Best and worst commercials from Super Bowl 47
Super Bowl 47 is in the books. Now that we have crowned the Baltimore Ravens champions, we can also close the book on the single largest advertising day of 2013. As always, the advertisements were ... interesting. There were several winners, plenty of losers and even a few that still have us scratching our head.
At an average cost of $3.8 million for 30 seconds, which companies made the most of their time and which would have been better off saving their money?
Disagree with something on our list or think we made a glaring omission? Let us know in the comments.
Five Best Ads from Super Bowl 47
By: David Rogers
Overall, I thought the 2013 crop of commercials were not only pretty weak, but that they also had some of the most divisive commercials in recent memory. Very few commercials could be unanimously picked as either a winner or a loser. Over on Twitter, the @Awful_Ads feed would be filled with commentary both ridiculing and praising the same commercial.
In no particular order, the five best commercials from Super Bowl 47.
M&M - Love Ballad
M&M's spot aired very early during the game, setting the tone for what I hoped would be a memorable crop of commercials. However, even several breaks after M&M's spot aired, I was still chuckling at the red M&M saying he won't do that, referring to letting people lick him, but yelling that he still kind of likes it. M&M's early spot proved to be one of the commercials I enjoyed the most.
There's just one problem - where's yellow? I miss that bumbling peanut M&M.
NFL Network - Leon Sandcastle
NFL Network might have stolen the show with Leon Sandcastle. Their spot which placed Deion Sanders in an afro wig and a fantastic mustache was one of the night's most memorable spots.
Who could have guessed that an ad talking about the NFL Draft and NFL Combine might have been the best of the night?
Samsung - Next Big Thing
No fair, Samsung. You knew we'd praise any commercial that featured Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad in such an ironic way.
The ad opened fairly slowly, with Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen doing what Rudd and Rogen do. The pace picked up quite a bit, as did the humor, as soon as Saul (Bob Odenkirk) brings the two into his office. Add in a Lebron James cameo and you have one of the most enjoyable, as well as one of the best written, commercials of Super Bowl 47.
Better call Saul!
Budweiser - Brotherhood
Despite releasing their Clydesdale ad a few days early, Budweiser still walks away owning claim to one of the best ads of the Super Bowl. Their "Brotherhood" spot might also be one of the most touching and classy ads of the Super Bowl - something we all needed after watching another round of Go Daddy ads.
It's worth noting this was Budweiser's strongest in a 2013 effort that was overall pretty mediocre. Those Black Crown ads were forgettable and failed to send a message other than "We're for hipsters". Those Bud Light ads failed to stick in minds despite running at nearly every commercial break.
Thank goodness for Clydesdales.
Mercedes-Benz - Soul
Mercedes-Benz makes the cut as they accomplished what very few companies were able to do with their ads - actually get a message about their product across. Star power (Willem Dafoe, Kate Upton, Usher) combined with a message that resonated ("reasonable" price) to produce an ad that was both fun and functional.
...I've been suspecting Willem Dafoe might be the Devil ever since his insanely creepy lip quiver in drag from Boondock Saints.
Honorable Mentions
Oreo just missed the cut on my list. The idea was far from original, but I'll admit I chuckled with some of the quiet talking in the library. Amy Poehler could star in a commercial for just about any product or company and I'd probably enjoy it - even one for Best Buy.
I was left on the fence with both Doritos spots. I find goats funny (don't ask me why), but one has to question if Doritos really wants to position themselves as the food of choice for an animal that doubles as a trash compactor. The other spot with burly men as princesses was humorous but it's a pretty overplayed concept.
Five Worst Ads from Super Bowl 47
By: Reva Friedel
Audi – Prom
A teenager is headed to the prom by himself, which as an aside, let me say is not a big deal if you go with a group of friends, but he’s alone. Sad. Anyway, his dad lets him take the Audi, and all of a sudden he has the deluded self-confidence of Zack Morris as he parks in the Principal’s spot (Zack would totally do that) and strides right up to the prom queen for an awkward make out. But prom queen doesn’t KNOW he drove the Audi, so it makes that moment all the more confusing. And what kind of janky high school is this that holds their prom in a gym? So many things wrong with this commercial – and it was a minute long, so Audi probably paid like $10 million for it.
Go Daddy – Bar Refaeli’s Kiss
This was the most uncomfortable commercial I’ve ever seen – Bar Rafaeli making out with some nerdy teenager. The close up is too much and poor Bar actually looks like she wants to dry heave when they finally pull away from their lip lock. And for the record, I’m still not entirely sure what Go Daddy does.
Calvin Klein Concept
If Calvin Klein was trying to one-up CHANEL on confusing ads that make no sense, then mission accomplished. Immediately after that commercial aired, 40 million dudes tweeted, “hey guys, did you like my CK ad?” So, if the goal was to throw an almost naked model at us to gain attention – then bravo.
Oreo- Choose a Side
Getting into physical altercations over a cookie? In a library? Okay, sure. The only thing I feel strongly enough to throw things over is shoddy pass interference calls or the like, but that’s just me.
Beck’s Sapphire
All I could think about when I saw this commercial was Finding Nemo. The fish totally looks like Nemo. And what is the point of having a fish serenade a bottle of beer to “No Diggity?” I can’t understand how THAT became the approved concept. Unless an acid trip was involved.
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Disagree with the ads we picked? Think we overlooked one of your favorites? Sound off in the comments!
Hands down, the best commercial was the tribute to farmers. It was a commercial that every generation could relate to because people tend to take "food" for granted. It brought us all back to our roots in that it reminded us of just how important farming is. Anyone who can't see this is part of what is wrong with our country... our world, today. Not everything has to be about comedy!
@JennettSwan Ditto: I was totally mesmerized by it. Doesn't hurt that I love Paul Harvey. Great concept and gorgeous photography.
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what about that long mostly confusing ode to farmers from dodge. does that many people know who paul harvey was anymore?
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@olderguy I sure did! Used to listen to him... I really liked that spot, too... Guess I'm older than I thought...
Gotta go with EC (below)... I enjoyed the Audi commercial almost above all the others (begrudgingly- as my experience with Audi DRIVERS in L.A. is anything but a pleasant experience...). Yeah- it was about the confidence. Any young kid (guys- clearly a guy's commercial) that's had a chance to roll something WAY beyond his 'level' knows what a 'King of The World' feeling that is... Ah, memories...
You totally missed the boat on the Audi commercial. The prom queen doesn't have to know he drove the car, it was all about HIS confidence. Geez. And some high schools can't afford a prom somewhere else. My high school prom was in our gym. Don't be a tool.
I will never have anything to do with Go Daddy.... call me small, call me lame, call me an old cranky middle age white guy.... but I am totally creeped out with " the Kiss"..and I love to kiss, but in my lifetime that may have been the most disturbing kiss I've watched. ...where's the shower, I've just been slimmed!
I STRONGLY DISAGREE ON THE DORITOS COMMERCIALS WHICH WERE BOTH HUMOROUS AS WE EXPECT FOR THE SUPERBOWL. BUDLIGHT DIFINITELY THE BEST.
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Yes. It was to the small farmers. Did you watch the same commercial as the million other viewers? Kudos to the farmers that survive today, big and small. They are doing a task that many others would never take on. Incorporating all walks of life into a conversation is the heart of this country, so don't abuse your freedom of speech by telling me to leave the conversation. My points have been made and I wish you the best.
Ohhhh, so it was to the small farmers, not todays ADM megafarms and their ilk that have bought up all the small markets that you wax philsophic on. Yes, I support all our local talent, but you should toddle off and wrap yourself blindly in the flag again and let the adults speak.
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To kingofthemoon: Have you ever had cheese from a small store in Wisconsin? Have you ever purchased a whole cow, pig, or chickens to take to your local butcher? Have you ever bought fruits and vegetables from a market that wasn't your grocery store? For all this to happen...we need farmers.
Farmer? PUH-LEEZE Its easy to still romanticize the sodbuster farmer with a team of oxen, but nowadays they work 3 months out of twelve and load the coordinates on the corporate gps and wait for the goverment subsidies to roll in on work they DIDNT do...
I def loved the M&Ms ad. I cracking up quite a bit over the things he wouldn't do for love.
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As a MN native who drives a redesigned VW Beetle, I thought the "Come On Be Happy" ad was a winner!
The FARMER / Dodge ad actually resonated. Will cause people to change their brand preference. My media feed had lots of people saying "it's a Dodge truck for me!" and "my next car will be a Dodge truck" I won't go that far but..
Just bold enough to work, When was the last ad to mention God on national TV?
It hit on a few emotional levels.
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The GoDaddy commercial was so wrong on so many levels. The length of the kiss, the disparity in attractiveness, and the fact the dweb got PAID to do it! Sickening.
FYI... the actor who played the nerd is 35 and the commercial was supposed to make you uncomfortable. Think of it this way, you're still talking about it.
@agrafixman That was the whole point to have people talking about it 2 days later still......The original ad had them french kissing but they showed the tamed down version.....I think most people are just upset that the Geek got the Girl.....and to think it took 45 takes to get to the finished product LOL
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Any list of best commercials that doesn't even mention the Dodge/Paul Harvey "So God made a farmer" ad is a huge fail.
Also, the worst part about the Go Daddy kissing ad were the loud slurping sounds.
