It’s that time of year again, the first big event after the New Year. That’s right, it’s time for the Super Bowl and with that comes our look at this year’s Super Bowl advertisements. We’ll be taking at look at the winners and losers of the 2021 Super Bowl ads.
There a good number of winners and it was hard to pick the best advertisement between a few really good showings. As for the worst ad for this round, was easily the Cure Auto Insurance commercial. If your ad is supposed to evoke a strong emotional response, anger shouldn’t be it.
Amazon: Alexa’s Body
A designer’s mind runs wild when se envisions the most perfect body for Alexa.
Bud Light Legends: The Avengers of Beer
A shipment of beer goes awry and beer drinkers (plus Post Malone) assemble.
Bud Light: When Life Gives You Lemons
Bud Light also ran a second ad promoting its new flavored alcoholic seltzer drinks. Socially distant weddings, baseball without fans, but 2020 is even worse in this ad because it’s raining lemons.
Budweiser’s Super Bowl Non-Commercial Commercial
Anheuser Busch made this ad about a country working together to stop COVID and remind us that “Let’s grab a beer,” isn’t really about the actual beer.
Cadillac Lyriq: Timothée Chalemet, Son of Edward Scissorhands
In this ad form Cadillac, Winona Ryder reprises her role as Kim and we learn about Edgar, who like Edward, has Scissorhands that just get in the way, except for when it comes to sandwich artistry. How can Edgar drive? Hands free Super Cruise.
Cheetos: #ItWasntMe
A splendid throwback playing off of a rewritten “It Wasn’t Me” and performed by Shaggy. Who knew a micro-music video about leaving Cheetos finger market everywhere could be so good.
Chipotle
Chipotle tased on touching on COVID or making jokes. Instead the focus was on the environment, which is something consumers are concerned about today.
Coming 2 America Trailer
33 years later, Amazon picked up the sequel to the classic “Coming to America”. We get treated to scenes from Eddie Murphy, Leslie Jones, and Tracey Morgan amongst others.
Doritos 3D; Flat Matthew
Matthew McConaughey isn’t alright alright alright and he’s feeling a bit flat in this advertisement for Doritos 3D. We also get a cameo by Mindy Kaling and Jimmy Kimmel.
F9 Reunites The Family
A short teaser shows us what to expect when the COVID-delaeyd release hits theaters on May 28th.
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier Trailer
This looks like it’s going to be fun. In the trailer we get a good dose of Bucky and Sam bickering and some familiar faces make appearances.
Frito-Lays: ‘Twas The Night Before Super Bowl
Marshawn Lynch tells us a story about what the football greats from decades past such as Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, and Joe Montana are doing the night before the Super Bowl. Also, see the Manning brothers in matching pajamas.
GM: “No Way, Norway!” with Will Ferrell
In this comical ad Will Ferrell recruits Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina to put a stop to Norway’s domination of EV ownership per capita. Somehow, this ad works.
Hellmann’s: Fairy Godmayo
Amy Shumcer is the “Fairy Godmayo” who turns leftovers into a gourmet meal.
Jeep: Unity With Bruce Springsteen
Saying the country is little divided is massive understatement. Jeep along Bruce Springsteen called for Americans to be more united and asks that we all try to find common ground.
M&M’s: The Perfect Way to Say “I’m Sorry”
This ad doesn’t star the CGI mascots, but does end with an insincere apology from Dan Levy of Schitt’s Creek. In the run up the final apology we get some apologies for kicking an airline seat, mansplaining, and calling someone Karen.
Michelob Ultra: Celebrity Lookalikes
This ad promotes Michelob’s new alcoholic seltzer. Stay to the end for a funny reveal.
Michelob Ultra: A Happy Super Bowl
Happy athletes hitting you in the feels. The ad asks, “Are you happy because you win, or do you win because you’re happy?”
Oatly: “Wow, No Cow”
So does Oatly have the worst or.. the best Super Bowl commercial? It went viral on Twitter and Oatly immediately sold t-shirts saying, “I totally hated the Oatly commercial”. This ad got a lot of people talking about Oatly.
Old Trailer: M. Night Shyamalan is Back
A day at the beach turns into a nightmare of rapid aging. We ahem no idea what’s going on here other than a day at a secluded beach and the fun in the sun doesn’t last long.
Paramount Plus: Patrick Stewart & Stephen Colbert At The Summit
The rebranding of CBS All Access brings a motley mix of characters together. The advertisement acknowledges the absurdity, but the charm of Stewart and Colbert hold the ad together.
Pringles: Where Is Everyone?
Some astronauts who have returned to earth owner where everyone is because NASA’s Pringles world equivalent is too busy trying to stack new flavor combinations. Fortunately a ship is passing by, but they’re busy stacking Pringles too.
Robinhood Does Some Damage Control
Robinhood has had a rough go of it lately due to the Gamestop fiasco and making the move to stop the buying of shares hedge funds were trying to short, and this is ad is an attempt to repair its image as a trading platform for the regular, every day person. The ad’s theme is “We’re all investors,” but we guess it dons’t include Redditors.
Sam Adams Let’s the Clydesdales Loose
Budweiser didn’t employ the iconic hordes for this year’s Super Bowl. So, Sam Adams cheekily let the horses loose to rampage through Boston.
Scott’s & Miracle-Gro: Double The Travoltas
Stanley from The Office is hosting a star studded barbecue. This is a start studded blink you’ll miss them advertisement.
Squarespace: 5 to 9
Dolly Parton reworks her classic song to celebrate the side hustle in this Squarespace ad.
State Farm: Meet Drake From Sate Farm
A little absurd, but the ad is a winner.
Tide: Wash the Jason Alexander Hoodie
This unwashed hoodie featuring the face of Jason Alexander jumps form one exasperated face to another as this hoodie is worn and used without ever seeing ht inside of a washing machine.
Toyota: Jessica Long’s Story
Toyota wastes no time in jerking those tears form your eyes. The spot s intoned to have been tied to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which have been delayed and focuses on paralympic swimmer Jessica Long.
Uber Eats: Wayne’s World Reunion
Still broadcasting from Wayne’s basement, Wayne and garth are back to talk about what they’re caring for the big “bowl” game that they’re not allowed to name for legal reasons.
The Worst
Cure Auto Insurance: Whip It Out
An attempt to make workplace sexual harassment funny. Get it?
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These are some of my favorite ads this year.
Michelob ULTRA hits has 60 seconds of “happy” with Serena Williams, Mia Hamm, Anthony Davis, Usain Bolt, Brooks Koepka—and the vetrans, Billie Jean King, Arnie Palmer and Willie Mays mix it up with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey who give it up for Uber Eats. Jason Alexander (George Costanza in SEINFELD) for Tide “The Jason Alexander Hoodie” or I thought Pringles “Space Return” was droll and comically tragic but in an amusing way with J.David Hinze (Leopold Essence in HBO’s THE NEW POPE) in ”Space Return”, Hellmann’s Amy Schumer ad.
Doritos features Mindy Kaling, Jimmy Kimmel and Matthew McConaughey.
General Motors’ “No Way Norway” with Will Ferrell was absurd and inaccurate as Will Ferrell often is and I thought it was quite funny.
Eli, Peyton and Dad Archie Manning Wear Matching Pajamas in Fun Frito-Lay Super Bowl 2021 with Marshawn Lynch.
The ads were more entertaining than the game.