It’s that time of the year when all of us in the advertising world marvel at the cost of a single ad in that giant game. Sadly, all too often the big game is a big miss, and the only thing super about it is the outrageous cost for an ad. I say this with great envy for the network airing the game and getting the rate, heck, if someone will pay it, they deserve it.

However, in trying to comprehend any experience worth $230,000 a second, I can’t help but think of the expression my uncle would use when voicing his sentiment toward something he thought was unjustifiably overpriced: “Thousand-dollar saddle on a fifty-dollar horse”.

My old school thinking still believes in reach AND frequency. There’s a heck of a lot of reach with the giant football game, and in many cases these brands have the wherewithal to hammer out some frequency long after the locker room carpet is cleaned. But just because you can, should you? I think my uncle (who spent his life in mines not advertising) had it right: buy a good horse and decent saddle – you’ll stand a better chance of getting there, and might even have a little something left in your pocket when you do.