Super Bowl XLIX had just about everything a football fan could ask for — great plays, a spetacular halftime performance by Katy Perry, and an unbelievably stunning end coupled with a ridiculous fight. But unless you're a fan of football, odds are you tuned into the Super Bowl for the commercials.
Traditionally, Super Bowl commercials are designed to make you laugh. This year though, it was all about the tear-jerkers. From lost puppies to dead children, Super Bowl XLIX featured some of the most emotional, impactful commercials I've ever seen. Seriously, I've never been such an emotional wreck from things other than the game as I was last night. But for all the tear-jerkers, there were a few that made me laugh.
Overall, I'd say Super Bowl XLIX featured a healthy dose of both funny and serious commercials. Below are the best of them.
Budweiser ‘Lost Dog’
Don’t f*ck with animals, especially dogs. GoDaddy found that out the hard way when they released a spot mocking Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” commercial. It backfired completely. During Super Bowl XLIX, Budweiser showed the real ad. I don’t think it had anything to do with the actual beer, but it was feel-good ad with a cute puppy. GoDaddy’s commercial may have made more sense technically (using the company to create a site to sell puppies), but we’re not in the business of realistic. I want cute puppies and Clydesdales!
Coca-Cola #MakeItHappy
The internet is a cruel, cruel place. You don’t have to look very hard to find instances of racism, sexism, homophobia, or other ignorant behavior. In fact, this type of toxic behavior is rampant in the gaming industry. But it’s not exclusive to our industry; it’s everywhere. Coca-Cola’s #MakeItHappy won’t put an end to online bullying, but it certainly brings attention to the subject, helps spread awareness, and even calls upon you to take action when you see this type of bullying behavior.
Jurassic World
Dinosaurs. Chris Pratt. Need I say more?
Clash of Clans ‘Revenge’ Trailer
Supercell is no stranger to charming TV spots, but they took their advertising to a new level during the Super Bowl. Unlike their competitors, Supercell doesn’t need sex to sell their game — just the idea of revenge. And who better to exact that revenge than Liam Neeson, the star from Taken?
Bud Light ‘Real Life Pac-Man’
This one wasn’t as exciting for me during the game since I saw it days in advance, but it’s still a really clever ad that appeals to my nostalgic roots. Seriously, how awesome would it be to play in a life-sized version of Pac-Man? This was freaking awesome.
Nationwide ‘Make Safe Happen’
I’m starting to think I’m the only one who “liked” this commercial. Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely depressed after watching it, but it’s something that needed to be shown. It can be argued that the Super Bowl isn’t the type of environment to air this sort of deep commercial, but why? Because the topic is uncomfortable? So is domestic abuse, but we all seem fine watching those commercials. The fact is, according to Nationwide, the number one cause of childhood deaths is preventable accidents. It’s an uncomfortable topic, and what better chance do they have to reach such a widespread audience? Nationwide wanted to make a statement and they did. It may have been uncomfortable, but it hopefully got you to stop and think about protecting your kids.
Snickers ‘The Brady Bunch’
Snickers always has clever marketing. Lately, they’ve been on this kick where ‘you’re not yourself when you’re hungry.’ Snickers stuck with that premise in their Super Bowl spot, but incorporated it into one of the most iconic scenes in a classic television show, The Brady Bunch episode where Marcia gets hit in the face with a football. Except instead of Marcia we have Danny Trejo. And instead of Jan, we have Steve Buscemi. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone who would make a better Jan.
BMW i3 ‘Newfangled Idea’
It’s hard to believe that 21 years ago, nobody really understood the internet. Props to BMW for digging up the old footage of Today show hosts Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel trying to wrap their heads around things like the @ symbol and email. Fast forward 21 years later, and the two once again find themselves scratching their heads at the next, new big idea.
Like I said, a nice mix of funny and emotional. One things for sure, each of the commercials above successfully elicited emotional response. And I think that's a sign of a good commercial — except in GoDaddy's case, because f*ck puppy mills.
