My Favorite Spot of 2006 – Jeff Hirsch

Have you seen that spot with Peyton Manning? Brilliant! It’s hard to believe this guy’s a football player and not an actor. That self-effacing sense of humor, keen sense of irony, boyish attractiveness, easy-going manner. He’s good.

The role reversal concept here isn’t totally original, but it’s sure brought to life in a compelling way. Peyton is not the hero here. It’s the “average guy” instead.

Peyton waits for the restaurant workers after they’ve punched out to enthusiastically call out, “Great shift!” He hounds the stock clerk in the Wal-Mart type store for an autograph. Wow…Peyton’s heart – and the advertiser’s as well – is really in a good place.

But my absolute favorite part of the ad is when Peyton is sitting in the cafeteria, props in hand, shouting “De-Caff, De-Caff, De-Caff!”

Hilarious.

If only I could remember who the advertiser was…