Super Bowl brings plethora of $3.5 million commercials

Sunday night was the epitome of American sports entertainment: The Super Bowl.

According to the Nielsen Company, a television measurement agency that determines viewership, 47.8 percent of American households watched the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots 21-17.

With an audience of more than 100 million, The Super Bowl is highly sought after for commercial spots where companies can advertise the latest and greatest products in their lines.

The average cost of a 30-second commercial during this year's game was a reported $3.5 million, meaning advertisers challenged themselves to create ads that would both catch and keep viewers' attentions.

Here is a list of some of the most talked about and, some would say, "best" commercials from Super Bowl XLVI.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle: "Dog Strikes Back"

In a spot to advertise the new, sleeker, sportier Beetle design, Volkswagen compared the car to a pleasantly plump canine who also wants to reinvent himself.

At the beginning of the scene, the overweight dog watches as the fire-engine red new Beetle drives past its house. It runs to the doggy door in an attempt to chase the car; however, the door is too small for his large frame.

This sets the dog in motion. It does "doggy exercises" (including stair steps, sprints in the backyard, swimming in the owners' pool and dumbbell pulls) and places itself on a diet (no more table scraps for this canine).

At the end of the advertisement, the Beetle drives past the house and the new lean version of the dog easily fits through the doggy door and runs alongside the car, all while James Brown's "Get Up Offa That Thing" plays in the background.

Doritos: "Man's Best Friend"

In another advertisement featuring a dog, Doritos shows a man digging in a garden while a dog also digs a few feet away.

The camera pans and shows the dog is burying something with a tag. As the man looks up, he sees a "Missing Cat" poster, featuring the missing feline with the same tag.

The dog then walks over to the man, slides him a Doritos bag with a note saying "You didn't see nuthin." The man then smiles and nods.

M&M's: "Just My Shell"

The candy company introduced its newest character during this year's Super Bowl, Ms. Brown.

The intelligent, sophisticated, wire-frame glasses-wearing candy woman is at a chic party talking to two women about a prime minister's advances, while two men giggle in the background.