Wait Till Next Year? No Real Standout Super Bowl Commercials Yet Again
Super Bowl LIX is over — and at this point, the Monday after the Super Bowl is over as well. Once again, our digital editor Maggie MacHale and senior editor Andy Hanacek sat and watched the game and the commercials, and have their own personal reviews below.
Again, the field was on the below-average side for our two editors — they simply expect more! Yes, there were great moments, and really good commercials. But nothing in this year’s field of advertisements seems to have water-cooler and pop-culture staying power beyond a couple weeks, if that.
And, when the big game itself isn’t a tight contest, viewers are looking to the commercials (and the halftime show) for more entertainment. This year, the commercial creators seemed to play it closer to the vest at times — trying to avoid the ultra-cringey but then also missing the ultra-funny.
We looked at each of the food and beverage companies’ commercials, as well as those adjacent businesses (think, restaurants and delivery services, for example), and then we also shared our favorite overall commercial, regardless of industry served. Warning, it's a long read, but it is sorted alphabetically by brand/company. Enjoy!
Food & Beverage CPG Commercials:
Bud Light Big Men on Cul-De-Sac
MacHale: Who wouldn’t want to “party at the sac!” with Shane Gillis, Post Malone and Peyton Manning? This commercial ticks all the right boxes for a beer commercial and fits right into place for the Super Bowl. It creates a strong sense of community without pandering to the audience, and I wish the cul-de-sac I grew up in had more parties like this.
Hanacek: It’s almost as if Bud Light read my review of last year’s Bud Light Genie commercial, which crammed in waaaaaay too much randomness and found a much more balanced, back-to-basics approach in this year’s Party at the Sac. I enjoyed the “No, my smoker cuts grass” exchange for the simple comic timing on it.
MacHale: The Clydesdales are back, and cuter than ever. While the horses bring a sense of power and strength, the little one reminds us of the will of the underdogs and how important they can really be. You can’t go wrong with a classic, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel here.
However, the journey of the little Clydesdale and the keg reminds me of another noteworthy journey from a few years back…
Hanacek: I know some people get tired of the Clydesdale’s storylines in these commercials, but you know what? They generally are good, reliable storylines with the beautiful horses and the history and tradition wrapped up in them. Sometimes there’s some humor, other times — like this year — it’s more heartstrings tugging or cute. This wasn’t an “award winner,” for me, but it worked.
MacHale: The commercial itself was subpar, when can we expect something big and flashy? As a Coloradan, I can attest to how important it is to stay hydrated during the day, but they relied mainly on the name and branding. There was no attempt to sell the product to me, but it also sparked a conversation of how many different water bottles we really need. Now that Hydroflasks and Stanley Cups are slowing down, does that mean Cirkul is here to take their place? With added flavor, nonetheless.
Hanacek: I don’t feel like they played up the punchline enough to also make clear that they actually sent 100,000 deliveries out — and then I wondered if they did, how they determined who gets them, what if you don’t have the system/water bottles, what … wait, see, now I’ve done too much thinking about the machinations of this — and not enough feeling like I gotta have it, so I better go order it.
MacHale: This commercial reflects on the issues that are on many people’s minds but also highlights the circular patterns of history. I like to think everything works itself out in the end, even if everyone is worried about artificial intelligence, and it seems that Coca-Cola shares these sentiments. It was a well-paced, beautiful commercial that keeps this brand at the top of my list, not to mention the early time slot grabbing viewers attention.
Hanacek: I missed this one in the pre-kick slot, but watching it now, it’s OK. Nice use of nostalgia, fine. But it seems weird for Coca-Cola to try to convince people that we’re going to be all right in the face of artificial intelligence as though the company’s use of it for a commercial prior to the holiday scared anyone. I think people were just weirded out by the Holidays are Coming poor AI at times and the laziness of using AI to create a commercial, rather than feeling like it was a harbinger of a dystopian future.
Coffee-Mate Cold Foam Dancing Tongue
MacHale: I’m not a coffee drinker, haven’t been for quite a long time, and this commercial has turned me even further away from that lifestyle. Something about a dancing tongue is unappetizing and unappealing, but I do know people that, if given the chance, would spray cold foam directly into their mouths. Just, not my thing. I put my snacks away after this one.
Hanacek: Yeah, this one missed the mark for me as well. At first, I thought it was going to rip off the Got Milk? Mustache concept, but I was so very wrong. The dancing tongue was funny for about two seconds. After that, not so much. It just didn’t work for me.
MacHale: This may be the fault of Garfield or Zootopia, but sloths and hating Monday feel so overplayed. Slow motion can only be entertaining for the right crowd and flops for most viewers as just another commercial to watch. However, it did spark an interesting conversation with my peers on the couch, of just how many people call out to work the day after the Big Game, and the numbers fit the expectations of this commercial.
Hanacek: Tying this commercial all the way back to the ad campaign in January, where billboards misspelled “refreshment” and Coors Light claimed to have a “case of the Mondays” helps this work for me much better than it might have otherwise. It wasn’t stellar, but it worked. Too bad they didn’t dress up one of the sloths as Mimi from “Office Space” and have her slowly recite “Corporate accounts payable Mimi speaking…”. That would have made this even better.
MacHale: No words needed, literally. This commercial has a total of five words, including “Doritos” and says so much without saying much at all. Maybe I’m just a fan of violent comedy with sudden explosions and people being smacked around the room, but I found myself snorting to this one. It set a great tone for the commercials to come and filled me with excitement! I also wish I had bought a bag of chips for my snack table.
Hanacek: Short, sweet and to the point. Humorous use of slamming the guy around the room without being ridiculous. But…why did the flying saucer crack in half and explode at the end? Physics? Doritos are too bold? I didn’t get that part.
Frank’s RedHot Bedazzled Bottle
MacHale: What would I do with a bedazzled Frank’s RedHot bottle? That’s between me and my burritos. There seemed to be a pattern of giveaways in the commercials this year, between this and Cirkul, free things seem to be the driving advertisements. Free is always good, until we consider just how many viewers were watching that commercial, our chances become suddenly slim.
Hanacek: So, technically released before the Super Bowl, but that’s OK, I guess. I don’t think I’m the target audience for this one, and my interest level in it somewhat reflects that after the fact. At the end, Paris Hilton forgets that the bottle also says, “Original,” so if your name was also “Original” that would apply (editing the punchlines are fun!).
Häagen-Dazs Not So Fast, Not So Furious
MacHale: If Vin Diesel can slow down and enjoy the better things in life, so can the viewers. A mountain drive by the beach is the picturesque image of the slow life that anyone could use the day after the game. It reminds the audience to take a moment, and enjoy some ice cream while you’re at it.
Hanacek: Oh, how interesting it must have been to sit in on the brainstorming meeting for this ad when they got the Fast and Furious stars to headline. What’s the obvious play? Let’s Bruckheimer the place up all to get those ice cream bars! Um, nevermind. To heck with that, let’s have Häagen-Dazs be the only thing that slows them down in a legitimate way! And it’s perfectly played. One of my favorites this year.
MacHale: If there was a nail to hit on the head, Hellmann’s found it. As it aired, next to me I heard “I love Hellman’s”. Who knew anyone could be so passionate about mayonnaise? Apparently, a lot of people, driving others to… exhilaration, for lack of a better word. Send the kids out of the room for this one.
Hanacek: Fine, I’ll be less grumpy about this only because it was a change in direction from the last couple years for the mayonnaise brand. Unfortunately, I just feel like this scene of “When Harry Met Sally” has been parodied too many times — whether that’s true or not. It sounds like I’m in the minority on this one, but that’s OK with me.
MacHale: In the age of “ultra processed foods,” Lay’s wanted to remind buyers where it all comes from, and how many family farms contribute to the food we eat every day. It was a touching commercial, and as a country kid, I felt close to it. Anyone could feel better eating Lay’s after it aired.
Hanacek: This one was another great one that delivered a simple but perfect and necessary message in this world that constantly is going after “big ag.” It reminds that even the big CPG companies are driven by family farms — and even shows it as a LARGE farm, dispelling the notion that family farms are all small, or that large farms are corporations. Cute moments throughout help drive home the point.
MacHale: Liquid Death has made a name for itself over the last few years and has really proved that it can make a strong impact on the world of marketing, especially marketing for a sparkling water. I look at all the other beverage commercials on this list and nothing compares to the tactics that this brand uses. It’s funny, it’s concerning if you aren’t familiar with the brand and despite myself it’s catchy.
I loved every part of this commercial, not only because of the stupidity of it, but because that’s the narrative the brand is trying to create. When I first heard about Liquid Death, I thought it was another spiked sparkling water, not just water. Now here I am, drinking (water) on the job. It’s a staple in my house, but I will always be worried about attending meetings with one in my hand. I’m sure it would look a lot worse if I was a school bus driver.
Hanacek: Liquid Death continues to play on the packaging design that makes it appear to be something more “sinister” than water and sparkling water, and this works again. Not as great as previous entries into this realm in my opinion, but it works just fine for me.
Michelob Ultra: The Ultra Hustle
MacHale: Can you hustle in pickleball? I think the creators of this ad asked ChatGPT what is popular these days and it spat out pickleball, heists and celebrity cameos, because that’s all this commercial really was.
Hanacek: I have two problems with this commercial. First, I’m pretty sure I’d seen this during the NFL playoffs — I really dislike when companies use their premium Super Bowl ad slots for commercials they’ve already run. It’s part of why I try not to watch the “sneak peeks” online. It’s more fun to see it fresh and new on Super Bowl Sunday. Second, I’m pretty certain that I saw immediately after this that the broadcast named “new Michelob Ultra Zero” as a sponsor for that segment. Why wasn’t that the focus of this commercial? It wasn’t a terrible effort otherwise.
MacHale: Turn to the Oxford 2024 word of the year, brain rot. In that definition, there’s this ad. It’s attention grabbing, that’s for sure, but at this point I might as well be scrolling Tik Tok with split screens on my phone it’s so incomprehensible. Not to say, I don’t enjoy my daily dose of it.
Hanacek: At first, I thought, “Oh no, Seal is a seal. Ugh.” But, then I gave it a little time, and I enjoyed the “My flippers can’t hold Mountain Dew” line. And finally, I thought, if Seal is OK with being a seal in a commercial, then I’m OK with it too.
MacHale: The bizarre creature from last year is back, but at least I don’t feel like I have to get a restraining order this time. Nerds was able to lean into this year’s Super Bowl theme, and it felt calm and reassuring. Nothing spectacular here, but not the worst to come from this year.
Hanacek: This was less jarring than last year’s Nerds Clusters commercial and that’s for the better. I did try the candy since it was launched last year, and I like it, by the way. This commercial was a nice nod to New Orleans culture and tradition, and Shaboozey does good work with Louis Armstrong’s classic. Overall, a good job of putting the candy and brand in the minds of viewers without being too weird.
MacHale: If Oikos wanted to represent strength and power, running through an airport may not have been the most efficient way to do it. They may have been trying to rope in general audiences, but as a brand advertised for its high protein, it should gear itself to those who might use it. That may be the gym rat in me speaking, but I’m not sure when I’ll have to carry someone through the airport.
Hanacek: Oikos continues having humans carry something much bigger than them after eating Oikos, as they did last year. And, although carrying a large NFL player on your shoulders seems a little more believable than Martin Lawrence picking up a golf cart out of a pond and putting it on dry ground, it’s not as funny or interesting, to be honest. The commercial gets the point across well, so I can’t dock it for that. But the humor was missing, if it was supposed to be there.
MacHale: I find myself speechless, and not in the best way. It was unremarkable and could have been aired at any other point in time. A large budget clearly went into this, but it feels like little came out of it.
Hanacek: All I’m going to say is, “JUST ORDER ALREADY!” followed by “JUST END THE COMMERCIAL ALREADY!” Thanks for reminding me of the fools who make me wait in the drive-thru while they put in their special, for them only orders, that they should be parking and taking inside to the counter instead of making me wait for them.
Pringles: The Call of the Mustaches
MacHale: Short, simple and to the point, but I find myself looking to the sky today in case there’s a flying mustache replying to the call of the Pringles can. This ad is perfect for the brand, adding to the classics we know as Pringles, first with the hand getting stuck in the can and now the mustache. Are we going to bring back, “I mustache you a question?”
Hanacek: First, birds flying into windows is not funny. Nick Offerman saying that he liked having James Harden’s mustache at the end is funny. Pringles moved away from Mr. P last year but stuck with the mustache concept. Flying facial hair just didn’t work for me this year (see the eyebrows later), I’m sorry. In a supermarket full of snacks, it helps to help consumers find the mustached logo, but they also could look for the tube packaging as well — that stands out so much that Pringles has its own section in most stores that I’ve been to.
MacHale: Red Bull’s advertisement hand-drawn style is a classic, and the addition of the flightless birds makes sense in the coined phrase, “Red Bull Gives You Wings.” However, it was not as spectacular as Super Bowl commercials should be.
Hanacek: Why is the dad penguin sick? Do I really have to look up the freezing point of Red Bull? Are penguins out and about when it’s 40 below zero? Does Red Bull’s efficacy drop if you freeze and eat it? Too many questions and too complicated for a “Red Bull gives you wings” commercial. And finally, what are other people doing with Red Bull other than drinking it to warrant the punchline “but only if you drink it”?
MacHale: Growing up, I thought I would have to interact with lava more in my everyday life, and there’s a running joke in some younger communities about how delicious warm lava looks spewing out onto the ground. Reese’s took a classic addition to a dessert and tied it to the literal idea of it, leaving a small success behind them. While it wasn’t flashy, it is eye catching and different, especially granny in her electric scooter driving straight in.
Hanacek: Reese’s does a great job with this one, with several quotables beyond the “Don’t eat lava!!!” at the end. Sticking with the same fullscreen candy-on-orange-background look, adding a chocolate volcano to the lava cup, and keeping the live-action quick-hitting and catchy works every time! Another one of my very favorites this year.
MacHale: I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, Aubrey Plaza is amazing in everything she does, but I’m worried that she has been reduced to a negative, unhappy stereotype and can’t fill any other roles. Taking off my movie critic glasses, it was another commercial relying too heavily on celebrity cameos to make a three second joke about salty crackers.
Hanacek: On one hand, I should be tired of Aubrey Plaza’s “so annoooying” by now, but I’m not. It’s still funny. On the other hand, I’m not so sure that promoting its saltiness is the best track to take for a snack or cracker nowadays. Especially since, for me, it’s the buttery taste that I like the most about Ritz Crackers, and I’d bet others would say the same. Still, a good commercial, though not a great one.
Stōk Cold Brew Coffee Hollywood Magic
MacHale: While, yes, it’s another celebrity cameo, I didn’t know I needed Channing Tatum teaching soccer players how to break dance. It’s an energetic, silly commercial. While it didn’t get my couch up and dancing, it let out a scattered chuckle as everyone got to “breaking it down”. The most important thing, keep your clothes on.
Hanacek: Skechers could take a good look at this commercial and learn a lesson about the right amount of camera work and special effects to make a celebrity dance without it being silly, obvious and eye-rolling at times. I thought this was a good one (“you’ve got gloves, use them!”), until it didn’t end at the point when the player is drinking the cold brew coffee while on the exercise bike. That would have been way funnier to end there.
MacHale: Stella Artois took another route from classic beer commercials, and I think it served them well. It’s stupid, and over the top, but of course one of them has to be Other David. I’m not crazy familiar in the world of celebrities, so I’m sure a lot of the jokes went over my head, but they kept it simple and it worked.
Hanacek: Here’s another good-not-great entry, which would be better if I believed that David Beckham really thought buffalo wings are made of buffalo. There have to be so many more “I’ve never been to America and my long-lost twin brother will show me something so American” jokes they could have come up with. The dialog otherwise was pretty good and snappy, but the kick at the end was corny too — of course he can kick a ball!
Totino’s Pizza Rolls Chazmo Goes Home
MacHale: Can someone pass the soap? I need to clean my eyes out. It’s disturbing, but there’s an audience for everything, and Totino’s audience may just like that kind of humor. I did enjoy the play on the classic trope of kids saving the day, while the parents are left behind (think E.T. or Stranger Things).
Hanacek: Like the dads in this commercial — actually more so than the dads — I didn’t know Chazmo very well. In fact, I didn’t know him at all. So this commercial did little to nothing for me, other than tell me that the humans in the commercial shared a food product with an alien being who was now leaving. Go get some pizza rolls! And thanks for not sharing the so-called “banned” and extended version in which Chazmo gets squished completely differently, leaving the dads to explain the physics of the fatal wound.
Food & Beverage Adjacent Commercials:
MacHale: I think the executive team at DoorDash has been watching the financial podcasts coming out, where guests are yelled at because of their spending and their affinity to DoorDash food. This commercial highlights the irony of spending more on a Dash Pass to save more by buying food more frequently.
Hanacek: I liked the financial advisor, but most of the rest of the commercial could be used for any other product or service. It basically plays on the oldest trick in the book: Buy more and save! Then buy more with your savings! Uh, no, just save, like I do ever since DoorDash drivers can’t seem to get my food to me half the time. Thanks DoorDash!
MacHale: Similarly to last year, I don’t understand the DunKings and the Boston accent, must be a Dunkin’ thing, but the blatant stab at Starbucks was mildly entertaining.
Hanacek: OK, so, this commercial was really three different ones crammed into one, and I would have given the first and third commercials much better grades than the middle one. The first portion ends with the Bill Belichick reveal and the lame cheer — funny. The middle part has Jeremy Strong soaking in coffee — would have worked much better on its own. The third is a thinly veiled shot at Starbucks, perfectly timed and targeted as the Seattle chain revamps and plays up its return to the friendly, knowledgeable baristas image it once owned.
MacHale: Instacart’s use of the iconic food mascots for their first Super Bowl commercial served the intended purpose and more, if they were trying to start a conversation. My couch discussed and argued over the history and use of many of the mascots shown. Although, I still don’t understand why someone would curse us with Puppy Monkey Baby again…
Hanacek: Straightforward and simple, Instacart does a great job here of communicating that it brings all your favorites to you. Nothing outrageous, the animation of the icons is good, and it even makes a point at the end that even if you forget something, Instacart will get it to you no problem. Not funny, not too much of a heavy lift, it serves its purpose well.
MacHale: Little Ceasars must have been peeking over at Pringles paper during the test, flying facial hair is not something we need more of.
Hanacek: More flying facial hair???? No! To be fair, this one came on first, but still! Also, and I’m sorry for this, but as soon as Eugene Levy opened the box and there were little pizza pie-looking things there, I groaned audibly and awaited another awful “American Pie” reference or joke. That joke (thankfully) never came around, but the flying eyebrows unfortunately did.
Pizza Hut The Ultimate Hut Bundle
MacHale: Celebrity cameo anyone? I’m not familiar with who “The Gronk” is, so I’ll leave it to those who know more than I do to judge this commercial.
Hanacek: When I was a young lad, the 1985 Chicago Bears and Michael Jordan basically revolutionized the frequency and draw of athletes promoting products and appearing in commercials. It’s a way of life now. I get it. But I’m tired of Rob Gronkowski already. And Belichick. And Brady. If all those Patriots champions are still getting deals, how long will we be stuck with Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Travis Kelce in State Farm commercials? Ugh.
MacHale: Starbucks joins the bandwagon of giving things away, but this time it’s a little more achievable. Play any AC/DC though, and you’ve got me on your team. Doesn’t help that I have a Starbucks 30 steps from my front door, my bias may be showing.
Hanacek: Nothing particularly special to this one other than the coffee chain giving away coffee to rewards members the day after the Super Bowl. OK, great. Well-designed commercial, just nothing “big game” about it other than playing common sports anthem “Thunderstruck.”
MacHale: Does Taco Bell have my house bugged? They must have heard my cries against celebrity cameo, and they decided to speak to their actual consumers instead. I think it’s a sweet message to include your customers and their pictures, it creates a sense of community for the brand.
Hanacek: It’s always fun when a brand puts its consumers and fans first, and sometimes funny when celebrities act like they think they’ve signed up to be featured in a commercial but get pushed aside at the last minute for the people. Other than that, Taco Bell basically got a bunch of people to take pictures of themselves in a drive-thru and posted them. Good positive vibes, but what’s new with the food?
Uber Eats: A Century of Cravings
MacHale: It’s all a conspiracy man! But seriously, look at the food and snack sales leading up to the Super Bowl, look at the commercials, look at us writing about the food commercials surrounding the game! Uber Eats nailed it, even if they had to use Matthew McConaughey and many, many, many more cameos along the way.
Hanacek: Uber Eats has been playing this “football makes you want food” joke all season long. Great, funny and clever, but let’s close it out on the biggest game of the year, not further the joke by talking about a “century of cravings” and tying old jokes to this commercial fantasy conspiracy.
Maggie’s Favorite Commercial This Year:
Google could have sold me a box of tissues with this commercial, because I almost need them every time I go to rewatch it. It tells a strong, emotional story that is able to evoke the viewers personal feelings, good and bad, while making a strong argument against the demonization and fearmongering of artificial intelligence. AI could threaten a lot of jobs and daily tasks, but it can also prove to be an incredibly useful tool when used correctly.
Having AI at the tip of your fingers is something we can easily take for granted, but we can use it to uplift our lives rather than bring it down. I won’t dive too much into my opinions on the future of AI, we will leave that to the professionals, but I think this commercial makes a strong argument for the positives that it can bring.
It may not fit our classic idea of what a Super Bowl commercial looks like. I doubt it will go down in history as one of the best commercials ever shown, but it leaves an emotional and sentimental impact on so many of its viewers. We won’t remember the content, but we will remember the feeling it left behind.
Andy’s Favorite Commercial This Year:
Ram Trucks Goldilocks and the Three Trucks
OK, so, let me first state that I usually don’t care much for car/truck commercials, especially ones that play up the machismo. Sorry, but not many people are going to use that pickup truck for anywhere near the stuff shown in the commercial, typically, and for me, a pickup truck would be more of a functional purchase than a manly purchase.
At first, I was ho-hum about it, but the storyline had marginally chuckle moments, and then when the twist of “Uncle Glen” Powell actually modifying the story to the children, that made it funnier when they called him out on it. I didn’t laugh much this year, but I probably chuckled more at the one-liners here than any other.
The Ram Trucks commercial edged out the Harrison Ford Jeep “Owner’s Manual” commercial (and it’s hard to vote against Indy/Han, believe me), and those two sit at the top of my rankings. The Reese’s Lava commercial comes in a close third. This is probably more indicative of the relatively lackluster lineup of commercials overall. I’m hoping next year the creators do better, as this has been two years in a row of declining quality, in my opinion. Where are the ultra-memorable characters, the punchlines that stick around for more than a month, the new ideas? Let’s stop recycling celebrities and ideas, just like they do with movies and TV shows nowadays. Let’s get creative without being super weird or cringey! Come on, people!
