Put away that embarrassing chicken dance video and the plea for game tickets that shows you cuddling up with a Coors Light bottle. With the Super Bowl less than a week away, the wacky contests are winding down.

Still want a piece of the action, something to root for since the Steelers aren't in it? Voting continues on entries from fans who already have submitted their more or less persuasive clips on why Coors should send them to a Super Bowl, even if at this point the winners will get tickets to next year's game.

A year after the great consumer-generated revolution that saw companies paying millions to air an amateur's commercial during the big game, there's been no lack of marketing efforts to keep the contest party going.

Some of the companies running competitions are among those investing an estimated $2.7 million to $3 million for 30 seconds in front of tens of millions of Super Bowl viewers, while others are not officially connected with the game. Either way, it's possible to craft a winner -- or instead to be sent home with a consolation prize.

"I think they're playing it much safer this year," said Jim Nail, chief strategy and marketing officer for Cymfony, a Watertown, Mass., company that analyzes online discussions and media coverage to figure out what's being said about a brand.

If buzz is what advertisers using the Super Bowl to help their marketing are after, then he rates this year's pre-game chatter as less compelling than last year's.

Last January, for example, people were talking about the Doritos consumer-generated commercial contest. This year the snack company is trying a "Crash the Super Bowl" competition, a spin on "American Idol" in which contestants sent in music clips. Mr. Nail said he's heard talk about the finalists -- a woman in Austin, a college guy and a group of rappers from New York -- but not about Doritos.

Parent company Frito-Lay has shot 60-second videos for each of the three, only one of which will be shown during the Super Bowl. The winner gets a recording contract, too. Voting closed Sunday.

The winner's showcase video might be a conversation starter depending on how it's handled, said Mr. Nail. Frito-Lay spokesman Jared Dougherty agreed the music could have life beyond the game but he said any company references in the video will just give context to the spot for Super Bowl viewers. "You won't see these artists running around with bags of Doritos," he said.

More than buzz, he said the company's goal has been to build a relationship with its customers. It's not like trying to draw attention to an unfamiliar name. "Everybody already knows Doritos."

Super Bowl advertisers may have good reasons for taking a different approach this year, in the opinion of Michael Bollinger. He's director of client services for the Strip District agency Smith Brothers Advertising that handled the H.J. Heinz Co.'s consumer-generated commercial contests.

For one thing, the novelty of handing prime airtime to amateurs may have worn off. But there are other things to think about, too.

"I think the reality of these contests is it's not about getting something to put on TV," said Mr. Bollinger. "It's about getting a database." Contests that get consumers involved by making videos and voting are good ways to collect e-mail addresses of true brand believers.

Asking novices to meet the demands of making actual commercials can keep a lot of people out of the party. The average consumer may find it easier to sit down in the kitchen and shoot a plea for game tickets from Coors or a solo for Burger King's gospel contest or a celebration for Upper Deck. "It requires less of that fan," said Mr. Bollinger. "They don't need to be an editor."

Frito-Lay isn't planning to use the Doritos contest to collect e-mail addresses for promotional purposes, but marketers also have learned offering people fresh content can be smart. Just having fun watching online videos can make consumers feel more connected to a brand.

A Coors spokeswoman said visits to the company's Web site rose 20 percent during the first two weeks of the Super Bowl promotion. A common theme of those begging the beer company for game tickets included relief from freezing, snowy communities. There also were plenty of submissions from women. A woman from Buffalo won the first week, said Jenny Volanakis of Coors.

The beer company managed to keep the consumer-engagement action going right up to the Super Bowl by giving winners in the first rounds tickets to this year's game in Phoenix while those in later rounds will attend next year's game. Consumers can submit votes until Feb. 7.

Burger King pushed the time limit pretty close to keep competition going as near to the big game as possible. The deadline for its My Song My Way contest came Sunday night, leaving just a few days to pick a winner and get them to the party on time. The winner gets game tickets and can perform at the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.

When it comes to the buzz vs. database discussion, the marketing team at KFC may have figured out how to get both.

Until Friday, the company collected clips of consumers doing the chicken dance. The winner of that contest will get Super Bowl party help, including chicken wings, a limo ride, a new television, cheerleaders and cleaning help after the shindig ends.

Those who entered also can expect to start receiving monthly e-mails offering promotions. "Obviously, these people are pretty passionate about your brand," said company spokesman Rick Maynard.

A more audacious maneuver is meant to spark talk by getting KFC into the actual football game between the Patriots and the Giants. The fast-food chain is offering to donate $260,000 to a charity in the name of a player who flaps his wings after a touchdown.

"We're very optimistic," said Mr. Maynard, who noted representatives have been reaching out to individual players. "How could you refuse this offer?"

The stunt is reminiscent of one that brought notoriety to Taco Bell, owned by the same parent company, during the recent Major League Baseball World Series. The restaurant chain promised to give out free tacos after the first stolen base in the series. Game announcers even mentioned the promotion on the air.