Garmin Super Bowl Ad

The cartographic blogosphere is abuzz with discussion of the Garmin Super Bowl advertisement. The ad shows a road map turning into a Japanese-style movie monster who is defeated by the protagonist/Garmin hero.

This ad is the byproduct of the rise of GPS tools and the downfall of maps. Once everyone (Catholicgauze at least) had and enjoyed road maps. They were something one could browse at any time and all it took was map reading skills. Now the "in" thing are GPS auto-navagation tools which tell you where to go. There is no longer the need to understand maps which in turn is leading to even greater geographically illiteracy. No wonder why 20% of Americans think map readings skills are redundant and unnecessary.

Thoughts about the ad are available from Ed Parsons, All Points Blog, GPS Review, Gadling, and the Map Room.

Just remember, your geotechnology gadgets wants you dead.