• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, January 29, 2009

Day 4 of Super Bowl ads brings dignity back to breakfast, a diet soda for men and a Twittering E*TRADE baby. Let's launch!

Pepsi Max, the first diet soft drink tasty enough for a man, is launching two ads during the Super Bowl, and one ad pre-game. A 15- and 30-second version of "I'm Good" will run in-game, and each plays off the stereotype that men can endure ridiculous amounts of pain (ha!), but they won't be caught dead drinking diet soda. A man mocks a monkey at the zoo in the 15-second ad, seen here. The monkey, however, is smarter than he looks. Pepsi Max serves the dual purpose of tasty drink and cold compress. The 30-second spot features a montage of men tolerating pain, whether it's a bowling ball dropped on their head, electric shock, or a golf club to the head -- twice. Watch the ad here. The pre-game ad, "Ingredients," eavesdrops on groups of men discussing the ingredients in Pepsi Max that make it harsh enough for men to drink. Pepper spray, scorpion venom and crushed-up Viking bones are some of the potential ingredients hypothesized. Did I mention that the can is made from the hull of a nuclear submarine? Well, not really, but it gives the guys an excuse to crush their cans of Pepsi Max. Even when relaxing in a sauna. See the ad here. TBWA/Chiat/Daycreated the ads.

Denny's is making its Super Bowl debut in the third quarter of the game. The ad is narrated by Burt Reynolds and pokes fun at the candy-coated sugary breakfasts served by competitors. Nobody likes a rat. Especially mobsters. The teaser spot opens in a diner where three mobsters discuss taking care of Benny, a man with a big mouth. Just as the conversation takes on a serious tone, a waitress comes to the table with a can of whipped cream to decorate the head mobster's breakfast. "On Sunday, February 1, Denny's will bring dignity back to breakfast," concludes the teaser ad, seen here. Because who can take a mobster seriously when his pancakes have gumdrop eyes and whipped cream hair? The ad will feature a call to action for viewers and focus on the serious, hearty breakfasts served at Denny's. Goodby Silverstein & Partners created the ad.

Initially, I wasn't a fan of the E*TRADE baby -- but the little guy has grown on me. Now he returns to the Super Bowl in two spots created by Grey New York. The baby has an active online presence pre-game, in the form of a Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter account. The YouTube channel and Facebook page both house E*TRADE ads from the past, along with hysterical outtakes from this year's Super Bowl commercials. I loved seeing the baby in a time-out, swearing up a storm. One thing I noticed upon watching the outtakes is that the voiceover for the E*TRADE is baby is different. It threw me off. The Twitter page is sadly underused; there's only 5 entries posted. I would have liked to see more updates leading up to the game. The company is also running a compilation of the outtakes throughout National CineMedia's FirstLook in movie theatres in 176 DMAs nationwide. Watch it here.