When a 30-second time slot at Super Bowl 50 has the hefty price tag of $5 million, a company better be sure about their ad’s success. While 2016 won’t be hailed as a great year for Super Bowl commercials, there were some gems, as well as plenty of head-scratchers.
Heinz “Weiner Stampede”
Heinz proved to us all that you don’t need fancy celebrities or a high budget to produce a great commercial. A bunch of dachshunds in hotdog costumes running towards their owners dressed in Heinz bottles? Genius, and extremely cute. This advertisement brought a smile to all viewers, guaranteed. Plus, “Meet the Ketchups” is a great slogan.
GRADE: A+
Avocados from Mexico “#Avos in Space”
Who knew a company that produces one simple product could make such an extraordinary commercial? Every line is a joke, and they’re funny. Satirizing “the bounty of Earth,” aliens walk through a museum displaying the Rubik’s cube, the “torture device” that is commercial airline cabins, communication using emojis, Scott Baio and the infamous white/gold or blue/black dress. The tour finishes at avocados from Mexico, “the most amazing of all.” While we can all agree that we don’t want The Dress to cause the next civil war, there’s no argument that guacamole might very well be one of the most amazing things on Earth.
GRADE: A
Audi “The Commander”
Right off the bat, this ad scored major points for using David Bowie’s “Starman.” Audi has always had a knack for designing commercials with a storyline, as if they were minute long movies (a favorite will always be 2013’s “Prom Night”). While I can imagine driving an R8 is undoubtedly thrilling, is it truly similar to operating a rocket into space? Hardly. However, the commercial is sentimental, nostalgic and brings a smile to faces, so we are willing to overlook the minor difference in speed: a rocket’s 17,500 mph vs. the R8’s 205 mph.
GRADE: A-
MINI USA “Defying Labels”
At first, seeing Serena Williams elicited a cloud of confusion. The black and white portrait of the athlete seems obvious: this is a Super Bowl commercial and Serena is an athlete. However, what does Serena know about cars, yet alone a MINI? She went on to talk about defying labels throughout her life, which were all valid and earned her respect as an athlete. Then, she shifted to talking about MINI defying labels, not trying to be like any other car brand, but don’t all car brands try to be themself? 55 seconds in, Serena then revealed that she actually was a MINI owner; she shows off a yellow MINI with a checkered roof. If this information had been placed at the beginning of the ad, the message would have been much clearer.
GRADE: B
Bud Light “Bud Light Party”
Bud Light hit it out of the park in the humor game, but that’s what happens when you hire Seth Rogan, Amy Schumer and Paul Rudd. The commercial was relevant from parodying campaign commercials to a Matthew McConaughey look-alike farmer talking about the importance of emojis. Schumer was even able to add in her classic raunchiness by emphasizing the size of her and Rogan’s caucus. All around, the commercial doesn’t make one think Bud Light tastes better than a watered-down cheap beer, but it generated laughs.
GRADE: B-
Prius “Getaway Car”
Someone somewhere in the world will make a remark about Toyota supporting illegal activity by having their Prius as the getaway car for a bank robbery, but despite that, it was cute. Still would not want to drive a Prius, though.
GRADE: C
Mountain Dew “Puppymonkeybaby”
This was terrifying. Enough said.
GRADE: F
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