Super Bowl LIII: The recap that really matters
Some people watch the Super Bowl for the game, some people watch it for the halftime show, and some people watch it solely for the advertisements. Funny ads, creative ads, moving ads, ads that are just plain weird...you name it, the Super Bowl has it. With the average Super Bowl Ad costing $5 million for a 30 second spot, companies have to make sure they pull out all the stops. Unfortunately, I am currently studying abroad in Ireland so I was extremely disappointed to learn that no advertisements air here. So basically I stayed up till one in the morning to watch an extremely mediocre halftime show and an extremely boring first half. Don’t worry, I have since looked up all the ads and come to my conclusions of this year’s best and worst.
Best Celebrity Endorsement: Pepsi
As a server, I had an extra appreciation for this ad. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve said “Is Pepsi okay?” Kudos to Pepsi for recognizing this and running with it. You can’t go wrong with Steve Carell, and Steve Carell attempting to mimic Cardi B is everything I never knew I needed. Well the ad may have fallen a little flat at the end, and Pepsi could have used the celebrities a little more, overall the ad was both funny and relatable.
Best Feel Good Ad: Pampers
No heavy topics here. Just John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and Adam Levine making you smile. The feature from Miles and Luna didn’t hurt either. This ad featured a lot of diversity and showed dads in a positive light. The song was catchy and the whole thing just made you feel good.
Most Powerful: Washington Post, Microsoft, and Verizon
Honestly, I couldn’t choose just one here so I’m going to have to give you my top three.
Washington Post: This ad spoke volumes to the importance of free press and the power of knowledge. Tom Hanks was the perfect choice to narrate this ad.
Microsoft: I found this ad so moving. Microsoft was smart to extend off of a previous ad because we got to learn more about Owen’s story. All the kids in the ad were so inspiring and it made me want to support Microsoft as a brand.
Verizon: Verizon absolutely nailed it this year. It was awesome to see them shining light on the amazing work that first responders do. Hearing Anthony Lynn’s story and then seeing how emotional he got when he met the people who saved his life definitely brought a few tears to my eyes.
Best Ad for Female Empowerment: Bumble
An advertisement for a dating app that doesn’t even mention men once? Yes please. The Bumble ad was spot on with Serena Williams reminding all of us that the ball is in our court and that we don’t need to wait to be invited in, we already have the power. This ad was simple and powerful and I give huge props to Bumble for using their platform to spread a strong message about female empowerment.
Weirdest Crossover: Game of Thrones and Bud Light
The Bud Light and Game of Thrones crossover ad honestly just left me confused. First of all, it was long, 1 minute, 30 seconds. Second of all, I don’t watch Game of Thrones, and I know a lot of other people don’t either, so I really had no idea what was happening. I get it was an ad for both, but seeing the Bud Light knight get killed doesn’t really make me want to drink their beer. Actually, nothing about that ad really did. Maybe, it was a big hit with Game of Thrones fans but personally, I just didn’t get it.
Worst Ad: Mint Mobile
Nothing else even comes close. This ad about chunky milk honestly could not have been worse. When you literally have to look away from the screen because it is so disgusting, you know it’s bad. There were so many metaphors Mint Mobile could have used for things that “aren’t right.” Literally anything else. I don’t know who decided that associating their brand with chunky milk was a good idea, but they could not have taken a worse direction. This ad flopped big time.
My Other Favorites: Google, Google Translate, NFL 100th Anniversary, and Amazon
These ads all hit the mark for me. Google and Google Translate’s ads were both extremely powerful and NFL’s and Amazon’s ads had just the right amount of humor.
Overall, I would call this a pretty successful year for Super Bowl ads. Some flopped, some were boring, and some were just plain weird. However, more were funny, powerful, and many shed light on important issues in society today. There will always be some good and some bad, but it will always be the most entertaining part of every Super Bowl.