Over a hundred million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVI–but how many actually watched it for the game of football? Let’s be honest: Bengals v. Rams was not the most exciting match-up, considering the Patriots were not one of the two teams. All jokes aside, the annual sporting event brings many other exciting opportunities like celebrity sightings, the half-time show, and most importantly, the best TV commercials of the year. Below, we have analyzed our nine favorites.
Boston Dynamics/Samuel Adams – “Robots Partying with Security”
In one of the most unexpected collaborations of the Super Bowl, Samuel Adams, Boston Dynamics, and the “Your cousin from Boston” guy teamed up. The commercial takes place in Boston Dynamics where Gregory Hoyt (“Your cousin from Boston” actor) and his friend are security guards and decide to open up some Samuel Adams after a long day of work. One of the Boston Dynamics robots comes up to them, so naturally they give it a beer. This interaction leads to a party of the security guards and the robots inside an engineering lab. The commercial ends with two workers wanting to stop the party, but unable to, as the security guards they want to call are the perpetrators of the madness. The irony and light-heartedness of the entire situation was a great way to promote two Boston-based companies and ignite pride in every Bostonian watching.
Amazon – “Mind Reader”
Amazon’s Alexa speaker can play your favorite songs, answer trivia questions, and even control your smart home. But what if the household AI system could read users’ minds? In this comercial, newlyweds Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost experience the social repercussions of this transcendent technology. For example, Alexa exposes Jost’s intention to fake his own death to get out of seeing his wife’s show and reveals that Johansson enjoys making out with hot actors on screen. Overall, the humorous scenarios and the sweet chemistry between the Hollywood couple effectively sold Alexa while simultaneously entertaining viewers.
Lay’s – “Golden Memories”
In the Lay’s ad, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen share a bag of chips, triggering memories of their ‘97 road trip. The ad shifts to the two guys blasting Shania Twain’s “Still the One” as they drive a convertible across sunny grasslands. Then, they reminisce how Lay’s was there for them throughout their lives: during a turbulent plane ride, a kidnapping, a fight scene, and when Rogen bought his first house. The ad ends at Rogen’s wedding, where Lay’s chips are thrown in the air.
McDonald’s – “Can I Get Uhhhhh ft. Ye”
We all know how hard it is to decide what to order when you are suddenly first in line to order. In the McDonald’s ad, they show several people–a few kids, a racecar driver, a cartoon, and a goldfish–saying “uhhh” when asked for their order. The second to last person is Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), who steps out of a huge black car, and his “uhhh” is hilariously autotuned. If even Ye gets stumped by the McDonald’s menu, average folks can feel better about taking forever to order their usual ten-piece chicken nuggets.
Kia – “Robo Dog Saga”
Kia’s Robo Dog was one to remember. It started out with the dog standing on a shop counter, spotting the new Kia car pulling out of its charging station outside. The small dog runs through the city, chasing the car through many obstacles such as leaping between buildings. The Montclairs “I Need You More Than Ever” plays in the background as the dog leaps towards the car. Then, the screen goes black as Robo Dog’s battery dies. It wakes up fully charged and in the new Kia EV6, and the ad ends with the dog sticking its head out the window as the car drives on.
FTX – “Don’t Miss Out on Crypto”
Fans of comedian Larry David or his show Curb Your Enthusiasm will be pleased to know that for two minutes, he reprises his most well-known role–himself. Through fake historical flashbacks, we see David reject many of the most famous inventions of all time, such as the wheel, coffee, and electricity. Finally, he rejects the notion of cryptocurrency. The commercial ended by warning, “Don’t be like Larry.” But after watching this commercial, viewers surely wanted to emulate Larry David’s humor!
Disney+ – “GOATS”
Disney Plus started their ad out strong, with a saleswoman saying, “Disney Plus has the greatest movies and shows of all time.” As she walks through the office, the ad shows goats dressed as many fan-favorite characters, such as Mufasa, all of the Avengers, Chewbacca, Buzz Lightyear, and many more. At the end of the ad, all of the goats are waiting for the elevator, and the saleswoman waits for the next one. It closes with the same opening statement: that Disney Plus has the GOAT movies and shows.
Pringles – “Stuck In”
Ever had the feeling that if you reach far enough into a Pringles can that you won’t be able to pull it out? That’s the reality for a man in the Pringles commercial who, while trying to get some Pringles during a party, gets his hand stuck inside the can and has to live with it through his entire life including getting married and having a baby. The commercial ended with “Pringle Man’s” funeral, at which a new victim gets their hand stuck inside a different Pringles can.
Uber – “Don’t Eats”
Uber is expanding their service UberEats to deliver “Don’t Eats;” in other words, nonedible household items like dishwasher soap or toilet paper. Lazy people everywhere can rejoice! To drive (pun intended) the point home, viewers watched celebrities mistakenly eat these items. The best moment was Gwyneth Paltrow munching on her controversial candle and pronouncing it “not bad.”
