SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS 2023:
big celebrities, but often, not-so-great ads. on Sunday, February 12, the big event was presented the finale of this NFL season between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. the Super Bowl presents a formidable challenge to advertisers, trying to justify the giant price tag for 30-second spots, by coming up with campaigns that feel as big as the game. this year, the scales tipped heavily toward celebrity talent -in several cases, thrown together in incongruous bunches- in commercials that were loud but frequently didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
for starters, it helps when the talent has some kind of logical connection to the product, or at least figures into the creative in a way that advances that message. being cute for its own sake can be fine, but it’s not particularly memorable. then again, this year’s crop of beer ads were mostly flat, especially given the high bar that Budweiser has customarily set for Super Bowls past. the main exception would be the Miller-Coors-Blue Moon spot, which was fun and a little confusing. as was noted before the game, crypto ads that sought to make a splash at Super Bowl LVI sat out this year’s showcase, a reminder that newer product categories brave entering the Super Bowl derby at their own peril. where were the other highlights, which were outnumbered (as usual) by the middling or low ones? here’s a snap decision breakdown of who scored and who fumbled on TV’s biggest stage this year.
WINNERS.
• Ram:
there were again several electric-car ads, but gave Ram the gold medal for its cheeky double-entendre about “premature electrification”.
https://youtu.be/6iaUoJUdTk4
• Rakuten:
would Silverstone waste this kind of opportunity to bask in a little of that “Clueless” nostalgia?
https://youtu.be/PDh7W0WFTd8
• T-Mobile:
Bradley Cooper and his mother were pretty adorable, especially when she told him that while he’s been nominated for stuff, he hasn’t won anything. much better, alas, than its John Travolta “Grease” homage.
• Pepsi Zero Sugar:
Steve Martin and Ben Stiller gave mini-classes on acting. so, do they really drink this stuff? probably not, but it was fun to watch them pretend and enhanced by the one-two punch of it.
https://youtu.be/adtWc_MvyzI
• PopCorners:
just the idea of a “Breaking Bad” reunion gets high marks (plus the line “we don’t eat our own supply”), even if the snack-food product might not have been the ideal vehicle for it.
https://youtu.be/ZMlemd6U24Y
• Farmer’s Dog and Amazon:
two winners about our canine companions: watching a dog’s life unfold, and thinking about losing one, served as one of the few genuine tearjerkers of the day; and on a lighter note, getting a destructive pooch a pal, via Amazon.
• CrowdStrike:
if only the cyber-security company had been around during the Trojan War. a great visual idea.
• Google:
another spot that brought together unlikely celebrities -Amy Schumer, Doja Cat and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo- but a clever demonstration of how its pixel product can “fix” old photos.
https://youtu.be/zkHdpA-drz0
• Kia:
if you forget your baby’s binky, this is definitely the car for you.
• Disney:
marking its 100th anniversary, the studio ran a spot to demonstrate the sweeping depth of its content, and its intricate hold on childhood memories.
NOT BAD, BUT…
• General Motors and Netflix:
GM teamed with Netflix shows to push its EV cars, with Will Ferrell as the guide through shows like “Bridgerton” and “Stranger Things.” not great, but at least it felt big and inventive.
https://youtu.be/5jymEz9xkPQ
• Dunkin’:
Ben Affleck (mostly) and Jennifer Lopez brought some celebrity sizzle to the idea of a star moonlighting at a donut store.
• Paramount+:
the advantage of featuring Sylvester Stallone in a streaming show, apparently, is one more star to help promote “Paramount Mountain.”
• HeGetsUs.com:
the ads for this evangelical campaign were certainly arresting in reminding people, that Jesus was a refugee, and to love everyone. yet despite being one of the few ads about something that played Sunday, the goal of its message seemed muddled, a perception reinforced by details about the group behind it.
• Workday:
rock stars differentiate between calling someone a rock star and actually being one. a fun idea and well executed.
https://youtu.be/2ID-1mzRAew
• E*Trade:
nobody ever went wrong with talking babies, but that said, talking babies is a pretty overworked gimmick.
• WeatherTech:
a solid “Made in America” pitch.
LOSERS.
• Booking.com:
hey, who couldn’t use a vacation? but why are we watching Melissa McCarthy sing about it?
https://youtu.be/GizRGO3PVD8
• Downy Unstoppables:
Danny McBride likes it so much he’d change his name. but the whole thing was pretty McSilly.
• DraftKings:
Kevin Hart and a host of celebrities appeared, but will it be remembered as a great Super Bowl ad? don’t bet on it.
https://youtu.be/G7ngWuMGmN0
• Hellmann’s:
Jon Hamm and Brie Larson in a refrigerator? yes, mayonnaise goes with ham and Brie, but as Hamm said at the end, “that’s weird.”
https://youtu.be/r_xfLBvk-AA
• Remy Martin:
Serena Williams’ speech was stirring, but the product was a complete afterthought.
• Planters:
a Friars Club-style celebrity roast of Mr. Peanut felt like a weak attempt to butter up consumers.
• Jeep:
the “freedom is electric” tag line worked. the CGI dancing animals, not so much.
https://youtu.be/6It2PrOVs0A
• Pringles:
another version of the hand stuck in the can campaign? that just feels like their creativity is stuck in the ’90s.
• Squarespace:
Adam Driver is already pretty overexposed, but that commercial -featuring dozens of him- made him really overexposed.
• Tubi:
someone should have talked the ad agency and marketing team out of going down that bizarre rabbit hole.
• M&Ms:
the only real comment to that Maya Rudolph spot was “???”
https://youtu.be/kV2ARgWiGok
• Limit/Break:
yes, saw the bar code. no, did not scan.
these ads often feature high production values and celebrity cameos, with the intention of making a lasting impact on viewers. the relationship between Super Bowl and advertising is symbiotic, with the event providing a platform for companies to reach a large audience, and the ads providing an entertaining and memorable aspect of the Super Bowl experience for viewers.
