There are certain things you can always count on after the Super Bowl. There will be a pretty good-sized mess. You’ll be out of beer. There will be no leftover chicken wings but you’ll be eating dip for days. You’ll have at least one friend who’s complaining and another who’s taking full advantage of bragging rights. And then of course there’s our annual top 5 Super Bowl commercial picks. Here you go:
1. Budweiser – Typical Americans
Yet another thing you can count on every year is a great ad from Budweiser, and this one didn’t disappoint. By refuting the negative things people say about “typical” Americans with footage showing the kindness, perseverance, courage and accomplishments we’ve all witnessed and shared throughout the years, this ad does a great job of helping us embrace our differences and bring us all together, reminding us we are all great Americans…who, by the way, drink a “Great American Beer.”
2. Cheetos – Can’t Touch This
Like Budweiser, Cheetos turned a negative into a positive to introduce its new product and it couldn’t be more fun! Everyone can relate to the cheese powder-covered finger problem when indulging in Cheetos, but who ever thought you could use it to your advantage? Throw in MC Hammer and his famous “You can’t touch this” song lyric, and this spot works perfectly.
3. Bud Light/Bud Light Seltzer – Let’s Get Both
Bud Light knew they were up against some pretty steep competition with the highly popular White Claw, so how did they differentiate their new seltzer offering? With a highly popular musician (Post Malone) and his entourage of tastebuds of course! This ad does a brilliant job on several levels. It uses the equity of the Bud Light brand, shows someone cool opting for and enjoying a seltzer, and demonstrates in a very clever way that yes, this is new and unusual for Bud Light, but definitely worth trying.
4. Jeep – Groundhog’s Day
Jeep took advantage of the fact the Super Bowl just happened to be on Groundhog’s Day with this hilarious spoof of the movie. The spot features Bill Murray reliving the same day over and over again, only this time he’s more than happy to do so since he and his little groundhog buddy get to have a slew of different adventures in their new Jeep Gladiator. Jeep definitely got this one right.
5. Hyundai – Smaht Pahk
To promote an automated parking feature called Remote Smart Park Assistance, Hyundai “smartly” used a cast full of Boston-linked celebrities. With unmistakable Boston accents, they talk about the wicked way the new Sonata can “pahk” and “un-pahk” just about anywhere. The repetition of “smaht pahk” makes the car’s innovative feature much more memorable than if it were mentioned over and over again accent-free. Pretty smaht!
Runner Up: Reeses – The Best Bar You’ve Never Heard Of
Ever heard of Take 5? The answer to that survey question must have been a resounding “Nope.” Ah, but what better way to solve such a problem than to put it right out there for all to see? Reeses calls people out for not being aware of a candy bar that’s been around for years by using a litany of sarcastic sayings – who knew there were so many ways to call someone oblivious? Though silly, this ad certainly got the point across, and there are likely far more people now aware of Reeses Take 5. Ever heard of it? Now you have!
There you have it. Our top Super Bowl picks promoting people, snacks, beer, candy bars, and cars. What do they all have in common? Well, besides the people, the products are all things that are manufactured, and manufacturing marketing just happens to be our specialty. No wonder these were our favorites! Interested in talking marketing rather than continue talking football? Give us a call. We might be typical Americans, but we’re not your typical ad agency.
