Every year, as football season comes to an end, big name brands, marketing leaders and creative teams come together to pull out all the stops for the Big Game. It’s admittedly one of our favorite parts of Super Bowl Sunday – the football frenzy calms for a moment, and while one friend grabs a cheese burger slider, some of the best commercials of the year play for a massive audience (last year, it’s estimated that over 90 million people watched the Super Bowl!).
Here at PhotoShelter, we love watching creative people shine, we love imaginative marketing campaigns and we love seeing all the buzz on social media. It’s tradition for us to share a roundup of some of our favorite commercials and creative campaigns from football’s biggest night (check out our roundups from 2020 and 2021).
Which commercial was your favorite? Tag us on Twitter or Instagram (@psforbrands) and let us know!
General Motors
Austin Powers fans rejoice! Dr. Evil and a few other familiar faces return for their first time on screen together since 2002 in General Motors’ new EV campaign. The funny commercial brings on some nostalgia for those who love Mike Myers’ cult classic, while also highlighting GM’s commitment to an all-electric future. Dr. Evil lays out his plans to produce 30 new global electric vehicles by 2025.
Uber Eats (and Don’t Eats)
Jennifer Coolidge is always such a joy to watch on screen. This hysterical Uber Eats commercial (with bloopers too!) addresses an issue with the name of the delivery service: with Uber Eats, you can order more than just edible items! Throw in an appearance by Trevor Noah, a few more funny examples and Gwyneth Paltrow tasting that candle, and you have one of the best commercials from this year’s lineup.
Coinbase
Did you catch this one? Maybe you were wondering what that random QR code was doing bouncing around your TV screen? Pretty smart marketing from the team at Coinbase if you ask me! Bringing back that old school DVD animation and filling the audience with anticipation as the QR code headed toward the corner of the screen was a great way to get people talking. Plus, it was a great use of the QR code (which is totally having the biggest comeback these days).
T-Mobile
Remember those star-studded charity/advocacy songs like “We are the World”? How about those heart wrenching SPCA commercials? T-Mobile brought together Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus for a parody of an emotional call-to-action campaign, highlighting the need for more widespread 5G coverage. #DoItForThePhones.
Lays
Who can resist Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd? The two have been in many great movies together and this new campaign from Lays plays right into that funny fandom. Watch the two go down memory lane together (Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One” is still stuck in my head after this one).
Chevrolet
As a New Jersey resident, born and raised, this was a lot of fun. Chevrolet brought us a new spin on the iconic Sopranos theme song and intro video, created for “a whole new generation.” Meadow and AJ Soprano even reprise their roles for the perfect full circle ending.
E-Trade
They’re bringing the E-Trade babies out of retirement. As a classic fan favorite, these talking babies always bring a cute, lighthearted feel to the Big Game. Bring in relevant and timely topics like memes and high inflation, and you’ve got a solid Super Bowl commercial.
Doritos & Cheetos Flamin’ Hot
Doritos is known for their whacky Super Bowl commercials. This year was no different, as they paired up with Cheetos and music superstars Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth for a silly CGI wildlife get-together to the tune of Salt-n-Pepa’s “Push It.” Watch the clip below and try not to bop your head to the beat (or get hungry for some Flamin’ Hot!).
Meta Quest
One of the comments on this post got it right… This commercial was an emotional roller coaster. One minute you’re creeped out by the Chuck E. Cheese-esque mascot band and the next you’re depressed about the fate of the main character, Quest. Give him a VR headset and he’s reborn in the Metaverse. Let’s hope the future of Meta and VR technology isn’t so grim.
Michelob Ultra
Welcome to the Superior Bowl, where the players play when they’re not playing. This was a fun one, watching some of the most popular GOATs in sports history enjoy a game of bowling. And since it’s bowling, it was great to feature actor Steve Buscemi as a nod to an all-time cinema classic, Big Lebowski.
FTX
If you’re a Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, this one’s for you. Larry David brings his typical cynical self to this super funny outlook on ‘the next big thing.’ With all the current buzz about cryptocurrencies and NFTs, the marketing team behind FTX might just be onto something. And as the commercial says, Larry might just be wrong about this one. I’m sure we’ll see more and more crypto ads for years to come!
Google Pixel 6
This beautiful commercial, showcasing the power of Google’s Real Tone technology, highlights a very important update to cell phone camera quality: “accurately photographing the beauty of all skin tones so that everyone can be truly seen.” This message of inclusivity is so special, and it was directed by a fantastic photographer, Joshua Kissi.
Bud Light Seltzer
We all know Guy Fieri. At this point, he’s synonymous with the word ‘flavor.’ Bud Light made it official… he’s now the Mayor of Flavortown (The Land of Loud Flavors). We’ve all been waiting for this moment and this commercial for Bud Light Seltzer delivered. See for yourself and get a kick out of this flavorful fantasy.
What was your favorite commercial from this year’s Big Game? Tell us on social (@psforbrands) then revisit our favorites from 2020 and 2021.
