Millions of Americans who tuned in for the glitz and grandeur of last year's Super Bowl ads were instead force-fed a sad smorgasbord: Abused wives and lost dogs, cyber-bullying and overeating, even an insurance commercial where a dead boy dreamed of all the things he'd never do.
But this year, advertisers at America's most-watched sporting event are swapping out the pall for what made the spectacle so popular in the first place: Cute puppies in costumes, zany sight gags and a parade of celebrities designed not to remind viewers of the world's problems, but to distract from them, with fireworks.