OUR PANEL

Tim Gibson, executive vice president/creative director and partner at Freedman, Gibson & White Advertising, a 42-year-old, full-service advertising agency. Clients include Broadwing, Gold Star Chili, Firstar and the HoneyBaked Ham Co.         Peter Jeffery, president and chief executive of Gee Jeffery & Partners Cincinnati, an advertising and brand-management agency with a parent company based in Toronto. The first U.S. headquarters was founded in Cincinnati in 2000. He has a degree in economics from the University of London.         Erik Hardin, a 17-year-old senior at Purcell Marian High School. He is a Pleasant Ridge resident who plans to attend either Cincinnati State or the University of Cincinnati. He works at Paramount's Kings Island in the summer.         Jerry Malsh, president and creative director of Cincinnati-based J. Malsh & Co. Clients include classical station WGUC-FM, Ohio Electric Utilities Institute, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, Comair and Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. He teaches advertising at the University of Cincinnati.         Mary T. Helmes, senior copywriter at Northlich, a downtown Cincinnati integrated communications and brand consulting firm. Her clients include LaRosa's Inc., StarKist and the Procter & Gamble Co.'s chemical division.         Grades are on a 1-4 scale, 4 being the best

        Monster.com: An ambitious ad offers snapshots of Olympians in competition — a speed skater circling the rink, a skier soaring from a mountain and a goalie defending the net.

        Gibson: (3) “They're talking about their Web site to get jobs for Olympic atheletes. But they wouldn't spend 2 million bucks to tell us that. What they're really saying is, "If we can get a job for a guy whose resume majors in bobsledding, we can get a job for you, too.' I like that idea.”

        Hardin: (2) “It was an inspirational commercial. But that's it.”

        Helmes: (3½) “I liked it. It was really effective, and you could transfer that feeling to every area of life — "I just got a degree, now what? I spent all this time invested in this career and now I want to change careers, now what?' And I liked the orange dots, too.

        Jeffery: (2½) “It's a decent premise. Not a gold medal. Maybe a bronze.”

        Malsh (3½) “Good spot. Really relevant. Puts its money where its mouth is. Substance over style. Great offer.”

        Dockers: The Dockers brand debuts in the Super Bowl lineup in a commercial set in a country club. The spot was directed by Christopher Guest of Moxie Pictures.

        Malsh: (3). “Grabs your attention, then holds it. Simple concept. Good execution. Fun to watch.”

        Helmes: (2) “Men in dresses has been done. Cute for a first-time watch. Not funny. Not shocking. I don't really buy Dockers as an answer to the little black dress, sorry. I expect a little more from my dates.”

        Gibson: (1) “At least the third commercial this year with plus-sized men in dresses. Dockers compares their pants to the ladies wardrobe standby, the basic black dress. A long way to go for a cheap sight gag. Plus, everybody knows those guys should have a single strand of pearls. Points-off for bad accessorizing.”

        Jeffery: (2) “A neat idea but didn't quite make it. The product got lost. What happened to the great-butt shot?”

        Hardin: (1) “Dockers gets hit pretty hard in the backfield. Theball is loose. Fumblerooski.”

        Cadillac: The automobile manufacturer matches a 1959 Eldorado against tony new brands while Led Zeppelin's “Rock and Roll” sets the tone for the spot.

        Gibson: (2) “It's the first Led Zeppelin song ever sold for a commercial. Clearly, they're after drivers who came of age in the '70s, with Led Zep, and are now in Cadillac's over-40 target.Nostalgia is there with the old song and the old Caddy, but it makes me want the '59 convertible.”

        Hardin: (3) “A good commercial advertising-wise. They advertisequite a few selections of their cars. Not too entertaining, though.”

        Helmes: (2) “Led Zeppelin? Eh. Do I love the ad? Eh. Do I believe people in the sticks are driving Cadillacs? Ever? Uh, nope.I like the tag line, though.”

        Jeffery: (1) “Old idea. Led Zeppelin would have been better on trucks. Cadillac and rock music is completely discordant.”

        Malsh: (3) “Not your grandfather's Cadillac. Great production values. Nice start to reposition the brand against foreign competition. Maybe it will work.”

        Pizza Hut: Comedian Tommy Davidson hawks P-ZONE pizzas to fans, even cheerleaders, with a play-by-play after each bite. He runs up and down aisles and leads the fans in P-ZONE cheer.

        Gibson: (2) “A pre-game commercial for a new product you want people to order during the game is okay, but the action felt too busy. The presenter is a bit too much like the 7-Up guy. P'zone? Maybe they should re-think that name.”

        Hardin: (2) “You would think with the spokesperson being Tommy Davidson, it would be funnier — just nothing reallygrabs your attention.”

        Helmes: (2) “Chaos. Who is this guy? But, kind of cute, and I do get what they're selling.”

        Jeffery: (1) “About as dull and unappetizing as the pizza itself. What a terrible name. P-zone sounds rude. It confirms Pizza Hut as one of the worst advertisers in the Western Hemisphere.”

        Malsh: (1) “Just another average commercial that didn't warrant the Super Bowl. It could have been on any other night of the week.”

        Pepsi: Britney Spears dresses from pop eras of the past in a 90-second spot that moves from the malt shop to '80s chic and beyond.

       Gibson: (3) “When companies do commercials about their old commercials, it looks like they've run out of new ideas. But it's big-time production and fun to watch. Plus, enough Britney jiggle to have adolescent boys drinking Pepsi until it squirts out their noses.”

        Hardin: (4) “What can you say? It's Britney.”

        Helmes: (2) “She's singing "For those who think young,' yet in that flip, she couldn't look older. Wow, Britney Spears really can't sing.It's good to know someone is still spending umpteen millions on theirproduction values.”

        Jeffery: (4) “Simply irresistible. Britney makes the word Pepsi sound sexy. Great use of talent, even without a lot of underwear.”

        Malsh: (2½) “Too much history — not enough taste.”

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