The Super Bowl is that strange time of year when people actually look forward to commercials. The ads for the big game have morphed into their own cultural genre featuring enormous budgets, star-studded casts, and eye-popping story lines, all in the scheme of selling products. The price tag for a 30 second spot in the 50th edition of the Super Bowl topped out at a whopping $5 million. This list will definitively rank which company spent their pricey budgets best.
5. Beer > Politics: Bud Light
Two of comedy’s hottest acts, Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer team up in this topical Bud Light spot reflective of the election fever that has taken over the U.S. While the real life candidates propose economic reform and military action to unite the fractured nation; the duo proposes that all the nation needs is the cold refreshing taste of Bud Light. With the direction the electoral process is taking, it wouldn’t be crazy to think some campaign managers are taking serious notes from this commercial.
4. Steve Harvey didn’t get it wrong: T-Mobile
You really have to hand it to Steve Harvey. After his card reading fiasco in front of an international television audience and the backlash of Biblical proportions that ensued, Harvey is parlaying the embarrassment into continued success and relevancy. In this spot, the Family Feud host apologizes once again this time for showing Verizon’s stats from last year. He corrects this by saying this year T-Mobile has doubled their coverage and is overtaking their rivals. He then proceeds to run off jubilantly saying “Verizon got it wrong! not me! yes!” You have been redeemed Mr.Harvey. You have been redeemed.
3. Don’t date Kevin Hart’s daughter: Hyundai
The thought of Kevin Hart being a protective father of a teenage girl is funny enough. Add that to the hilarious lengths he goes to to watch over her makes this Hyundai ad one of the greats. Using the creepy Orwellian new feature “Car Finder”, Hart follows the lovebirds everywhere they go in an attempt to foil any chance of intimacy.
2. How the hell does Taco Bell have all this money???: Taco Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_0T6OSh1DI
Taco Bell opened up the check book big time pulling out all the stops to create an over the top, ridiculous, 90 second, star studded masterpiece all to promote their taco’s with cheese in the shell. Among the big names making cameos were Steve Aoki, soccer star Neymar, NBA star James Harden, George Takei, and most notably the “Aliens” meme guy! You have to give them many E’s for effort for this one.
- Helen Mirren GOES IN on drunk drivers: Budweiser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2VXVmUga4
And the for the night’s winner, we have one of the biggest public service announcements in recent history. Budweiser, assuming the corporate responsibility of urging their consumers to steer clear of drinking and driving was a touchdown, two-point conversion, and on-side kick recovery. The sharp-tongue and ice cold wit of actress Helen Mirren stole the show and got the point directly across as she sat down for dinner and publicly crucified anyone who even considers getting behind the wheel after consuming one too many. Here is her retort:
” You (drunk drivers) are simply put are a short sided utterly useless oxygen wasting human form of pollution, a Darwin award winning selfish coward. If your brain was donated to science, science would return it.”
