Marvel Studios recruits Superbowl ad guys?

You shoot a video ad for a Superbowl commercial contest, and your video is voted to run during the hallowed Sunday TV event.  Then you’re working on “Avengers 2” for Marvel Studios?

And Stan Lee, the creator of a handful of Marvel comic book figures, recruited you.

Well, he phoned you to say it might happen. At least, that’s what Ben Boutwell, a video designer and native of Winnsboro, La., told his hometown newspaper, The Franklin Sun.

Boutwell told The Sun he worked as a consultant on a Superbowl video ad filmed by his friend Ryan Anderson. They submitted their video, “The Time Machine,” to Doritos’ Crash the Superbowl contest, which would determine the two Doritos ads to run during the game.

Boutwell says Anderson received a phone call from Lee after their video made the top 24.

“He (Lee) called Ryan and told him the ad was selected to be in the top five and he was going to the Super Bowl,” Boutwell said. “He also said that the creators of the top two ads will be assisting on the upcoming film ‘Avengers 2’. I don’t know if I’d get to be a part of that since I wasn’t the director, but I certainly hope I’m asked to help.”

No offense toward Boutwell or Anderson, but what does it say about Marvel Studios, or Hollywood in general, when creative talent is recruited from the ad world?

The first “Avengers” blockbuster movie was a loud mess, and most of those Marvel pictures are made to order with little dressing to cover up how generic and bland the tastes of the paying public, myself included, have become.

In order to sell a movie, it’s no surprise studios recruit creative talent behind advertising successfully selling a product.  They’re pretty much the same thing these days thanks to TV events like the Superbowl, which are now known and watched for the advertising as much as, if not more than, the sport.

Folks will tune in Feb. 2 to watch the commercials, eagerly surrendering to the charade and later discussing which one was the funniest or most sincere.

Maybe the problem is not that Hollywood recruits ad guys. Afterall we’re the ones reinforcing advertising’s success.