The best (and worst) Super Bowl commercials this year | New ...
In an unsettled time, the most effective commercial messages are all about reassurance, togetherness, and entertainment. This year's Super Bowl commercials mostly focused on safe and traditional themes like nostalgia, comedy, celebrities, patriotism, and poignant humanism.
Abigail Posner, director of Google's U.S. Creative Works, noted that ads emphasizing human connection and humanness tend to resonate the most, especially in times of challenges and unknowns.
Super Bowl ads this year cost up to $8 million for a 30-second spot, making it a lucrative business for major technology, pharmaceutical, fast food, and gambling companies. T-Mobile even announced a partnership with Elon Musk's Starlink satellite company to create a space-based mobile network.
Ad Campaign Strategies
This year, many ads focused on putting a human face on major technology products, pharmaceuticals, fast food, and gambling companies. There was a surprising lack of movie and TV ads, with many campaigns releasing their spots in advance for maximum media coverage.
Amid a cultural moment where socially conscious messaging has been toned down, advertisers opted for more humor, sentiment, and absurdity in their commercials rather than addressing turbulent social issues.
Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials
Best use of a celebrity conspiracy theory: Uber Eats "A Century of Cravings" featuring Matthew McConaughey and other celebrities in an entertaining and absurdist ad.
Best use of a self-deprecating celebrity, Part 2: Dunkin's "The Bean Method" with Jeremy Strong rising from coffee grounds in a humorous ad.
Best use of a Ford to sell a Jeep: Jeep's "Owner's Manual" featuring Harrison Ford in a somewhat disappointing ad focusing on togetherness.
Best nod to Gen X culture: Instacart's "We're Here" evoking nostalgia with beloved product mascots.
Saddest nod to Gen X culture: Hellmann's "When Sally Met Hellmanns" featuring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in a forced nostalgia ad.
Best use of a Goggins to sell TWO real products: GoDaddy's "Act Like You Know" with Walton Goggins in a compelling ad.
Worst use of a Damon to sell TWO characters: Stella Artois' "David & Dave: The Other David" with an odd premise involving David Beckham and Matt Damon.
Best pandering to conspiratorial cynicism: Hims' "Sick of the System" controversial ad denigrating weight loss establishments.
Best personalization of a mega corporation: Google Pixel's "Dream Job" with a touching story about using technology for better performance.
Best personalization of a mega corporation, Part 2: Pfizer's "Knock Out" featuring a young cancer survivor in a heartwarming parade.
