Why did you tune into the Super Bowl this year? Are you an avid Bengals or Rams fan? Did you watch the game because everyone you know was watching? Maybe you are an Eagles fan who just chose a random team to support? Did you not care about football and just waited for the commercials and halftime?
Regardless of “why,” views for Super Bowl commercials this year were particularly high. Corporations did an effective job of ensuring that their minute in the spotlight did not go to waste, especially with a common theme of the most popular commercials, this year, being the inclusion of famous celebrities and influencers. That being said, let’s unpack some of the top viewed commercials in case you missed them!
Amazon’s “Mind Reader” – There are famous couples and then there are FAMOUS couples. Amazon made the most bang for their buck by including a FAMOUS couple like actress Scarlett Johansson and comedian Colin Jost. The newlyweds (relatively) underwent absolute havoc by Amazon’s Alexa. In this humorous commercial, Alexa begins to read Scarlett and Colin’s minds as she takes matters into her own hands by initiating tasks and speaking without being asked. The couple becomes rather disturbed by Alexa’s interruption in their relationship. The commercial ends with Colin exclaiming, “maybe Alexa shouldn’t read minds!” Throughout this Alexa advertisement, Amazon subtly addresses vague concerns that Alexa would become too advanced in technological abilities that she would soon be able to read minds. It’s creepy but enticing and, thus, perhaps worth the watch.
NBC’s “Stars Agree” – Not one, not two, but a handful of the hottest celebrities are featured in this 2022 NBC commercial. The clip begins with a commercial, within the commercial, promoting NBC through Ted Danson. The camera pans to a gathering that includes Terry Crews, Kelly Clarkson, Mariska Hargitay, and Christopher Meloni. Each star expresses their great dismay toward NBC for not including them in the commercial on the big screen. Although this is a short ad, it remains very effective. NBC made sure to incorporate several familiar faces that are frequently featured in their shows in an attempt to raise brand awareness and capture the public eye.
T-Mobile’s “Home Internet Song” – Do you know Zach Braff and Donald Faison? Did you know that they can sing? If you have never heard them sing, I highly recommend you check out T-Mobile’s home internet commercial on YouTube. T-Mobile took the famous musical song, “I Feel Pretty,” from West Side Story, and put their own spin on the lyrics. “Internet without BS” is the main message of the song in which Donald musically informs Zach of the benefits he is missing out on by not having T-Mobile. This is an out of the ordinary advertisement for T-Mobile, which is why it has tons of views.
Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World Dominion” – RAWR! Have you seen the Jurassic series? If you are a big fan of Universal’s work with Jurassic Park, you might want to head to YouTube and check out this trailer. Movie trailers tend to be a hit or miss in terms of evoking excitement from the audience. Due to the extremely high viewership, it can be inferred that Universal Pictures hit the nail on the head with this one. The trailer highlighted Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady wrangling some new and old dinosaurs. There were many beloved favorites shown to return in this upcoming film, including Rexy, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Even if you have never seen this series before, this trailer will give you great insight into what it’s all about!
Nissan’s “Thrill Driver” – Not only was this a huge commercial for Nissan, but it was also a big achievement for Schitt’s Creek actor, Eugene Levy. This was Eugene’s first Super Bowl ad appearance, and it was a remarkable one at that! In this 60 second clip, Eugene is coaxed to take the new 2023 Nissan Z sports car out for a drive. As soon as he steps behind the wheel, he transforms into a cool, rock-star persona. He encounters his friends, Catherine O’Hara, Danai Gurira, and Dave Bautista who note the change in his persona while driving the bright colored car. The message behind this commercial is that the new 2023 Nissan models will instill great confidence in the driver, making them feel on top of the world. What a message.
BMW’s “Zeus and Hera” – Another car commercial? As Nissan’s “Thrill Driver” commercial was placed in the spotlight, BMW’s “Zeus and Hera” Super Bowl ad was not too far behind, at least in terms of viewership. When was the last time you saw Arnold Schwarzenegger on television? Well, if you haven’t seen him on your screen in a while, you’re guaranteed to see him in this commercial! Arnold and Salma Hayek play the roles of Zeus and Hera as they showcase BMW’s fully electric BMW iX Sports Activity Vehicle. Zeus loses his spark due to his constant frustration stemming from his issues with earthly electronics. Hera saves the day and brings Zeus’s spark back by gifting him the new BMW iX. BMW’s casting of Zeus and Hera and the idea of an electric vehicle bringing Zeus’s spark back is the main attribute to the commercial’s success.
These are just six of the hottest Super Bowl commercials. Whether the Super Bowl results were what you hoped they’d be or not, the commercials in between game-time action surely did not disappoint. The theme of these commercials being inclusive of famous representation just goes to show how consistent the advertising industry has become in utilizing similar tactics and how successful this technique has become.
There have been years of dry and unamusing Super Bowl commercials and there have been years of “wow” factor commercials. Personally, I think the commercials this year were very well done, but give them a watch and you can decide for yourself!