Super Bowl Ads: More Humor, More Animals, Fewer Celebrities

There was more -- though not necessarily better -- humor than ever before in this year's crop of Super Bowl ads, according to an updated interactive analysis on the New York Times Web site, but it was more likely to be delivered by animals than by celebrities.

85% of the ads featured humor, the highest percentage in the 25 years tracked on the Times site. At the same time, 43% of the ads featured animals, also a record. And, for the first time, there were more ads with animals than with celebrities. (32% featured celebrities, up from last year but below the record 40% in 2003.)

The Times analysis provides an interactive look at Super Bowl ads from 1984 to 2008. Use the slider at the top of the screen to move through the years. For each year, it shows a count of the number of ads in different product categories (vehicles, beverages, travel, food, etc.) plus the percentage of ads featuring humor, animals, and celebrities. Selected ads can be viewed on screen.