Will GE's smart grids Super Bowl ad electrify viewers as much as Apple's "1984" spot did?

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Apple's legendary "1984" ad for the launch of Macintosh computers aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984. Twenty-five years later, GE is hoping its 30-second spot on smart grids will also come to symbolize another technological revolution after it airs during the second half of Super Bowl XLIII this Sunday. Apple's Orwellian epic, directed by Ridley Scott, drew wide coverage and acclaim and might be best remembered for the sprinting woman hurling a sledgehammer into a screen. (Watch the ad on YouTube.) In the spot it has created for GE, ad agency BBDO went in a decidedly more homey direction, giving the leading role to an animated scarecrow (shown) that sings an updated rendition of "If I Only Had a Brain."GE is trying to capitalize on President Barack Obama's vision of smart grids as the linchpin of major economic and energy-efficiency shifts. It seems unlikely the GE ad will resonate as deeply with viewers as Apple's did, but it will be interesting to see what impact GE and countless other companies will have in modernizing the electric grid in this country.—Daniel DiClerico and Steven H. SaltzmanEssential information: Before you tuck into your Super Bowl spread and settle in to watch the Steelers vs. Cardinals tilt in Tampa, read our game-related advice.

Submitted @ 2009-01-31