Every year, that one annoying person at the Super Bowl party tells you, “I only watch the Super Bowl for the ads.” Then, they ask a million questions about what’s going on during the game because they don’t understand it.
As much as we hate to sit next to that person, they are right about one thing: Super Bowl advertisements have become something of a spectacle. With 113 million viewers of this year’s game, companies grabbed viewers’ attention with celebrity cameos and visual effects. Here are the best ads that aired during Super Bowl LIX — read to the end to see the worst and weirdest.
1. InstaCart
Perhaps capitalism has rotted my brain into mush, but seeing the litany of mascots for various products and brands forced me to crack a smile. Chester Cheeto talked to the Puppy Monkey Baby, who debuted during the 2016 Bowl as a mascot for Mountain Dew, which brought on an intense wave of nostalgia.
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Other notable mascots included Mr. Clean, the Kool-Aid Man and the Energizer Bunnies. During a time of intense political division and insecurity, seeing all my favorite mascots come together for a grocery delivery service made me feel like everything would be alright in the world, even if it were just for a minute.
2. Taco Bell
Taco Bell’s advertisement is a proletarian masterpiece that breaks the mold of its competitors. Instead of stuffing the commercial full of celebrity cameos, it focuses on the people.
The premise of the ad is that people are what make Taco Bell so special, as it purposely and repeatedly cuts off LeBron James, a known Taco Bell enthusiast, and Doja Cat. While both celebrities have enough time on screen to display their charisma, the message fundamentally favors the people while mocking excessive celebrity endorsements.
This ad could easily have been misconstrued as hypocritical, as it has two major celebrities in it. However, it perfectly toes the satirical line for a memorable and compelling advertisement.
3. Pringles
While the Pringles canister might be one of the most inconvenient food storage devices ever invented, that does not stop the Pringles corporation from making some memorable advertisements.
In this ad, a man blows into a Pringles canister, causing the mustaches to be ripped from the faces of men across the world and float away together. The imagery is almost biblical — like a mustachioed rendition of the Rapture. The ad’s celebrity endorsements are also tasteful, highlighting famous mustaches of the world, including University alum Nick Offerman, James Harden and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
4. WeatherTech
I greatly admire that a company that produces something as unexciting as rubber car mats can create such a fun and playful ad. In the advertisement, a gang of goofy grandmas go on a car chase, play bingo and eventually get arrested.
This advertisement was far from the most interesting, but a fusion of the “Golden Girls” and a crime syndicate is a compelling narrative choice. While the ad does not do anything particularly amazing, it’s a fun and memorable advertisement that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
5. Uber Eats
While everyone hates paying an extra $12 in delivery fees for a restaurant only 10 minutes away, sometimes Uber Eats is a must. Starring Matthew McConaughey, the ad’s storyline is that football was created to help corporations sell food to fans.
The ad’s strength lies in its cameos, which stars celebrities that most people don’t actually hate, specifically University alum and “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans and Kevin Bacon. The ad also featured British pop star Charli xcx, who briefly appears in an office siren getup while munching on a green apple, a clever nod to her hit single, “Apple,” released last summer.
Weirdest ad: Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew pulled no punches when trying to make the weirdest ad for this year’s Super Bowl. Its advertisement for Baja Blast, which tastes like battery acid in a good way, is a surrealist masterpiece that could have been taken straight from the mind of Dalí.
In the ad, singer-songwriter Seal takes the form of a literal seal while keeping his human head. He sings a rendition of “Kiss from a Rose” with lyrics themed around Mountain Dew.
Worst ad: Dunkin’
Less is more, and Dunkin’ reaffirmed this fact with its Super Bowl advertisement. While it tried to be a grand spectacle full of visual effects and celebrity cameos — like a Marvel movie — it failed on almost every front.
The ad is hard to follow, not very funny and far too long. Dunkin’s attempt to create something so ambitious is admirable, but when 30-second ads cost up to $8 million, maybe the Super Bowl is not the time to experiment. If you are going to try something new, at least make it interesting.
