Gather ’round, football enthusiasts and Swifties alike, because we’re diving headfirst into the wild world of Super Bowl commercials! While some watch for the touchdowns and others for the halftime show spectacle, let’s be real – we’re all secretly here for the unforgettable ads that make us erupt in laughter, spraying nacho cheese out of our noses, or tug at our heartstrings, making us shed a tear into our buffalo wing sauce. Grab your snacks, cozy up in your lucky jersey, and read our play-by-play of the hits, the misses, and the downright bizarre moments from this year’s Super Bowl commercial lineup.
Favorites
Google Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8 promoted a new feature on their phone that makes taking selfies more accessible for people with little to no vision. The commercial showed different scenarios of the Google Pixel 8 telling the photographer the number of faces [and even animals] in the camera frame. It began with “one face in frame”, but by the end of the commercial, it was saying “three faces in frame”, indicating the couple had a baby and lived happily ever after.
This commercial was the only one that had my eyes watering. It was incredibly cute and heartwarming, and it stood out from the typical ads addressing sight impairment. It was a compelling and touching story. Bravo, Google!
Reese’s
Reese’s promoted their new product; Reese’s with caramel. This commercial was so random, but also very funny. There was mayhem and ruckus as people teetered from distraught to ecstatic over the new Reese’s. The commercial was a treasure trove of tiny details, and everyone in the room spotted different quirks that sparked a collective burst of laughter and a flurry of comments. It was a quick & simple, hard-hitting joke that worked to grab attention and elicit a laugh and the product was featured enough that we remember what the ad was for.
NFL – “Dreams Come True”
The NFL shined a spotlight on their program encouraging young kids to play football, no matter their background. The commercial started fun and light-hearted, sparking curiosity in the viewer’s mind. Eventually, touching on the viewer’s emotional side with the message, “It doesn’t matter where you were born so long as you were born to play, encouraging international athletes through its pathway program.” It was powerful and inspiring.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats’ spot featured Jennifer Aniston being instructed to remember something and replying, “You know what they say, to remember something, you have to forget something else to make room in your brain.” From professional soccer players to Hollywood actors, to random men naked from the waist down, this commercial had it all.
Verizon
Beyonce managed to steal the Super Bowl without headlining the halftime show as she attempted to “break” Verizon’s unbreakable network. Look, if the ad was Bey sitting in a lawn chair doing a crossword puzzle it’d still be our favorite. Seriously Verizon, you didn’t have to work so hard.
Flops
Homes.com
Homes.com had a serial approach spread across multiple commercials with big-name talent including Dan Levy, Lil Wayne, and Heidi Gardner, and a story that didn’t make much sense or inspire interest.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile brought out Jason Mamoa, Neil Flynn, and Donald Faison for a musical monstrosity. In this commercial, the two actors from Scrubs went over to Aquaman’s house to watch the game and he said they couldn’t watch it because his internet wasn’t fast enough. The three men then broke into song and turned the entire commercial into a cheesy musical. Hope added, “I might be a little biased in saying, I’m not a huge fan of musicals, so to me, the commercial was a little cheesy and dumb. I think there are other ways to get the message across that can still be funny, that doesn’t include skipping around on the porch, poorly singing a silly song about wifi.”
Dunkin Donuts
Worst use of celebrities ever. This one was so bad it made fun of how bad it was in the commercial. It seemed like they were banking on being funny, and fumbled, hard. A monumental waste of three huge stars, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, and one NFL legend, Tom Brady. Do better, Dunkin.
M&M
Peanut butter diamonds? What? How are you going to have Scarlet Johanson in an ad and it still doesn’t catch my interest? This is one of those where we’re just amazed it made it through the planning stage. How bad were the other ideas at their brainstorming session?
The Super Bowl commercials were almost as fun to watch as Taylor Swift chugging her drink on the big screen. Despite the unexpected turn, the ad game during the Super Bowl was intriguing, especially with Jesus making an unexpectedly strong presence. Some commercials went the AI route for humor, producing better, funnier, and weirder viral hits already dominating our social media feeds—like The Rock munching on rocks. Ironically, the actual products being advertised in these spots seem to have slipped our minds.
As this year’s lineup delivered a smorgasbord of entertainment, it’s clear that some approaches are more effective in leaving a lasting impression than others. Here’s to celebrating the creativity, humor, and storytelling brilliance that turn Super Bowl commercials into a cherished tradition. Until next year’s spectacle, keep your eyes peeled for the next big hit – on and off the field. Cheers!
