As one of the biggest sporting events of the year, Super Bowl LII had a massive viewership of 103.4 million people – making it the most watched entertainment program on television yet again. But with great viewership comes great marketing opportunity. Every year, various brands spend significant time and resources to make an impact.
In fact, watching commercials before, during, and after the big game has become a must-see for many Americans, regardless of the teams playing in the Super Bowl. While many brands impress us with their creative and witty ads, others make us cringe and think, “This is what they came up with for a 30-second spot that cost $5 million?”
We have made a list of five of the best and worst Super Bowl 2018 commercials:
The Best 5:
While Philadelphia Eagles may have won the grand Vince Lombardi Trophy this year, they weren’t the only winners. Here are five of the best Super Bowl commercials the audience loved:
1. Doritos & Mountain Dew — “Doritos Blaze vs Mountain Dew Ice”
Doritos has a reputation for making some of the best Super Bowl commercials. This time, they teamed up with Mountain Dew and created something that we couldn’t help but watch over and over again. Featuring Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman showcasing their lip-sync rap skills, this ad certainly made an impression we won’t forget anytime soon.
2. Tide — “It’s a Tide Ad”
If there is one thing we love as much as the Super Bowl, it’s Super Bowl commercials that take a dig at Super Bowl commercial clichés. This ad shows David Harbour from Netflix’s Stranger Things in a number of different typical ad settings to build suspense about what the commercial is for — A car? Beer? Insurance? Then he clarifies that it’s a Tide ad because everyone in each setting is wearing spotless clothes, including the mechanic.
And FYI, this ad was labeled as the best campaign of the Super Bowl night by Adweek and The Washington Post.
3. Amazon — “Alexa Loses Her Voice”
If we had to name an advert that used the best celeb appearances this season, it would be this one. This hilarious commercial shows Alexa losing her voice and different celebrities taking her role – and making the users really uncomfortable. The cameos were performed by a line-up of celebs – Rebel Wilson, Gordon Ramsay, Cardi B, and Anthony Hopkins.
4. Lexus LS 500 F Sport & Marvel Studios – “Black Panther Commercial”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01AEuxSlIMg
When you team up with the year’s most anticipated movie, you’re bound to be noticed. Lexus partnered with Marvel’s Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman, who showcased some exciting car stunts in the Lexus 500 F Sport. And it goes without saying, this was among the most stunning commercials this season.
5. Tourism Australia – “Dundee”
With so many classic movies getting a reboot lately, Tourism Australia made a commercial that looked like a new Crocodile Dundee movie trailer starring Danny McBride and Chris Hemsworth with a cameo from Paul Hogan. This commercial was innovative, informative, funny, and had our attention from the first second.
The Worst 5:
Despite the effort and money that goes into making a Super Bowl commercial, some brands simply fail to hit the mark. Here are this year’s five worst Super Bowl commercials:
1. Diet Coke Twisted Mango – “Groove”
If I had to sum up this commercial in two words, they would be ‘epic fail’! Maybe the folks at Diet Coke thought that a girl dancing awkwardly with a Twisted Mango-flavored Coke would be endearing but all it did was make the audience cringe.
2. RAM – “Built to Serve”
RAM’s “Build to Serve” was the most widely criticized ad this season. It features Martin Luther King Jr.’s voice to highlight the brand’s value of service. This move was not liked by the audience who took to Twitter to disparage the ad. Given America’s current political and social climate, this commercial was perceived to be in poor taste.
In fact, a video emerged online that replaced the voiceover used in the commercial with Martin Luther King Jr.’s own speech that warns people about how advertising can be used to manipulate consumer behavior.
3. Bud Light – “Bud Knight”
For months, Bud Light has been promoting its “Dilly Dilly” campaign and the Bud Knight commercial was its last installment. The ad begins with a Game of Thrones-like battle setting with dragons, horses, and knights when suddenly the Bud Knight appears and saves the day – after a “comical” banter about going to a party with Bud Lights. The humor seems uninspired and the ad doesn’t live up to the past Bud Light Super Bowl commercials.
4. Pringles – “Wow”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfAN88DObX8
This ad is based on the premise that combining two or more flavors of Pringles is a game-changer. The commercial is neither funny nor impressive in any way. While Bill Hader has his moments, this commercial is simply too bland (pun intended) for a $5 million spot.
5. Groupon – “Who Wouldn’t”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM1QDBvzm1Y
We were excited when Groupon announced that they are teaming up with Tiffany Haddish after her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live went viral! The partnership seemed incredible as she narrated an interesting story about taking Will Smith and Jada Pinkett on a Groupon swamp tour. But, when we finally saw the commercial, it was mediocre and lacked the flare everyone expected.
So, which were your favorite Super Bowl commercials this year? Tell us in the comments below!