Needless to say, the Super Bowl has become a pretty big deal. It’s the most watched sporting event every year and captures an audience from around the world. So it’s no wonder the commercial slots are so expensive. In fact, a 30-second time slot could cost more than $5 million. Comparing to previous years, this year’s commercials weren’t that great overall. There were more serious and heartfelt commercials than ones that made you laugh. However, there were a few that caught my eye.
The commercial for the fruit drink, Bai, gave me a good chuckle. It’s pronounced “bye” and Christopher Walken is sitting on a couch with Justin Timberlake. Walken stares directly into the camera and speaks a famous line from Timberlake’s hit NSYNC song, “Bye Bye Bye.” I’m not an NSYNC fan so it took me a few minutes to get it. But it definitely made me laugh out loud.
Year in and year out, Bud Light always has a great commercial. Well, this year was no different. Spuds MacKenzie is back, but as a ghost. He’s guiding a man who decided to stay at home rather than go out with his friends through nights of his friends having fun without him. Spuds MacKenzie was a popular English bull terrier that starred in a series of Bud Light ads that started in the 1987 commercial. He appeared on talk shows and was also mentioned in Tone Loc’s song, “Funky Cold Medina.”
I also thought the Airbnb commercial was inspiring. Their campaign was centered around the phrase “We Accept,” which is a clear response to President Trump’s executive order to put a temporary ban on refugees. According to an Airbnb spokesperson, the commercial was spontaneously put together in less than a week while using some footage from one of their previous commercials. It was a clear message, but it was done in a matter that calls for unity and peace rather than division and destruction.
But the commercial that has everyone talking about came after the game. Tom Brady, quarterback for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, starred in a commercial for Shields MRI where he boldly predicted he would win the Super Bowl and takes a jab at NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell. The commercial was filmed back in September and, apparently, there was two endings made just in case Brady and the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl. It was a bold move by Brady, but that’s what makes him the goat.
The commercials for this year’s Super Bowl didn’t stand out like they have in the past, but there were a few that stood out.