Even if the movie box office tanked over Super Bowl weekend, you can bet similar assessments won’t be made once the ratings are in for CBS, with the Chiefs and 49ers' overtime match-up going longer than expected, and thus bringing in no doubt massive audience numbers. For those whose love of football is minimal, the biggest draw of Super Bowl LVIII is the ads, where some of the biggest companies in the world spend zillions of dollars and recruit some of the world’ most famous celebs to promote them.
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Okay, so for some people, the biggest draw might be Taylor Swift being there in support of boyfriend Travis Kelce, which even got parodied at the Puppy Bowl. Or Usher's halftime spectacular. But we’re talking about ads here, specifically the funniest commercials that aired amidst all the trailers and promos for CBS and Paramount+ shows hitting the 2024 TV schedule. So let's celebrate some of the silliest ads of the year that have aired thus far.
YouTube TV's Sunday Ticket Migration
To kick off the night, the YouTube TV-sponsored Super Bowl LVIII aired a...YouTube TV ad for NFL Sunday Ticket. Nothing subtle about that, and there was also nothing subtle about a bunch of NFL players acting like birds. Pretty sure I could watch a whole David Attenborough nature documentary where the animals were replaced by athletes.
Aubrey Plaza Having A Blast With MTN Dew
In a way that hits the same brain waves as a Droopy cartoon, I never tire of seeing Aubrey Plaza deadpan her way through a sentiment of excitement. That was the driving factor behind this ad, of course, but the best part of obviously the Parks and Recreation reunion between Plaza and Nick Offerman, and while riding dragons in a Game of Thrones-esque spoof. I'd watch that show.
Deadpool 3: Deadpool & Wolverine's Trailer
So I usually limit this round-up of Super Bowl ads to just product ads, without pointing out all the movie and TV trailers, but given all the hype building up to our first official look at Deadpool 3, it almost required a spot here. The full Deadpool & Wolverine trailer is obviously too raunchy for Super Bowl's massive audience base, but power to Ryan Reynolds & Co. for keeping the filth central to the teaser as well.
Michael Cera's Ad Pitch For CeraVe
Michael Cera hocking CeraVe has been a weird pop culture bookmark for a short while now, and this commercial makes it that much more understandable, even if it still seems like more of an April Fool's Day campaign than a Super Bowl ad. I'm still very much into it, though.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Being A Good Neighbor For State Farm
What's more fun that Arnold Schwarzenegger embracing his action star status in another Super Bowl commercial (this time with explosions)? Seeing the actor poke fun at his own accent, particularly the way he says "neighbahhh." And then obviously 1,000 cool points for the Danny DeVito appearance, which has us hoping for that Twins sequel again.
Talkin' Like (Christopher) Walken
There are certain celebrity impressions that a lot of people can do well, and there are some that a lot of people do terribly. Christopher Walken has been subject to the latter for ages, and BMW USA embraced the concept with its impersonation-filled ad, which also brings Usher into the mix for seemingly no reason other than his Super Bowl connection, making that timing reference completely irrelevant later in the year. Still, though.
Suits And Scrubs Stars, Laura Dern And More Audition For T-Mobile
T-Mobile has been nailing it with Super Bowl commercials as of late, with one of the 2023 highlights being John Travolta getting Grease-y with Zack Braff and Donald Faison. The latter two also showed up in the latest ad, alongside a bunch of other excellent celebs such as Suits' Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht, Laura Dern, Bradley and Gloria Cooper, and Jennifer Hudson.
Ben Affleck And The Dunkings
Capitalizing on the viral success of its 2023 ad with Ben Affleck and JLo, Dunkin' apparently dropped a bunch of money to get them back along with some other familiar friends such as Matt Damon and Tom Brady. I don't think the world necessarily needs the Dunkings, but I would listen to their album at least once, if only to hear Damon and Affleck riff on their movie quotes. "How do you like them...donuts? I'm so sorry." Love it.
Messi Kicking It Up A Notch For Michelob Ultra
One kind of football deserves another, right? Something like that. Michelob Ultra brought in one of soccer's biggest stars in Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi for some beachbound balling. It's a good time all in all, but it's the cameos from Dan Marino and Ted Lasso's Jason Sudeikis that put it in the goal.
Mr. T Pities The Fools Spelling Skechers Wrong
In the way that some people will swear that the Berenstain Bears was spelled differently at some point in time, the shoe brand Skechers has long been misspelled with a T in there. So what better way to address that specific issue than with the all-time great Mr. T. “I pity the fool who bends down to pick up their shoes,” is possibly more repeatable than it deserves to be. But it does deserve to be at least a little bit.
Jenna Ortega’s Doritos-Loving Abuelas
One might think that having Jenna Ortega in a Super Bowl commercial would mean she would be the biggest highlight of the ad, but that’s not the case for Doritos Dinamita chips. This action-packed commercial features a pair of older — or should I say bolder — women named Dina and Mita who will do anything to get to their snack of choice. No matter how many bruises it leaves on MCU star Danny Ramirez’s body. I kinda already hope Dina and Mita get their own movie.
Beyoncé Tries To Break The Internet
Seen in the stands with hubby Jay-Z and others, Beyoncé showed up outside of the stadium for a Verizon commercial in which she attempted to break the internet for Veep vet Tony Hale. It involved the idea of cyborg Bey, as well as a pinkified "Barbey," and I can't help but feel like both of those are going to become a reality before the next Super Bowl. What's more, she made due on her in-ad promise and dropped two new songs and some album news as the Super Bowl was airing.
Jason Momoa Sings A Ditty With Zach Braff And Donald Faison
I gotta give it up to T-Mobile for delivering not just one highlight, but two different ones, during Super Bowl LVIII, and it was a pure delight to see former co-stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison engage Jason Momoa in a tuneful ad that played up not just everyone’s pipes but also some fancy footwork. And the use of a chicken wing as a microphone. But I can’t tell if Momoa’s high note is more shocking than how long Braff’s bare shoulder is on the screen.
