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Ed McMahon, MC Hammer, Mr. Potato Head, Coke-stealing bugs and talking flowers were all there, but something was distinctly missing from the Super Bowl adds this year. Three things, actually.

Edmunds Inside Line notes, “General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have long been major players in the Super Bowl advertising game,” but not this year. “The cost of ads at the NFL’s big game, broadcast on NBC television, is up to $3 million for a 30-second spot. It’s not surprising that the Detroit automakers, beset by serious financial problems, might choose to economize, despite the predicted 100 million-plus viewers who would have seen their ads.”

That doesn’t mean automakers were completely absent from the festivities, though. Several foreign brands made an effort, but according to USA Today’s Ad Meter, which ranks the commercials according to the opinions of a panel of viewers, the car ads largely flopped.

Only one was mildly successful. Audi showed up with action-movie star Jason Statham as a car thief who mysteriously never ages despite a 30-year career stealing German luxury rides. He steals a Mercedes in the ‘70’s, and a BMW in the ‘80’s, but never escapes his pursuers until he steals today’s supercharged Audi A6. The message, according to Jalopnik: “Yeah, these other German guys were cool once, but we’re what’s happening now.”

USA Today’s panel rated it 12th. It only went downhill from there.

Hyundai touted the fact that its Genesis recently won North American Car of the Year with a spot where rivals badmouthed the car. That spot rated 47th in USA Today’s survey. In a subtle shot at domestic automakers, the Detroit Free Press notes, “there were no American automakers joining in the histrionics” criticizing the Genesis. “At least the Detroit Three weren’t portrayed behaving badly,” but it can’t be a good sign that the Korean company no longer sees a need to compete with them.

Another flop was Toyota’s Venza ad. Kicking Tires explains, “Using what could be the strangest automotive tagline since ‘The Fit is Go,’” Toyota ran an ad asking viewers “are you Venza?”

Apparently, we’re not. USA Today’s panel thought that was the 48th best ad out of 50.

But Hyundai brought up the rear, placing 49th with its “commitment” ad. That spot, according to Edmunds Inside Line, “describes the Hyundai Assurance plan,” which allows buyers to return their new Hyundai if they lose their job in the first year they own it, “and ends with the line: ‘Maybe commitment isn’t so scary after all.’”

It’s an impressive offer, but a boring commercial. With U.S. automakers on government-sponsored life support, it was probably a good decision for them to sit out the expensive round of advertising this year. But let’s all hope the auto industry recovers in 2009, so we can see something more entertaining come Super Bowl XLIV.

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