In fact, other than a few good ads, the Super Bowl advertisers of 2012 lacked creativity and originality. Volkswagen repeated its performance of 2011 as having the best commercial during the big game.  It’s ad for the new Beetle, featuring a dog committed to self improvement, won our hearts.  The Star Wars characters at the end of the commercial who compared the ad with last year’s was an incredibly creative way to connect two years of VW Super Bowl messages.

Madonna’s half-time performance (with LMFAO, Cee Lo Green and Nicki Minaj) had mixed reviews, but likely added a little something extra to the M&M’s campaign with her rendition of “I’m sexy and I know it.”

RIESTER’s Chief Creative Officer, Tom Ortega said “the only good commercial was the Chevy Mayan Calendar spot. For me, everything else either lacked a concept or was over-hyped. Madonna was the perfect half-time act for such a line up: over-hyped. No substance. Over produced. Dang good thing the Giants won. Otherwise I would have been disappointed.”

Alan Perkel, RIESTER’S Executive Director of Digital added, “the online experience was very strong, minimal delay, I’d guess only about :30 seconds. I had my laptop on and the LCD going. Very impressive.”  It was estimated that more than 60% of the Super Bowl audience had at least two screens (smart phone, iPad, computer, etc) in front of them while watching the game today.

Overall impressions: The M&M “Just My Shell“, Chevy’s Mayan Calendar commercial, Budweiser’s historic moments, VW’s Star Wars themed ads, and Acura’s adventure with Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno round out our top five.

Tim Riester and Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO Pete Griffin.

Last night Tim Riester received the 2011 Spirit of Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He was nominated by Big Brothers Big Sisters in recognition of the three years he served as Chairman of its Board of Directors.

During that time, Tim led a team that re-engineered the executive leadership of the organization which has resulted in improved financial stability and an increased number of children being mentored by the program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the nation’s top charitable organizations for youth. It matches children in need with adult volunteer mentors. The program results in dramatically improved academic performance and high school completion, reductions in drug use and decreased violent behaviors.

Thanks Tim for your service to the community!

Below is one of the many tens of thousands of success stories from Big Brother Big Sisters:

Morehead brings over 28 years of experience planning and buying traditional and digital media. He has managed media departments for several ad agencies and planned media campaigns for an impressive list of clients.

He began his advertising career in Chicago working in the media departments at Leo Burnett, DDB Needham Worldwide and BBDO. He advanced to direct the media staff at Louis London, Momentum, Brighton, and Adamson in St. Louis before joining Barkley in Kansas City where he most recently served as VP/Group Planning Director.

RIESTER's Scott Morehead.

“We conducted an extensive national search to find a media leadership professional with tremendous experience in digital media as well as traditional broadcast, print and outdoor media,” said RIESTER CEO Tim Riester. “Scott has all the expertise RIESTER’s clients need, plus his competitive spirit and approachable personality is a perfect match for RIESTER’s culture.”

Morehead has a deep understanding of how to maximize media dollars spent in today’s fast changing environment. “Today’s media reality is that the traditional interruption model has lost impact,” Morehead said. “We craft custom communication solutions for our clients that put strategic and creative communications in front of the best potential audience when and where it is relevant to their purchase consideration journey.”

He has experience in all categories of RIESTER’s client business including: financial services, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, energy, gaming, tourism, education and quick serve restaurants. Morehead has worked on media campaigns for clients including: H.J. Heinz Ketchup, Bud Light, Yoplait, General Mills, Kraft, Clorox, Wrigley, Minute Maid Orange Juice, Progresso, Earth’s Best Organic, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kawasaki, Casino Queen, the Missouri Lottery, St. Louis CVB, Dairy Queen, WestBridge Bank, and the University of Missouri.

Morehead is an economics graduate from DePauw University where he was the two-time captain of the varsity swim team. He also studied abroad in Bogota, Colombia. He is an active member of Coaches vs. Cancer.

About RIESTER

Creating and believing in our clients’ purpose, and caring about the sustainability of their brands’ success, has led to RIESTER becoming one of the largest independent advertising and public relations firms in the Western United States. RIESTER has the knowledge, experience, and resources to help businesses address important challenges in today’s vastly changing world. RIESTER offers services in advertising, interactive, media planning, public relations, multicultural marketing and public affairs.

PHOENIX– January 18, 2011—RIESTER (www.riester.com), a full-service marketing firm has added two high-profile clients, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations and the California Central Coast McDonald’s Advertising Co-op, to its client roster.

“Our tourism and McDonald’s teams are energized as they begin to build lasting relationships and develop effective marketing solutions for these prestigious new clients,” said Tim Riester, president and CEO of RIESTER. “We are extremely proud to team with such influential national companies to turn their consumers into life-long believers in their respective brands.”

ARAMARK Parks and Destinations has enlisted RIESTER for development and fulfillment of an online consumer engagement marketing strategy, the launch of its multi-property social media initiative and public relations services. As a leading provider of outdoor vacations and adventures, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations is the steward of several federally-protected parks located in and around pristine areas in the United States. The parks include Alaska’s Glacier Bay and Denali National Parks and Preserve, Washington State’s Olympic National Park, Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park, destinations such as Lake Powell, in Utah and Arizona and many other cultural attractions and lodges detailed at www.aramarkparksanddestinations.

An experienced McDonald’s agency, RIESTER has been providing marketing and advertising services to McDonald’s co-ops in Idaho and Oregon since 1991. With the acquisition of assets from the New Mexico advertising firm Rick Johnson & Company (RJC), RIESTER is broadening its McDonald’s services into California. On January 1, 2011 RIESTER became the agency of record for the California Central Coast McDonald’s Advertising Co-op with restaurants from northern Los Angeles to Monterey.

About RIESTER

As one of the top marketing firms in the Western United States, RIESTER offers its clients a complete range of services, including: research, brand planning, media planning and buying, broadcast and print ad creative services, public relations, government relations, digital and multi-cultural marketing. The agency has offices in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. Visit us on the web at www.riester.com.

Huge Congratulations for this significant milestone!

RIESTER CEO Tim Riester and the firm's Strategic Planning Director for Idahoan Foods, DJ Paternoster, celebrate in front of one of the world's largest potatoes while attending Idahoan's national sales meeting at the foothills of the Grand Tetons.

RIESTER, and especially Tim Riester, has a long history of working with and promoting the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

From the Big Brothers Big Sisters website: “Like the look of this website? It’s no wonder – it was designed and created by the best in the business! RIESTER is a longtime partner of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. This partnership includes a 3 year stint by RIESTER CEO Tim Riester as Chairman of our Board of Directors. RIESTER’s interactive team went all out with our new website design! For that, and for all of your support with volunteers, events, advertising…the list goes on and on…all of us here at Big Brothers Big Sisters would like to say THANK YOU RIESTER!”

On behalf of RIESTER, thank you Big Brothers Big Sisters for the work you do for our community. Providing pro bono work to such a worthy organization is rewarding for us.

Thank you as well to the outstanding members of my team here at RIESTER for their work on this site.

Visit the new website.