It takes a lot for me to search out an internet video. I’m inherently lazy when it comes to that, so even though people have been talking about the Mini-Darth Vader Super Bowl ad for a while, I hadn’t bothered to watch it. Plus, I figured that it was over-hyped anyway. I was wrong.
I don’t really know if anyone who isn’t a Star Wars nerd and/or parent agrees, but it was hands-down my favorite Super Bowl ad. I couldn’t care less about Star Wars, but I do have a two-year-old son, and this ad basically made my ovaries explode.
The brilliant part of this ad is that the kid has the full costume on. You never see his face, so it’s that much easier to see your own child as you’re watching it. You never really know for sure if it’s even a boy — after all, he does try to use the force on a baby doll in a very pink child’s bedroom.
The only reason why I even keep using the “he” pronoun is because the actor who played Mini-Darth is a boy. If you want your heartstrings tugged a little more, Max Page, the little boy in the costume, was diagnosed with a heart condition, Tratology of Fallot, at only four months of age. Luckily, Max is able to lead a relatively normal life, and is even a castmember on The Young & The Restless.
At the end of the day though, this cute, simple ad managed to break through the noise of all of the other Super Bowl ads and really shine. Let’s just hope it sells Passats. With the money Volkswagen must have paid for the rights to the character and the music, on top of the actual Super Bowl ad time, this little spot cost a pretty penny.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Feb 07, 2011 @ 12:34 EST5EDT
Agreed. It was so nice to see an ad that was genuinely funny and clever. I’m so sick of the ads that go for cheesy emotional manipulation, trying to hard to be “sweet.” Even worse are the ones that try for funny and fall far short or just become offensive.
Most of all, they’re just TV commericals, and I hate TV commercials, but this one did stick out as really great.
Yes, if I didn’t know better, I would say that was Owen! I enjoyed some of the Doritos ads too — the pug, orange fingers, grandpa’s ashes … they were pretty clever and entertaining.
Oddly, the only reason I watch the Super Bowl is to see the commercials which, on any other show, I would normally skip over by DVRing the episode. It seems like, for so many years, this is the time to watch them but then again, a 30 second spot is 3 million dollars so the commercials better be great, even though some were not. This one was one to remember however.
And to add to all of that, little Max hasn’t even seen one of the Star Wars movies yet!
As a huge nerd and original Star Wars fan, I thought the commercial was great (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try to use the Force as a kid… for good, of course).
The kid’s reaction was priceless and sweet, but a part of me had to wonder if this was a good idea on the dad’s part. I can just hear the kid now… “I did it. I can control the dark side! *evil laugh*”
lol
I loved it too!!!