Aside from the Super Bowl itself, the commercials are the most exciting part of the big game day. While some companies such as GoDaddy and Budweiser unveiled their ads prior to the game, there were still plenty of reactions to go around. Puppies and emotions were two themes in commercials this year. According to NFL Research, a 30-second slot for a Super Bowl commercial for 2015 is $4.5 million. That’s a steep hike from $4 million last year. Ads were only $42,000 for the first Super Bowl in 1967.
Best
Budweiser never seems to be a let down with their commercials. This year was no exception with their #BestBuds campaign. In addition to a number of other commercials, Budweiser centered their ad on a Labrador puppy. Their star pup gets lost and finds his way back home with some assistance from the trademark Clydesdales.
Cutest
Microsoft
Microsoft pulled off an interesting commercial that demonstrated how their technology is working in real life. Their profile of Braylon O’Neil provoked awes with the touching story.
Tear-jerker
Nationwide
Nationwide really pulled a plot twist on their commercial. The bit starts out with a young boy who talks about all the things he’ll never do, which is expected out of young children. The real twist came when the boy announced he couldn’t do these things because he had died. While it grabbed people’s attention, it was definitely a mood-killer.
Most Inspiring
Toyota
Car commercials are hard to pull off, but Toyota nailed it this year. Their minute slot featured U.S. Paralympic snowboarder and former “Dancing with the Stars” guest Amy Purdy. The combination of audio from Muhammad Ali and the visuals of Purdy provided a stunning visual experience.
Most Clever
BMW
“Allison can you explain what Internet is?” Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel star in BMW’s commercial that revolves around how far technology has come. Starting twenty-one years ago, the two attempt to explain what internet is to their viewers. Fast-forward to present day and Couric is still asking for help wit new technology. “Allison, can you explain what i3 is?” The commercial leaves off on a high with Gumbel asking Couric if she can twerk.
Funniest
Turbo Tax
Turbo Tax took taxes back to their roots with a spoof of the Boston Tea Party. While the Tea Party ended on calm terms in the commercial, we all know that’s not how it ended in history. At least the Patriots fans didn’t celebrate by throwing tea into the harbor when they won the Super Bowl.
Most Disturbing
Squarespace
This ad was something we looked up after the commercial aired. Squarespace’s commercial features Jeff Bridges advertising for his website, Dreaming with Jeff. Overall, the commercial left the majority of viewers trying to figure out what happened.
Biggest Let down
GoDaddy
GoDaddy—one of the few who previously released ads, GoDaddy faced backlash last week over their intended commercial that featured Buddy the dog returning home only to be sold off. Animal rights activists were furious over the fact that the commercial poked at puppy mills. GoDaddy campaigned Buddy extremely well. The fact that the cute Labrador pup was nowhere in the video was a huge let down. Brand woman Danica Patrick was nowhere to be seen either.
Most Important
One of the most important commercials that aired during the Super Bowl wasn’t a commercial at all but rather a PSA. This was the first time ever that the NFL took time to air a PSA. The slot focused on domestic violence, a topic the NFL dealt with early on in the season with players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson.
