TBA

A quick look at the official website of Superbowl XL shows that perhaps the biggest marketing bonanza of the millennium is still largely unknown. Or at least as yet un-broadcast.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
Of course, the bonanza is the 'XL' in Superbowl XL. As in Extra Large. Or, perhaps Xtra Large. With this resounding opening salvo, we here at TBA enter the speculative realm of intellectual property. It is a shot fired across the bow of Corporate America; a warning that when TBA has an idea, it is time to hoist your jib sails and head for the wild blue yonder until the cows home.
Now that we've mixed and belabored some harmless metaphors, let us say that we hereby lay claim to all rights and responsibilities, whys and wherefores devolving from the concept of using the number of this year's Super Bowl (denoted by the Roman Numeral for 40), in any sort of marketing or product branding scheme.
This idea is good as gold, and every company in the land worth its widgets will likely start trying to cash in on it ASAP. We know also that these companies are as unscrupulous as they are daring. Thus, we officially call "dibs" on the whole concept. It is one of those rare occasions in life when we can truly say, and then publish for free on the Inter-net for all to see: We thought of it first.
The last consumer product giant (M&Ms)* to attempt to bring the Roman Numeral into the marketplace, failed miserably. But their weak effort at a coup in 2000 will not deter us. Too narrow in scope, and far too cerebral a concept for the American public, the "MM Means 2000" campaign was born of failure. By contrast, the Roman applications this year range deep and wide.
Eat your heart out, Generation XL: Xtra large pizzas, Big Gulps, Whoppers (we're thinking of a Whopper with the diameter of a dinner plate that is sliced and served like a pizza); XL free sample Viagra doses; X-tra large numbers of months without payments and/or interest; Xtra large FOX News graphics, advertising budgets**, savings on car insurance, scratch ticket payouts, numbers of free minutes, Dunkin Donuts coffees; XL Babyback Ribs from Chili's or Applebees (whichever place has the ribs); Extra Large SuperBowl pre-game ceremonies, gas bills; Xtra Large breast implants in Coors Light commercials, numbers of James Bond movies played on SpikeTV; definitely extra large Awsum Chipotle Cheez Burritos.
And let us not forget, Xtra large bundles of TBA resumes sent out to try and get a job actually making money with these visionary ideas.
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*Mars, Inc.
**30-second Super Bowl commercials are reportedly selling for $2.5 million.