Sometimes we watch a commercial and cannot correlate the brand to the advertisement and other times the company expresses their motto in such a way that just transforms the way you see the brand for the next couple of minutes. Either way, a commercial premiering during the Super Bowl is a rite of passage almost synonymous with getting 200 plus likes on Instagram. These are the commercials people actually don’t mind watching, though it interrupts their programming. It’s almost as if viewers are just waiting to be impressed, amused, confused or laughing and crying in between players because they know the one minute commercials are more meaningful than their usual daily adaptations.
It’s also an excuse for every car company to assert their dominance in the marketing industry, since each break is guaranteed to contain a car brand of some sort.
Most Impactful
Audi: As soon as the first lines of the commercial were uttered, I knew this was going to be a worthwhile minute as the company focused its entire platform on gender equality. Not only does the company stand for one of the top car brands but it also stands for equal pay, giving its progressive motto an active and applicable meaning.
Cutest
NFL babies: If we’re being honest here, seeing any baby on television basically guarantees that your viewers will be watching that commercial until the very end. The “skip ad” button won’t even be in sight at that point because people will be absorbed into a world of nostalgia bringing them back to both their childhoods and one of inspiration in which the next NFL player could be found in the next cute baby with a football.
Most Heart-Wrenching
84 Lumber: Especially during a time of perceived division due to the president’s executive orders, this story on immigration really hit hard since it illustrated the struggles of those who were dealt a poor hand and still strive to attain a life meeting the lowest standards of living. However, this story followed a journey of understanding rather than guilt and that’s why I believe it was the one that really pulled at the heart strings the most.
Most Innovative
Tide: “Is that a stain on his shirt?” Upon seeing one of the first announcers, that was one of the first comments mentioned because it came across as unprofessional until you saw him in the Tide commercial getting the exact same stain. So, him keeping the stain throughout the commentary not only reminds the viewers of the commercial, but serves as a clever way of subtly integrating a sponsorship into the entire game.
Weirdest
Skittles: You know this was the weirdest one when there was a skittle in every scene but it still didn’t make sense why a skittle was being thrown into the mouth of a robber, a cop, a child, and anyone else who opened his or her mouth in front of the camera.
Funniest
Buick: This was probably the funniest one since it reenacted a junior football game with the typical player transformation where one individual becomes a professional NFL player to help the team win the game, but in the most comedic manner.
Best celebrity Involvement
T-mobile: They had two versions that premiered in this Super Bowl, but the first one surely made its mark, even challenging the audience to show off their own Super Bowl moves. Then again, any reason to see Justin Bieber on screen in combination with other celebrities and young children dancing is a good reason to watch.