Let's give it to the Philadelphia Eagles for driving down the outrageously talented New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52 for the big win tonight. Though, I'll admit my team was far from playing in the Super Bowl which gave me ample time to sit back and enjoy the sweet, sweet commercials. This year was special, I can recall quite a few right off the top of my head and can tell you there was a clear winner tonight. Below are my favorite and most memorable ads from the big game.
#1 Tide
Let's start it off with the big winner this year, Tide. My goodness these guys came to win tonight and stole the show. Not only did they bring in the big guns with David Harbour from Stranger Things they did something that is nearly impossible in todays advertising. They made me think about nothing but Tide while watching all the other ads during the game. Incredibly impressive. Check it out below.
#2 Netflix
Coming in hot in the #2 spot is Netflix. Not only did executive producer JJ Abrams squeak around with a hot new show for the streaming network but they did it the same damn night as the freaking Super Bowl, with no warning or spoilers that it was coming. Are you kidding me? I am literally watching it right now. So, well played Netflix. Check out the trailer, and the quick little animation that teases the show is streaming after the game tonight.
#3 Kia
Maybe I'm biased because I own a Kia or that I'm a sucker for some great great CGI work in a movie let alone a commercial but they killed it on this one. Bringing in music idol Steven Tyler from Aerosmith to show off the brand new Kia Stinger. Check it out and keep an eye out for the trick they pull that I honestly didn't see coming at first. I assumed this would be a flat ad like many from years past.
#4 Australia Tourism
I've seen plenty of tourism boards do promotions of all sorts and this one was easily the best execution. Though they landed a little flat on the landing when it came to the final spot during the game I still feel the jokes and the message was well received. Starring a few famous Australian natives and the hilarious Danny McBride they sparked some great life into my dreams of visiting Australia one day. These ad spots were teased for a couple weeks leading up to the big game which I thought was fantastic. They teased this as if it was a film coming out this summer, which no one had a clue about and added to the fun.
#5 Jeep
Last but not least, Jeep. Though Jeep ran a few different types of ads, one in particular was quite enjoyable. Bringing back the new/old hotness Jeff Goldbloom who starred in the original Jurassic Park films we see some flashbacks to the original film where Goldbloom is speeding away from the t-rex in the classic park branded jeep. Then, well see for yourself.
So many of these ads showed the same theme all based around nostalgia. They grabbed at multiple generations, which they do every year, but this year really hit it hard and in your face. Using throwback footage from various films and moments in history they were all successfully able to grab the older audiences and bring in new with fresh memories.
Honorable Mentions
Some honorable mentions include; Amazon for their hilarious Alexa lost her voice series, and DoritosMountain Dew for the really fun rap battle. Then a few ads that I don't exactly consider Super Bowl ads only because they have been running and live on YouTube for weeks now but were shown and had a great impact overall. Budweiser and their beer to water spot as well as the Squarespace Keanu Reeves builds his website. Both really well done.
Did you watch the game? Did you watch any of the commercials? Which ad was your favorite? Let's me know in the comments below. Since my team wasn't in the big game, I can easily say without shame I was in it for the commercials this year, that and the half time show starring Justin Timberlake. That, and I'll never be against watching the Patriots take a loss in the biggest game of the year.