Whether we want to admit it or not, the Super Bowl is the only time most viewers ever actually watch football. This is a primary reason why so many companies spend millions of dollars each year vying for a few coveted Super Bowl ad slots. In between the Patriots and the Seahawks trying to kill each other, there were several ads broadcasted that took my friends from laughter to tears to WTF and beyond. So in no particular order, Her Campus UIC would like to share with you some of our favorite commercials from Super Bowl XLIX!
All Car Ads
For some reason I cannot quite explain, I really appreciated most of the car ads that ran this year. From FIAT’s absolutely hilarious ad featuring a pill on the loose to Nissan’s super sad “With Dad” commercial, car advertisers made it clear that in order to truly gain their audience’s attention, there had to be a story to go along with that shiny new car
An (almost) Oscar-worthy moment!
Dove Men + Care
Almost all of my friends and I agreed that Dove’s Men + Care ad was one of the cutest ads of the night. Taking us through the lives of dads and their children in just a minute is no small feat, but Dove got it done.
Coca-Cola
After last year ‘s controversy surrounding Coca Cola’s “This Land Is Your Land” Super Bowl ad, perhaps the brand decided to be more explicit in its message, using the hashtag #MakeItHappy as the slogan for this year’s ad. The ad exposed several negative aspects of internet usage such as cyberbullying, and with its focus on social media and technology use, was arguably aimed at millennials and younger viewers.
Always “Like a Girl”
This one made me have all of the aforementioned emotions at once! The juxtaposition between what we think of when we hear “like a girl” with the reality of how girls actually carry themselves was a lesson on the effects of internalized oppression that set my inner liberal arts spirit ablaze!
Budweiser
This year Budweiser had two separate ads that were equally as awesome and built upon past advertisements. First, their “Lost Dog” ad tugged at America’s heart strings for the second year in a row while searching for last year’s Budweiser puppy.
Perhaps to dry our tears, the brand also gave us a second ad, another epic adventure to showcase its Bud Light #UpForWhatever campaign. This years ad showed yet another unsuspecting NYC bar patron unexpectedly whisked away on an adventure proving yet again that waaaaaay too many people are indeed #upforwhatever.
THE REAL MVP
Loctite Glue
One ad that cannot go without mention is the HILARIOUS Loctite glue ad. Featuring adults dancing while wearing fanny packs (was that Mr.Smang It?!) and a reggae/dubstep ode to Loctite glue this ad successfully used the Super Bowl to do what advertising is meant to do- raise awareness about a product very few people knew about beforehand. #WinAtGlue