The reason the Super Bowl is regularly the most watched program in any given year is because every second of the broadcast is entertaining. From the game to the halftime show to the commercials themselves. For viewers who aren’t football fans, the commercials are often the main reason for tuning in. With advertisers spending millions of dollars for a mere :30 ad, you can bet they want to leave a lasting impression. For SB50, while the majority of the commercials were released days before the game, we still had some surprises – like #puppymonkeybaby. Many celebrities were featured in a variety of commercials and, as in years past, comedy was the name of the game. Let’s re-cap the top 5 ads from Super Bowl 50.

Heinze – “Wiener Stampede”

Heinz’s “Wiener Stampede” was a big crowd pleaser. Our favorite ketchup company went with no celebrities and no jokes – just a joyous field of wiener dogs running to their toppings. The commercial scored a 6.64 from USA Today’s Ad Meter. The day after the Super Bowl, the ad still drove the most positive reviews with 43% positive, 38% neutral and 19% negative as reported by Ad Week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNN9nL2vppM

Hyundai – “First Date”

Hyundai’s “First Date” with Kevin Hart scored a 6.91 according to USA Today’s Ad Meter. This commercial perfectly hit on the hysterical aspects of being a father and showed the technology that comes with new Hyundai Genesis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R_483zeVF8

Bud Light – “The Bud Light Party”

Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer went above and beyond to promote the Bud Light Party while masterfully mocking political advertisements. Traveling around the country, Seth and Amy spoke about what Americans love (besides Paul Rudd, of course). They even got away with some not-so-subtle inappropriate jokes throughout the ad. The Chicago Tribune rated this ad an A-.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JohgwbpQuy8%20%20

Doritos – “Ultrasound”

One of my personal favorites was “Ultrasound” by Doritos. Doritos has a history of comedic commercials and they tried to continue that trend this year. Its cute to see a baby in the womb who is so hungry for Doritos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNK1_Yop6oo

Budweiser – “#GiveADamn PSA”

On a more serious note, Helen Mirren’s PSA for Budweiser was simply fantastic. There is nothing like being put in your place by a posh British woman. The commercial’s #GiveADamn hashtage generated millions of online impressions. In my opinion, if it got even one person to hand over their keys and think twice about driving impaired, the commercial was a success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDLUYcAC6yc%20

At the end of the day, ads are subjective. What might resonate with some people, may rub others the wrong way. Which ad was your favorite and why?