of any Super Bowl ad is in the coming months. Last year's game proved that the pricey ad time is no place for neophytes. In the coming year, we'll see if the well-capitalized veterans do any better. Then it's on to next year's extravaganza.