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[Eric Meder/The Daily Pennsylvanian] Annenberg professor Joseph Capella shows off some Super Bowl ads in Weiss Tech House yesterday. According to Capella, the most popular ad featured a pilot skydiving after a pack of Bud Light.

The Super Bowl is over, but its commercials may affect consumer behavior for months to come -- or so advertisers hope, since a 30-second ad came with a $2.4 million price tag.

In a relaxed and informal setting, Annenberg School of Communication professor Joseph Cappella and about 20 students discussed and analyzed their favorite ads, while chowing down on such traditional Super Bowl cuisine as cheesesteaks, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks and soda.

"One in six [watch the Super Bowl] just for the commercials," Cappella said. "It's become a cultural ritual."

This year's advertising was shaped by last year's revealing half-time show and the 2004 election.

"Moral values were going to be a big deal in this Super Bowl, and they were," Cappella said.

The group critiqued ads that did not make the cut, including one featuring Mickey Rooney's bottom.

Although the students could easily remember their favorite ads, recalling the ad's product was often more difficult.

"One thing is to remember the ad, another is to remember the product," Cappella said.

He said an ad is most effective if viewers can remember it, remember the product and view the product in a more positive manner. Furthermore, it should stimulate "buzz" in the mass media.

According to Cappella, one of the reasons Super Bowl ads are so expensive is because they often get replayed on other media after being shown.

This year's ads encouraged an active response from the viewer. Cappella suggested viewers may have visited eBay.com to see if the "Lincoln french fry" was actually being auctioned.

Students chuckled as they viewed the Super Bowl's most popular ad, according to a post-game survey. In the Bud Light ad, a pilot dives out of an airplane after a case of beer.

"This is an entertainment event, and the ads are part of the entertainment," Capella said.

Students left the discussion with stuffed stomachs and minds.

"Being able to hear critiques of the Super Bowl ads directly after they happened gives me extra information to discuss the ads in everyday conversation," College junior Jennifer Stutsman said.

The discussion was organized by Wharton senior Drew Sutton and Engineering junior Mudit Jaju in order to promote the Weiss Tech House.

"We wanted to get people interested in innovation in creative ways," Sutton said.

Interested viewers can watch all of the ads at www.ifilm.com.

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