The Super Bowl “Best” Ads

With $8 million on the line every 30 seconds during Super Bowl commercial breaks, fortunes and careers rise and fall. This year we were once again bombarded by the good and the bad, the memorable and the soon-forgotten, the mesmerizing and the ‘meh,’ and the silly and the smart. Without picking on the bad (well, maybe just one), here’s a quick look at a few that we feel did right by the brand. They hewed to a clear strategy, employed longstanding creative standards that seem lost on some agencies, and entertained us while saying something about the brand. And Sunday night, Eagles fans notwithstanding, most felt the ads were better than the game.

The Best At Being Smart Rather Than Silly

The Hellman’s spot that recreated the iconic diner scene from “When Harry Met Sally” and Liquid Death’s “Safe For Work” are two great examples of production in the service of an idea rather than the other way around. They both communicate a benefit about the product, and in both cases, the product is essential to the commercial.

The Best Use of Facial Hair

Eugene Levy’s eyebrows’ peregrinations were cute for Papa John’s, but we give the nod to the Pringle’s migrating mustaches, mainly because it’s tied so directly to the products hirsute handlebar logo.

The Best Depiction of What A Product Delivers

In this case, it was literally what Instacart delivers. We recognize the iconic brands that join forces to make sure they end up at our front door.

The Best Return To The Super Bowl

After 27 years away, Nike returns with a fantastic spot. The music, the message and the marquee female athletes tell us what they can do when told what they can’t.

Best Bathroom Break Tie-In

Angel Soft, who else? Here’s an ad for Angel Soft that is literally telling viewers to walk away from their TV and don’t see what they’ve done for their $8 million. What they’ve done is run a spot just before halftime imploring beer-drinking viewers that now’s the time to get off the couch and go to the bathroom. Product integration in so many ways.

The Best Example of The Worst Hospital Ad Ever Produced

In this local spot for NYU Langone, surgeons and doctors are exposed as bad football players, but good at their chosen profession? Wow. Never would have guessed it. Of course they aren’t great, or even remotely good, at football. And we would assume they are good with medicine. Why spend the money telling us this?

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