For us non-sporty people, the commercials shown during the Super Bowl are the stars of the show. They make us laugh, they make us cry, they may even entice us to buy something! Some commercials are so iconic they are referenced for years afterward, and some are barely memorable. Celebrity cameos seemed to be the trend this year and while some were great, others fell a little flat.
We’re breaking our picks into two categories: Funny and Heartwarming, two of the best qualities in a good advertisement!
Note: We’re not including movie trailers or commercials for television shows on our list.
The Funniest:
Pluto TV
This satirical inspirational ad highlights the “farms” of Pluto TV where couch potatoes are grown. The dramatic music, the widespread field and sun on the horizon create a picturesque and perfect backdrop for this comical commercial. The picture perfect scenery gives way to scenes of people dressed in inflatable potato costumes and farmers planting flat screen TVs in front of them. For a smaller streaming platform it made a big punch.
Cerave:
Actor Michael Cera teamed up with skincare brand Cerave in a silly play-on-words ad.
Cera is featured in a fancy, “perfume”-style ad, with sensual undertones. At the end, we see that the commercial is actually a pitch in a company meeting from Michael Cera who emphasizes the play-on words of his last name “Cera.” With a last name so similar to the brand name itself, this was the perfect opportunity for a good pun.
T-Mobile Magenta Status
T-Mobile has outdone themselves this year with a star-studded cast of “auditioners.” Jennifer Husdon, Bradley Cooper and his mother Gloria, Laura Dern, Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, and more familiar faces are all filming individual “audition tapes” for T-Mobile’s “Magenta Status.” The actors displayed various talents like juggling and crying on command, which led to a voice over explaining how everyone can be a member of the magenta status.
The reason why this one is not higher on our list is because the commercial did not actually explain what the “Magenta Status” was.
Hellmann Mayonnaise
We personally are not big mayo-fans, but this commercial made us laugh out loud! Former SNL actress Kate McKinnon can’t decide what to make for dinner when all of a sudden, her cat makes a noise that faintly sounds like, “mayo.” McKinnon sees a container of Hellman’s mayonnaise in the fridge and is inspired to make a delicious meal and inspired to make a star out of her feline friend.
McKinnon’s cat becomes so famous she’s on book tours, she’s giving keynote speeches, and the part that got us – the cat has a brief dating history with fellow former SNL cast member Pete Davidson. The happy couple even had a feature in People magazine before their break up.
The ad features a tagline “Make Taste not Waste” at the end, which promotes Hellman’s campaign to reduce food waste. Hellman’ even features a page on their website to help people find recipes to make to repurpose leftovers.
State Farm
State Farm is known for its iconic commercials and tagline, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” This ad features actor, bodybuilder and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger acting in a State Farm commercial but the running joke is that because of his accent, he can’t say “neighbor” properly. At the last minute, legendary actor Danny Devito saves the day.
Lots of commercials feature celebrities, but the surprise of Danny Devito makes this ad just delightful.
The Heartwarming:
Budweiser
The Budweiser Clydesdales are certainly a highlight of Super Bowl commercials and this year was no exception. The ad tells the tale of a terrible snowstorm that delays the delivery of Budweiser beer. The delivery men decide to do things the old fashioned way, by hitching the legendary Clydesdales to a cart and trekking out into the snow. They almost lose their way in the dense snowy conditions, but man (and horse’s) best friend, a yellow lab, comes to the rescue, and shows them the way. This simple, yet heartwarming and traditional ad earns a sport on our list.
Dove: Hard Knocks #KeepHerConfident
This Dove campaign raises awareness to the importance of building confidence in young girl athletes. After a montage of young athletes falling and getting back up, Dove cuts to a statement “The knocks don’t stop girls from playing sports low body confidence does.” It later on reveals the statistic that 45% of girls quit sports by the age of 14. Dove concludes with a call to action to encourage body positivity in young athletes in their “Body Confident Sports Program.” We found this ad positive, motivational and inspiring!
Frame: Google Pixel
Google Pixel begins with explaining how those who have vision loss or blindness often have no way to capture life’s biggest moments in photo. The ad demonstrates how the accessibility feature called “Guide Frame” will announce when there are faces and even pet faces, in frame. The ad then captures a love story between the photographer and his partner and repeats the mechanical voice saying “two faces detected” in a montage of exciting moments, until finally we see a blurry hospital room and hear “three faces detected” and then a clear photo of a happy young family appears on screen. A heartfelt reminder of how technology is becoming more and more accessible to all.
He Gets Us:
The He Gets Us ad features images on a diverse array of people washing the feet of others. The pairing of washer and the one receiving the washing are stereotypically pitted against each other: a preppy student and a goth, a police officer and a young black man, two protestors and others.
The concept of feet washing comes from the scene in the gospel of John during Jesus’ last supper. Jesus kneels and washes the feet of his disciples and then instructs them to do the same. This ritual is still practiced in various Christian Holy Thursday liturgies. As Christians, we absolutely love this ad and the message that it sends of love, service and equality.
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