Article: INSIDE TV & RADIO; SUPER BOWL XLII THE ENTERTAINMENT; ; A little shock adds value; Surprise makes best ads in Super Bowl work

It wasn't a particularly groundbreaking year in Super Bowl ads, with the usual complement of animals, special effects and smarty- pants humor.

Here are some personal choices for the five best and five worst ads of the night:

THE BEST

1 Now, don't get any smart ideas about spinning off this talking baby into his own sitcom, but E-Trade's stock-trading toddler was funny and had an unexpectedly icky ending.

The second spot, with a creepy clown, was just as good.

2 Cartoon-character balloons break free of their ropes and float above Manhattan in a colorful quest for a Coke. The kicker is that the Charlie Brown balloon beats Stewie and Underdog to the inflated soda.

Again, an unexpected twist ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!