Ever since the Super Bowl’s inception, its ad breaks have grown ever more complex and anticipated. Companies spend $8 Million for a 30-second slot on the day of the big game. This isn’t taking into account the millions that go into the ads themselves, with money spent on A-list actors, visual effects, professional directors/crew, and more. But which ads stood out during Super Bowl LIX? Which were the most effective? Which were able to convey the purpose of what they were selling while also providing adequate entertainment for the audience?
- Dunkings 2.0
The Ad: Ben Aflek and the dwindled Dunkings add some new members to the team and insult Starbucks employees.
First on the list is the sequel to the “absolute cinema” that was the 2024 Dunkings commercial. Boasting an all-star cast, and well-written jokes and jabs, this rises to the top of the list. While this ad isn’t as special as the first Dunkings, in my opinion, it still mixes humor with good marketing. The mocking of Starbucks for having drinks that are too complicated and misspelling people’s names on cups was both funny and a good jab at Dunkin’s competition. It also showed how Dunkin’ is meant to be the coffee for America to run on, not the coffee for America to spend a lot of unnecessary money on. 9/10
- Harrison Ford Jeep
The Ad: Harrison Ford discusses what it means to be free while he drives his Jeep across a mid-western, American landscape.
While this commercial doesn’t have any humor, it is a beautifully made ad that perfectly conveys the rural, free American spirit that Jeep tries to appeal to. The whole ad is about freedom and what it means to be free. This theme fits perfectly with Jeep and its famous off-road capabilities, which are also showcased aptly in the ad. The ad also strives to embody the American spirit. It accomplished this both through its representation of middle America (something Jeep ads always display) and its choice of actor. Harrison Ford for so long has represented a solid, ideal American icon. His roles as Indiana Jones and Han Solo embody the American spirit of freedom, making him a perfect choice for an ad that appeals to American buyers. The ad is masterful in both having an engaging monologue about freedom as well as showcasing the capabilities of the new Jeep models, as shown periodically throughout the ad.
- Jesus Gets Us
The Ad: A compilation of images depicting people in utter devastation contrasted with pure relief and joy, all played to the song “Personal Jesus” by Johnny Cash.
This ad utilized raw and real images of people dealing with real and serious issues, contrasted with the joy of people overcoming these issues to create an overall sense of hope for the future. This sits at the core of what the Jesus Gets Us organization tries to propagate: how hope ultimately overcomes every tragedy, and that the path to hope is Jesus. The song choice, “Personal Jesus” by Johnny Cash also fits perfectly, as it tells people to “reach out and touch faith” in times of hardship.
- Budweiser
The ad: A young horse yearns to do the work of the older horses, and decides to make the long and hard journey to deliver beer himself, proving his resilience and free spirit.
Another ad that is masterful in reaching out to its largely rural American demographic, the Budweiser ad tells an entertaining and heartwarming story about a young horse making a delivery of Budweiser to a bar. The story is told effectively in only a minute and the theme of hard work and perseverance is one that resonates with the hard-working Americans that drink Budweiser. This theme is promoted while the Budweiser beer remains a consistent part of the story, making it serve as an equally effective promotion for the company.
- Uber Eats
The ad: Matthew McConaughey and a slew of other celebrities enact different stages of American Football history, tying every event back to an overall plot by the NFL to use football to sell food.
This ad definitely had an absurd premise, but was able to promote Uber Eats effectively while at the same time being very funny. It falls at the bottom of the top 5 because it didn’t focus too heavily on what Uber Eats actually is and what service it provides. However, Uber Eats is already a widely known service and the ad is still successful in promoting its name. What makes this ad great is its humor and ability to tell a story in only a minute. Showing how different football sayings and names have all been to promote and sell food is an absurd concept but was executed very well and with good humor.
