While NFL is hugely popular in the US, it’s still something of a mystery to many in New Zealand, as is the hype around the Super Bowl. So if you’re in that category, you’ll probably relate to this updated Bad British Commentary.

Super Bowl 49 delivered the goods on the field yesterday, with a last gasp victory for the New England Patriots, a brawl at the end and some impressive dancing sharks for Katy Perry’s halftime show. Once again, it proved to be a ratings goldmine for NBC, ranking as the “highest overnight rating in Super Bowl history and a four percent increase on last year”. That’s why advertisers pay around US$4.5 million for a nationwide spot—and why so many people seem to be interested in the ads. Herewith, a collection of the goods, bads and uglies.

Last year, Countdown jumped onto the collectibles bandwagon by distributing DreamWorks Heroes 3D cards to customers who spent $20 or more in stores. And despite this previous campaign being criticised for relying on pester power and for not being environmentally friendly, Countdown is going for another collectibles ride—and this time it’s all about the inhabitants of the wild.

To make it a little easier for brands to navigate the treacherous social media terrain and tell their stories more effectively, Jonathan Hendriksen* launched Shuttlerock, a platform that lets businesses aggregate socially sourced content, photos and videos on their websites. And Lady Gaga’s even using it.

OnScreen Advertising has announced the commission of two new outdoor LED screens at the main entrance to ASB Showgrounds. Installed in January, the large LED screens face in opposite directions providing long range views in both directions down Greenlane West.

Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.

Newcastle Brown Ale has already attempted to hijack Dorito’s Crash the Super Bowl campaign, the crowd-sourced ad competition. And global advocacy group Sum of Us has followed suit by releasing a parody ad showing that a penchant for corn chips is impacting the rainforests of Asia.

McDonald’s Balmoral franchise along Auckland’s Dominion Road is currently piloting a new initiative that brings a slightly more gourmet twist to its menu in an attempt to tap into the lucrative market currently occupied by the likes of Burger Fuel and Burger Wisconsin. The introduction of ‘Create your taste’ allows customers to customise their burgers via an digital touchscreen kiosk that offers a list of 20 ingredients.

As the popularity of the these guys on YouTube attests, humans are partial to slow motion. And, with the help of Camistry, Burger Fuel decided to slow things down for its Christmas party.

When traditional advertising isn’t quite enough to get the attention brands so desperately crave, they sometimes take extreme measures and attempt to get themselves a Guinness World Record. So, as GSK’s oral health brand Sensodyne gets set to embark on the worthy mission to create the world’s largest model tooth, here are a few other strange record attempts from brands.

Two weeks ago, Google announced it would stop selling its Google Glass Explorer, which went off the market on January 19. And this news coincided with an announcement from Microsoft on the release of a prototype of Hololens, a PC headset that runs on Windows 10.

Microsoft New Zealand is throwing down the gauntlet and challenging Google via a new campaign that will offer Kiwi small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) using Google apps a $25-per-user rebate if they purchase Office 365 before 30 April 2015 and switch before 31 May.

Google has released a video showing off the numerous possibilities of Project Ara, a concept smartphone with a modular design that allows users to swap out different components in order to cater it to the individual.

George FM has set up a live stream of a jar of lollies. And though this might sound slightly insane, humans have in the past shown the proclivity to tune in to the mundane.

Tom Uglow works on the periphery of the advertising industry, bringing ideas that exist only in the imagination into the real world. Based at the Google offices in Sydney, he has already lent his creative touch to innovative projects such as The Cube, and he says there’s much more to come.

Taking the beep test is something of a rite of passage for many young Kiwis. And Heart Kids and Method have put a modern, cricket-based spin on it in an effort to raise awareness of the charity.

MYOB’s chief technology officer Simon Raik-Allen has in his publication, Future of Business Report – New Zealand 2040, speculated on what the future will look like—and, apparently, there are quite a few surprise on the horizon.