Madison Ave. Nirvana: Ads… for Ads

Look, we realize we’re part of the problem, giving free publicity to advertisers by calling their Super Bowl chip-selling activities “news.” But something about a story in Monday’s Wall Street Journal — which says that online sites have already sold pre-roll advertising for online versions of Super Bowl commercials — is just somehow wrong.

OK, OK. We get it. Super Bowl ads are an entertainment vehicle all their own, more popular than the game itself during some incarnations. Some (see video below) even become cultural icons, since the production values are so good or the jokes so addictive… wassup? … that you can’t help but like ‘em. And since online polls about which commercial was the funniest are huge traffic drivers, why not cash in on the eyeballs?

While some sites say they will show restraint — and only air the ads themselves — you have to think they’re drinking mojitos at 8 a.m. on Madison Ave. with this one. From the Journal:

Some ad executives say the opportunity to reach people who like ads is too good to pass up. Says Sarah Fay, president of Isobar US, the global network of digital companies owned by Aegis: “That’s going to be a great audience — advertising to people who want to see advertising.”

And given the ad industry’s willingness to honor itself at every chance, we can’t wait for the category of “best online ad for a Super Bowl ad” to emerge. Hell, we’ll probably run videos of the winners. We’re like that.