When you’re paying millions of dollars for advertising during the most-watched sporting event of the year, it’s important to get it right. We picked 6 of our favorite commercials that were aired on Sunday during the Big Game.
Some viewers on game day are stoked on the teams and the game itself. Others watch strictly for the fun commercials and buzz-worthy halftime show. At Parachute, we were definitely all about the commercials. And we all know everyone’s a critic…even us. So we’ve rounded up our favorites from game day. A Pick 6, if you will, in no particular order.
#1: Doritos® ⎮ The Cool Ranch Featuring Lil Nas X & Sam Elliott
This ad did a great job of spanning generations with their target audience by adding Sam Elliott, everyone’s favorite western character. Doritos nailed it by making the connection between The Cool Ranch, where there was an epic western dance-off and their ever-popular Cool Ranch Doritos.
Lil Nas X made perfect sense here as the father of Old Town Road. But a bold play came from Doritos in hoping the song would still be trending nearly 10 months after its release…luckily, it is. One drawback was that the product was not prominent throughout the spot. This could result in a lack of brand recall. However, the Billy Ray Cyrus cameo was the icing on the cake of a fun, relevant ad.
#2: Reese’s Take5 ⎮ The Best Candy Bar You’ve Never Heard of
We loved this smart and funny ad. The best part is the back story. You may or may not have heard of the Take5 candy bar released by Hershey’s in 2004. Yes, that’s right. This candy bar has been around for 16 years, yet it’s been one of Hershey’s worst-selling candy bars. However, this same candy bar was the front-runner in any taste testing the company did. ? So last year, Hershey’s said, “Let’s add Reese’s to the name to see if that entices people to pick up this bar in the candy aisle.” Then Reese’s Take5 was born and brought us a relatable, humorous commercial on Sunday.
This ad used common expressions in real scenarios, such as “Have you been living under a rock?” and “Were you born yesterday?” These expressions drive home the message: Reese’s Take5 is the best candy bar you’ve never heard of. The spot tops off with a brilliant final visual joke.
#3: Amazon ⎮ Before Alexa
This was a great play by Amazon in promoting our most helpful Chatty Cathy, more commonly known as Alexa. The ad did a great job showing the utility of the product in different scenarios, from adjusting the thermostat to playing your favorite song. It infused humor by showing what life must have been like before Alexa. The ad shows people throughout history with names similar to Alexa. They were asked to tell me a joke or play my favorite song. Not to mention, everyone loves Ellen and Portia…so there’s that, too.
#4: Bud Light Seltzer ⎮ Inside Post’s Brain #PostyBar
We had to spotlight this ad for Bud Light Seltzer, as it was another top contender for our crowd favorite. The celebrity partner made perfect sense. Post Malone is widely known to be an avid consumer of Bud Light. Not to mention his growing fan-base and popularity right now. Not only did Bud Light grab the perfect celebrity partner, the ad also had a clear message and did a fantastic job of showcasing the product itself. It touched on all aspects of why you should drink Bud Light Seltzer (taste, aroma, low-calorie, etc.) by going inside Posty’s Brain while he was enjoying the new Mango flavor.
It also hit the mark on expanding the audience by featuring a super-cool male drinking seltzer, shattering the stigma that seltzers are for white girls who don’t like beer. Well done, Bud Light. ??
#5: Jeep® ⎮Groundhog’s Day with Bill Murray
This ad spanned generations by tying into the 1993 film, Groundhog’s Day. And it worked perfectly because Bill Murray was back to recreate the plot with his groundhog buddy and his new Jeep Gladiator. It was funny, clever (being that it was aired on actual Groundhog’s Day), and it did a great job showcasing the product throughout the spot.
The ad allowed you to see the Jeep in different environments. It showed the Gladiator’s different features like removing the doors and loading bikes in the truck bed. This spot did a great job driving home the message: Every day is a new adventure with a Jeep Gladiator.
#6: Facebook Groups ⎮ Ready to Rock?
We had to show some love to our business daddy, Facebook, for its exciting Big Game ad promoting its Groups feature. If you’re in the biz, you know Facebook has been trying to make Groups a thing over the last year. This tv spot was a 100-yard tackle-breaking, kick return touchdown. The commercial was action-packed with an array of activities. Activities that showcase the different groups the platform hosts, and they are actual Groups IRL.
The key message of, “there’s a group for everyone” does a good job of backing Facebook’s mission of connecting people. No matter if your interest is in actual rocks, a martini on the rocks, or even rocking chairs, there’s a Group for that. Overall, this spot was a win…they even threw in a couple of celebs at the end!
Extra Point: Google ⎮ Loretta
Our Extra Point goes to Google for their tear-jerking ad, Loretta, promoting Google Assistant. It was a nice change-up in tone from the other ads, which made this one stand out. It was at a slower pace, and very simple, which in turn had the ability to silence the room and gain everyone’s attention. Google went for the tears by demonstrating how an elderly man uses Google Assistant to remember photos, places, and traits of his late wife.
By positioning the product within this touching story, it demonstrated its use among older generations (tech is not just for the youngsters). The underlying message made this a great product to buy for a parent or older family member. It also touched on nostalgia among the older generation to show them how they can use the product. Well done, Google. Well done.fake rolex Swiss Replica Watches
