In light of the upcoming Super Bowl, the annual stage for what is typically considered the very best work the advertising world can muster, I once again can’t help but wonder why this is the only time everyone expects advertising to be great?

At a time when fewer and fewer people are watching TV, why aren’t commercials getting markedly better? You would think that advertisers would demand ever-greater levels of creativity or even audacity from their agencies to make sure that the people who are still watching TV would remember what they had to say.

On more than one occasion I’ve been in meetings to kickoff creative assignments where someone has actually said, “OK, this has to be a great commercial. It’s going to air during the Super Bowl.” Really? How about…”This has to be a great commercial, because that’s our job.”

At least the Super Bowl reminds us that people do appreciate advertising that’s original, entertaining and insightful. And they appreciate the advertisers who understand this.

Actually, the best campaigns today - traditional or new media - typically start with an inherent respect for the audience’s time and intelligence, plus an acute awareness that mere presence does not equate to engagement.

The good news for challenger brands without huge sums of money to spend, is that it’s still relatively easy to stand out from the crowd. All it takes is a little courage…and raised expectations.

From now on, maybe we should kickoff every assignment as if the work were going to run during the Super Bowl with the assumption that everybody is watching, wanting to be impressed and remembering those marketers who do it best.

Because Super Bowl venue or not, that’s what people do.