10 Hilarious Super Bowl LIX Commercials You Can't Miss

Super Bowl LIX commercials rely on comedy and nostalgia to avoid controversy

Most of the commercials airing during this year's Super Bowl are going for laughs, with advertisers betting that America could use a little break. As the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs hit the field in New Orleans, a parade of silly ads will hit airwaves on Sunday. Many companies put their ads online ahead of the game, but some held out to maintain an element of surprise.

Humor Dominates the Ads

Humor dominates in the ads released so far. Four old ladies go on a joy ride with WeatherTech, while Eugene Levy's eyebrows fly off and buzz around after he eats some Little Caesars. Sloths have a case of the Mondays in an ad for Coors Light. A man's tongue starts dancing to celebrate cold foam from Nestlé Coffee Mate. British singer Seal becomes an actual seal, sad that he can't hold Mountain Dew with his flippers.

Actor Glenn Powell does a take on Goldilocks for Ram Trucks, while comedian Nate Bargatze clones himself and hires an opera singer because he saved so much money using DoorDash. Shaboozey takes a lighthearted stroll through New Orleans for Nerds, while the stars of the "Fast and Furious" franchise take a slow cruise in a convertible so they can enjoy Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars.

The Challenge for Advertisers

Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, said this was a complicated Super Bowl for advertisers. Most ads were in development during last fall's U.S. presidential election race, so avoiding controversy was even more of a priority than usual. The finalized crop of commercials feature a lot of simple humor, nostalgia, and few creative risks. But even that approach can backfire.

"That's the challenge this year. Everybody wants to be safe, but you also want to be interesting," Calkins said. "Safe advertising isn't the advertising you notice or remember."

Nostalgia and Celebrities in Ads

Budweiser brings back its Clydesdales for its Super Bowl ad, including a foal that wants to join the delivery team. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal reenact their famous scene from 1989's "When Harry Met Sally," except this time Sally is expressing her enthusiasm for Hellmann's mayonnaise. The Muppets search for accommodations with Booking.com, while an Instacart ad features a parade of familiar mascots like Mr. Clean, the Jolly Green Giant, and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Advertisers are leaning on nostalgia more than they used to in Super Bowl ads, according to Kimberly Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Nods to the past can broaden the appeal of an ad to different generations and connect products to positive cultural moments.