Super Bowl Sunday: An advertising extravaganza that includes brief interludes of actual football…if you’re into that sort of thing.
So this year an out of this world 5.6 million dollar price tag was required just to air a 30-second spot in front of America on Super Bowl Sunday.
It may be conventional wisdom that the commercials are often more exciting than the game. But this year, viewers watching for the ads sat through an uneven collection of goofy and sublime commercials — and many of the best moments had already been revealed on the internet several days earlier.
Who ever would’ve thought commercials needed to air with spoiler alerts.
But just the same we were judging Super Bowl Sunday, and judging it hard, so here’s how the ads stacked up under our scrutiny.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
Stalker Dad
Hyundai used different ads scattered throughout the Super Bowl to promote different features in their vehicles. For its Genesis sedan, an ad with comic Kevin Hart following his daughter on a date highlighted the “car finder” tracking feature…
Ryanville
A cute ad for the Elantra’s emergency braking system featured women driving through a neighborhood where everyone looked like film hunk Ryan Reynolds.
Joy of Pepsi
This charming throwback to the star studded Pepsi commercials of yesteryear featured pop starlet Janelle Monae in what was an innocent and refreshing commercial that wasn’t afraid to be fun and traditional without seeming bland or unoriginal.
Ultrasound
Doritos scored some of the biggest laughs of the Super Bowl with their humorous ad featuring a child in the womb who can’t wait to taste his first Dorito chip.
Super Bowl Babies
Endearing and sentimental, the NFL rolled out an adorable ad spot about the historical spike in babies being born 9 months after happy fans celebrated the joy of their team winning.
THE WORST OF THE WORST
Super Bowl Sunday wasn’t without its disaster however…and not just for the losing team.
Some out right oddball ad spots missed the mark so bad, we can’t believe anyone was sober when they decided it was a good idea to make them.
Puppy Monkey Baby
By far the most bizarre and disturbing offering of the night was Mountain Dew’s “Puppy Monkey Baby”. See for yourselves, but be warned, this is the stuff nightmares are made of…
Walken Closet
Bad puns and celebrity cameos aren’t enough to save random advertisements that make zero sense, not even Christopher Walken‘s zany antics could not save this Kia spot.
The Bud Light Party
More proof that celebrity alone isn’t enough to save a lame idea, in this Budweiser spot not even the combined star power of Seth Rogen, Amy Schumer, or Paul Rudd could save the day for a truly underwhelming commercial.
There were many more shortcomings and forays into mediocrity during the evening, the losing locker room was full of more than just the vanquished Carolina Panthers, as there were plenty of Super Bowl ads to keep them company in the loser column.
Here’s hoping to a more inspired advertising effort next year, the clock starts now to prepare, and we’ll be waiting to cast judgement accordingly.
