Super Bowl ads took on a light-hearted tone this year, shedding last year's somber feeling in the midst of the economic meltdown.

Villanova marketing Professor Charles Taylor says after five years of disappointing Super Bowl commercials, he's pleased with this year's crop. Taylor says the more comical ads worked because they still told people what the brands stand for.

Those are likely welcome words for advertisers like Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola, who shelled out anywhere from $2.5 million to more than $3 million per 30 seconds for air time on CBS.

Marketing expert Laura Ries, on the other hand, says she was underwhelmed by this year's slate. She says she expects the game will be discussed more at the water cooler than the ads.