Super Bowl XLIX featured a bizarro batch of ads: love, death, a film on how beer is made, and human running around in a big video game. $4.5 million well spent, I assume.
Overall, many of the Super Bowl ads struck a serious, somber tone not seen since Super Bowl XXXVI – the first Super Bowl to take place after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In other words, viewers weren’t subjected to farting horses, nude people sliding off bedsheets and out the window, or Danica Patrick (but to be sure, we had Kim Kardashian and the Victoria’s Secret models show up.)
Here’s the five best and the five worst of the batch in T Dog Media’s ninth annual review. To watch any of the ads, click the link. Commercials aired during the big game but also beforehand do not count:
STOP! Don’t skip these with your DVR:
1. Nissan, With Dad. A rather touching Nissan commercial, set to Harry Chaplin’s 1974 hit “Cat’s In The Cradle”.
2. Clash of Clans, Revenge. Liam Nilson wants his revenge – and is looking for you.
3. eSurance (Allstate), sortaPharmacist So what’s Walter White doing these days now that Breaking Bad is done? Working as a pharamicist at the nearest Walgreens.
4. Dove For Men, Real Strength Another good commercial featuring strong male role models, which we could use more of.
5. Budweiser. Lost Dog The Clydedales can find anything.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Snickers, Very Brady; Bud Light, Coin(the Pac-Man ad); NFL Super Bowl Rally
Skip these with your DVR. Please
1. Nationwide, Make Safe Happen. Probably the most-hated Super Bowl Ad in recent memory, given the backlash it generated on Twitter. “Dead” kids does not make great advertising.
2. T-Mobile, Save The Data. This ad featured Kim Kardashian West, enough said.
3. Squarespace, Dreaming With Jeff Aw hell, no.
4. McDonald’s, Pay With Lovin’. As yours truly said on Twitter, “So, your form of payment at McDonalds is to act out a scene from a Sally Jesse Raphael family reunion show from 1991…”
5. Coca-Cola, Make It Happy. Former Governor Pat Quinn tried to reverse the recent election results with Coca-Cola. He’s still a former Governor. Did You Know? Coca-Cola won for Best Super Bowl commercial in the first season of the T Dog Media Blog. What a huge difference a few Super Bowls make.
Halftime Show: This year, it was Katy Perry, and while yours truly isn’t really a big fan, the presentation wasn’t bad – in fact, it was outright hilarious in some parts, with dancing sharks and beach balls. Let’s see The Who top that.
USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter: Once again, a Budweiser ad with animals win the 27th annual Ad Meter, Lost Dog, which finished in T Dog Media’s best top five. Remember, the quality of the ads usually don’t matter when it comes to the Ad meter.
You Tube is once again holding its Ad Blitz, where you can watch, vote, and share your favorites.
Want more coverage? Here it is from Ad Age and Adweek.
Going Old School: And if you want to read past rankings and reviews of Super Bowl Ads from T Dog Media dating back to 2007, click on this tag: Super Bowl Commercials.
Now you can resume skipping over commercials with your DVR, already in progress.