The SuperBowl has become almost 2 separate events.  Of course there is the football, but there is also the annual hype about the commericals.

This year was no different.  There was the pre-game hype about a commerical featuring Tim Tebow and his mother that created more pre-game controversy than post game discussion:

There was Betty White tackled for a Snickers:

, Oprah Winfrey with Jay Leno and David Letterman:

And seemingly alot of people in their underwear:

But the spot that got me thinking the most was the 30 second advertisement for the 2010 Census, paid for by the U.S. Taxpayers:

The history of the census goes all the way back to 1790, and is required every 10 years byt the Constitution. The results of the census are used for several purposes, including the determination of representation in Congress and the allocation of more than $400B annually of federal aid dollars.  Clearly this is an important endeavor and the task seems to get more complicated each time around.

It may be hard to believe, but this year the U.S. government will spend an estimated $14 Billion, yes that's Billion with a B, to conduct the 2010 census, so the fact that the commercial cost just $2M of this budget seems relatively harmless, if you consider $2M insignificant. 

I'm no politician, just the C.O.O. of an advertising agency since the last time a census was conducted, but if there is one thing our industry has learned over the last decade it is that clients expect us to be good stewards of their money. 

So I got to thinking, there has to be a better, more effective and more efficient way to conduct a census.  Then it hit me.  We already have a mechanism in place that essentially counts the tax paying population, and does so every year! 

Why not conduct the census through the IRS?  Sounds crazy perhaps, but with just a little modification, our tax return already provides most of the information gathered by a census:  our address, phone number, the number of people (and age of each) living in the household through the reporting of dependents, and our occupation.

I'm sure there is an official reason why the census cannot be conducted this way and likewise a rationale for spending so much money to count each household, but given the current economic state of the country, saving $14B sounds mighty appealing.

And finally, if $14B sounds like a lot of money, you won't believe the cost estimate for 2020.  Are you sitting down?  Nearly $30B.  That will buy a alot of Super Bowl commercials.

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