A good Super Bowl commercial – a good commercial, period – does four things well: it’s funny, it’s memorable, it forces you to buy the product and leaves you with a more favorable view of the brand.
Jake Ciely was ranked best in fantasy baseball twice and fantasy football once. But does this apply to commercials? We’re about to find out.
Feel free to talk about poor Jakey in the comments. He has very strong feelings about some of these things. Important note: movie trailers do not count. Sorry, but this is a different category and we can’t go there.
(Hey, if you love rankings – and who doesn’t? – take a look at our 2021 fantasy baseball, updated fantasy basketball and “very early” fantasy football rankings)
The Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials
1. GM: Norway at all
Will Ferrell, Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina do it very well, especially Ferrell, but it’s the Scandinavian stinger joke that really made me laugh. I am declaring this the best commercial of the night.
Nando: I can’t disagree. That was fantastic.
two Fried Lay: Super Bowl
So it can stay in first place all night! No. But it was fun while it lasted! This announcement aired before the game even started. Marshawn Lynch. Peyton Manning. I could have sat there in silence for 30 seconds and it was great. Simply incredible. “Don’t be afraid of the ball” and “Come on, we’re friends”, were great with Lynch’s narration on top of everything.
3. Cheetos: it wasn’t me
Okay, I knew immediately that this was happening and laughed … immediately. I am a fan of Ashton Kutcher, and the new lyrics and ending (will not spoil the joke) … very well done.
Nando: I liked Flat Matthew a lot more.
4. Doritos 3D: Flat Matthew
This has crazy vibes from “Twilight Zone” mixed with Judge Doom from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” It works! It’s funny, it’s memorable – the cafeteria scene where he is initially invisible is fantastic. I suppose this year will be a favorite commercial for many people. Even the warning, “Don’t try if you’re a 3D person”, was subtly funny.
People’s Choice – Jeep with Bruce Springsteen
As much as we love our brands Frito-Lay and Will Ferrell, we cannot deny that the rest of the world loves the Bruce Springsteen commercial. Maybe a little too much, but who are we to judge? We are delivering this our first annual People’s Choice Super Bowl commercial award for excellence (PCSBCAFE). Congratulations, Jeep!
5 M & M’s: Sorry
Mocking the genre reveals, “Karen” and more, that was very good. Not at the top of the pile, but good for a laugh.
Nando adds: We (my wife and I, not Jake and me) finally gave in and started watching “Schitt’s Creek” – with everyone selling warning that you have to go through the first two seasons until it arrives really good – and i must say i understand the hype. It’s “Parks & Rec” -sy. I just hope that Eugene Levy is not overexposed.
6. Tide: Jason Alexander is stepped on, etc.
Bonus laughs for the 80’s TV musical bed (“Believe It or Not”). The changes in Alexander’s faces were very funny, however, they can be made more memorable by how strange he looked in the end (he looked aged).
Nando: I don’t think Jake has a “Seinfeld” connection to the song! Would that have pushed you to number 5?
7. Uber Eats: Wayne’s World
From Nando: “The commercial itself was good, but I love everything about Wayne’s World -“ NOTTT !! ”, Aunt Carrere, without saying 2 or 1 when you tell someone on a TV outlet – and even though it was mailed, I loved seeing them back on the screen. “As for me, it was just fun to see them back, but honestly, it would have been better with the previous one, which was better …
8. Sam Adams: Horses
The sight of the person doing a horse hip exam through the window made me laugh and, for whatever reason, every time I hear: “Your cousin, from Bos… ton”, I will laugh.
9 Bud Light: Legends (Avengers)
Good for laughs and a trip through Bud Light’s commercial history. Man of true geniuses! But, how do you omit “To your left!”?
Nando: This is probably No. 2 for me. Hearing “Yes, I am” again was so good. And “I loved you man” in the past. And the guy who sang “Mister Vending Machine Repairmannnn”. I watched it three times in a row.
10. LYRIQ: ScissorHandsFree
Half the people who watched the Super Bowl remember “Edward Scissorhands”? This is another 90’s child callback (ish) commercial). I feel like it hits a specific group and, luckily, I was in it, because it was fun. Do not roll on the floor laughing, but fun, especially with Winona Ryder doing the reprise of her role.
HONORABLE MENTION
Michelob Ultra: happy
It wasn’t funny, but it had a really cool aesthetic; the part where he switched to the live video (Anthony Davis playing chess) was a fun twist to an initial feeling of “here comes a serious artistic commercial”, and I usually like to watch an ad in which I recognized everyone. In addition, I will always have my vote when using “Can I Kick It?” Do A Tribe Called Quest
Tracy Morgan for Rocket Mortgage – “Pretty Sure”
Very funny and it seems very expensive to do. I love everything Tracy Morgan does. In fact, “30 Rock” is one of the most underrated shows. Everyone sweats “The Office”, but you don’t see the same reverence for “30 Rock”.
Craig Robinson Pizza Hut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ua4JWfUEk
Game of total nostalgia, and I’m not even sure if this is technically a “Super Bowl commercial”, because it’s six days old on YouTube and it doesn’t seem to be that big, but it aired after the team’s introduction and I thought it was smart it’s fun. And man, you can’t find those Pizza Hut lamps anywhere on eBay. It didn’t make it into the final Top 10, but anything with Craig Robinson (I watched and liked “Ghosted” on FOX a few years ago) works for me.
Paramount +
Patrick Stewart hasn’t aged since 1990, some good laughs, SpongeBob again, but seriously, ANOTHER streaming service ?!
Nando: Yes, but “Yellowstone” is so amazing
Lemonade Bud Light Seltzer
It helped us to laugh at the misery of what was 2020, and I especially appreciated the MLB cardboard cutouts getting involved. Side note, though, man, “hard” soda may have been the biggest beneficiary of 2020 … enough!
Skechers: maximum cushioning
Meh. Does buying these shoes come with a parent certification?
Jimmy John’s: King of Cold Cuts
Some really ridiculous moments, but “Jimmy’s John’s” has become repetitive. In fact, I laughed more at the warning, “Don’t try”, when setting the billboard on fire. Uh, no kidding, guys.
The worst commercials in the Super Bowl
Hellmann’s Mayo
It wasn’t funny, and seeing a chocolate cake suggesting the use of mayonnaise legitimately made me sick.
Pringles: astronauts lost
It is not memorable. How I know? I mentioned it, and the people I was with didn’t even remember it. The stacking flavors commercial peaked and was only good with Bill Hader.
Oatly
It was definitely memorable, but for the wrong reasons. Woof. I think it was supposed to be “bad”, and props for the CEO, right? But that won’t make me want to buy Oatly. Internally, this could win this year’s worst award.
Klarna: Tiny horses, four payments
I struggled to understand what the point of sale was or remember who it was, because it wasn’t funny and CGI was one of the worst I’ve ever seen.
The Feel Good collection
Ford: Strong Finish
Anheuser-Busch: let’s go get a beer
In fact: The Rising
Toyota: Jessica Long Story
Guinness: Joe Montana GOAT
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