Super Bowl LVIII is in the books. The game was good. Especially if you like overtime. And long field goals. Usher got a passing grade. But more importantly, there were plenty of good commercials for the Chiefs and 49ers to play football around.
Today there will be a lot of talk about what commercial was the best. Which is a silly debate. Because if you like a commercial you saw yesterday, remember it today, and are now considering purchasing something from that advertiser, they won. Although, it’s hard to purchase a Jesus.
So rather than pick one winner. Here is a set of 10 winning Super Bowl advertisers and their commercials that made me like their product, service or brand more today than I did before the game.
10 Commercials That Won Me OverDuring the Super Bowl
Reese’s: Yes! (Caramel)
This spot announcing that Reese’s now has peanut butter cups topped with caramel was amazing. The message was simple and compelling to people who like such things. (And I like such things.) The extreme reactions to the announcement was hilarious. At my house, we rewound the commercial to watch all of the reactions several times. We paused the spot to take in all that was happening within the featured living room. If you haven’t done the same, do it now. Great job offering a cool new SKU Reece’s. And thanks for the head through the wall, the hula-hooping dog, and the duct tape on the coffee table. I saw it all.
Google Pixel 8: Javier In Frame
This was a cool and compelling technology introduction. But it quickly became a great story about how technology can impact your life. It was a sweet love story that couldn’t have been captured on camera, until now. It’s always risky running a touching Super Bowl spot, rather than a can’t-miss football-to-the-groin commercial. But you pulled it off nicely Googs. And now I think that you are really trying to make the world a better place, not just selling me search terms.
Poppi Soda. The Future of Soda is Now
Soda pop has not been a growing market for years. Teas, waters and flavored seltzers have become more sensible replacements. But Poppi Soda has a new and refreshing take on the category. And they used the Super Bowl as a stage to say that soda pop doesn’t have to be what it once was, Pony Boy. I tried my first Poppi Soda yesterday, and I loved it. It was exactly what I wish soda pop was. Low sugar. But not no sugar. (Honey-honey.) We may look back at this Super Bowl as the catapult that launched a significant soda pop shift. If so, I hope this blog post makes it into the National Soda Pop History Museum, which I assume is in Minnesoda.
Etsy: Gift Mode
This spot looked the part of an epic period piece spoof. The commercial captured the moment when France sent The United States The Statue of Liberty. It was hilarious. The spot reveals that the recipients, Americans, now felt put out that they had to send a thank-you gift to France. But they found the perfect gift, a handmade cheeseboard, on Etsy, thanks to the new Gift Mode.They don’t fully explain how gift mode works. But I feel like I should check it out because France was sure happy with their gift.
Pluto TV: Couch Potato Farms
This commercial for Pluto TV was funny and attention-getting. It utilized the perfect Super Bowl commercial formula: simple premise + epic execution + humor = memoralikability. In this case, Pluto TV shared that they have so much great content, that they create perfect conditions for couch potatoes. Plus they dropped the line, ‘I like romantic murder.’ The writing, direction, acting and potato costumes were excellent. Pluto TV is now on my radar. 24 hours ago it wasn’t.
Verizon: Can’t B Broken with Beyoncé
This is a great message that while it is possible to break the internet, you can’t break the Verizon network. Even with Beyoncé. Or Bar Bey. And if she can’t break it, it can’t be broken. Now that’s reliabilité.
Uber Eats: Don’t Forget.
Uber Eats presents a fun and funny concept that if you want to remember that Uber Eats delivers practically anything, you need to forget something else. And when you do, hilarity ensues. But be warned, you just might forget your friends and your pants. This spot definitely helped me remember that Uber Eats can help me deliver a lotta stuff. Mission accomplished. However, now I have forgotten what punctuation I am supposed to use to end a sentence
Tacoma. Dareful Handle
The all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma is more powerful and therefore more adventurous than ever. The Tacoma has done a good job of positioning itself as a badass truck, so that as an import, it can compete with our homegrown Chevys, Fords, GMCs and Rams. This spot does a nice job of conveying Tacoma’s performance by highlighting what I have always known as the ‘Oh Shit Handle’. The message came across loud, clear and funny: the Tacoma will really go. And you can scare the poo out of passengers with its performance. Yee Haw!
Disney Plus: Well Said.
This beautifully simple commercial didn’t cost much to make. In fact, your local insurance agent probably could have afforded to produce it. (The media buy is a whole different issue.) The spot shared the classic lines from content you will find on Disney+. It was a reminder that many of the best movies and the best lines that have become ingrained in our culture are found on Disney+. It’s also ironic that Disney, the greatest creator of epic entertainment in history, would create a Super Bowl commercial that could have been produced on a typewriter. Ding.
Roller Skates. Usher.
While roller skates didn’t have an actual commercial during the Super Bowl, Usher rocking the rollers during the halftime show was a great ad for these icons of the 1970s and 80s. I bet Moon Boots are totally jelly right now. I’m going to look into skating next weekend. Maybe enter the limbo contest. And I’m going to couple skate with my wife Dawn under that disco ball while Madonna’s Crazy For You plays. (If you want to listen to my favorite roller skating songs of all time check out my Roller Skating Playlist on Spotify.) Thanks Usher. You remind me…
Key Takeaway
There wasn’t an individual commercial that won the Super Bowl. The win is having your commercial in front of 100 million people and having a huge part of the audience like your spot, understand what you are advertising, believe that it is relevant to them, and remember the brand the next day. That’s how advertising helps businesses grow every day. Even when your ads are not on the Super Bowl. Marketers should settle for nothing less.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.
Adam Albrecht Blog 