The Super Bowl is pretty great: football, the halftime show, delicious food, and (for some of us) the best part: the commercials! This is probably the one and only time of year when we actually look forward to the hilarious, cute, or tear-jerking advertisements in between watching touchdowns and turnovers. A lot of companies decided to go the somber route this year, and it didn’t seem like there were quite as many humorous ones as usual. If you missed the Super Bowl, we’ve compiled a list of the ones you should still watch, and the ones you might as well skip.
Best Commercials
Budweiser’s “Lost Puppy”
Without fail, Budweiser has given us an adorable, heartwarming puppy and Clydesdale-themed commercial for each Super Bowl. This year, the little labrador pup accidentally finds himself far from home, so he tries to find his way back. Yet, when he’s nearly home, a wild coyote threatens the happy reunion between man and man’s best friend, but the Clydesdales jump in to save the day.
TurboTax’s “Boston Tea Party”
Going for humor seems to be a clear winner, and the TurboTax commercial was one of the best. The British and Americans are battling each other during the Revolutionary War, when Britain decides to let the Americans do their taxes for free. Obviously this is all the Americans wanted in the first place, so we’re back to being one big happy family. Clever, TurboTax, clever.
Snicker’s “The Brady Bunch”
Another standout in the line of “You’re not you when you’re hungry” ads from Snickers takes us back to The Brady Bunch, starring Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi. In this remake of the infamous episode, Marsha is so angry when Peter hits her on the nose right before the dance that she becomes Danny Trejo with an ax. But once she eats a Snicker’s bar she becomes herself again. It ends with Steve Buscemi as Jan saying “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha” and then storming off. We’ll say Snickers hit this ad on the nose as well!
Worst Commercials
T-Mobile’s “Kim’s Data Stash”
First of all, who cares about Kim Kardashian’s makeup, backhand shot, outfits, vacations...and more of her outfits? It just looked like another excuse for Kim to flaunt her figure and her money on national television while having nothing to do with the product itself. (Maybe we would’ve cared if it wasn’t Kim.)
Nationwide’s “Make Safe Happen”
Talk about a debbie downer. This commercial shows a cute kid with his dog, in his treehouse, and then he’s dead. It was not well-done, and it really doesn’t even make sense. Not to mention, it simply made the helicopter parents out there even more anxious about their child’s safety.
Jublia’s “Tackle it”
If you’re going to be coughing up millions of dollars for your commercial to air during the Super Bowl, maybe you should consider spending more than $20 to make it. Also, just because its going to be shown during a football game, it doesn’t mean your ad has to be football-themed...and star a fungus-ridden toe. Gross.
