[Desi Spotting = items with a South Asian connection - see our archive]
Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010: Live-blogging the Super Bowl on this post, looking for South Asian stuff during the telecast -
starting 6:45 pm EST. By the way, you can see all the ads, after the game, at CBSsports.com/superbowlads (and see NYT's Stuart Elliot commenting on the commercials here).
- See the 2009 Super Bowl desi live blog here.
- See the 2008 Super Bowl desi live blog here.
- See 2007 post about a single Bud Light ad.
- MEET BRANDON CHILLAR, A SOUTH ASIAN IN THE NFL: Listen to the SAJA webcast from 2010 with Brandon Chillar of the Green Bay Packers, the only South Asian to play in the NFL; his agent, Jim Ivler, his agent; and Kevin Negandhi, ESPN anchor . This year, Chillar and the Packers lost earlier in the playoffs (scroll down at that link, to see a history of South Asians at the Super Bowl).
6:30 pm: When I was a kid, the Super Bowl telecast was a South Asian-free zone. Not anymore...
6:45 pm: JOHN GILL, A SOUTH ASIAN AT THE SUPER BOWL: Turns out John Gill, a player on the reserve squad of the Indianapolis Colts (he may not play), has an Indian father. His full name is John Singh Gill and he told NUsports.com (he's a Northwestern University alum)...
Q: If you could dine with anyone from any period in history, who would it be?
A: Ghandi[I don't know if the spelling was Gill's fault or NUSports.com's, but it's a common mistake, as we've documented in the past.]
7:05 pm: APU & COKE: Apu of "The Simpsons" plays a supporting, but critical role in a Coke ad:
EARLIER ON SAJAforum: see collection of SAJA posts about Apu & "The Simpsons".
7:47 pm: A NEW DESI IN AN INTEL AD: You've likely seen the ubiquitous 2009 Intel ad, about Ajay Bhatt, the co-creator of the USB (Our rock stars are not like your rock stars," was the slogan; I was upset to learn they used an actor instead of the real guy, as you will see that link). In this year's Super Bowl, there's this ad.
8:02 pm: PEPSICO'S AD DECISIONS: Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi, has had an influence on the telecast. The company's Pepsi Cola brand has been a major Super Bowl sponsor for more than 20 years. It isn't running any ads this year, choosing instead to put the money into a $23-million social-media (and community-funding) campaign called the "Pepsi Refresh Project." Nooyi was involved in the final decision to do this, and as TheBigInsider.com noted:
"The concept of funding community initiatives is at the heart of Pepsi's philosophy under CEO Indra Nooyi, one that focuses a good deal more on corporate and social responsibility, not to mention sustainability issues, than any of her predecessors."
But one of Nooyi's other brands, Doritos is making up for it, flooding the show with ads.
8:14: ARCHIE PUNJABI IN "THE GOOD WIFE" AD: Archie Punjabi, the sister in "Bend It Like Beckam," is on the CBS drama "The Good Wife" and just spotted her in an a for it.
8:57: RANJIT & CHAD: The MetroPCS "Tech & Talk" boys are back in a Super Bowl ad:
WHAT I MISSED...
M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S NEW FILM: The ad for "The Last Airbender":
Post your comments below.
