Hyundai Super Bowl Ad Set In "Anachronistic" City Filled With Retro Toys

Hyundai's fourth quarter Super Bowl ad is set in a make-believe city filled with competitive cyclists on bicycles from the late 1800s, small black-and-white TV sets, Zack Morris cell phones and Pong. We're then asked the question of "What if we just settled for the first thing that came along?" Then, apparently we'd never get the Hyundai Sonata hybrid.

You see, there's a serious flaw with this commercial — we actually like the way some things used to be. Say, for example, compact cars. You know, when they were actually compact, had character and could actually be fun to drive.

Sure, we don't like current-generation hybrids, but a new hybrid still isn't something we're going to get excited about unless, like, say, the Chevy Volt, it's got something special. Also, we really love Pong — and Zack Morris cell phones.

Hyundai has two more ads airing during the Super Bowl — one called "Deprograming" and the other called "Hypnotized."

"Hypnotized," which airs during the 1st quarter, features a common driving imagery woven in with the phrase: "Have we been hypnotized to believe compact cars are good enough?" The spot sheds light on the marketing-fueled myth that compact cars are as good as they can be, and begs consumers to question how that belief has become so ingrained in our culture.

"Deprogramming," airing during the 3rd quarter, attempts to hypnotize 100 million viewers simultaneously by offering a kaleidoscope of graphics featuring compact car stereotypes paired with the soothing voice of Oscar winner Jeff Bridges declaring "compact cars can be more." Once the viewer is fully entranced, Bridges voice calmly brings them back to reality saying, "Snap out of it, man."

Frankly, the first two commercials, while not really funny, are definitely better than that last one. Just sayin', man.