Super Bowl Ads and advertisers go together like… Well, everything! The Big Game may have come and gone, but the lasting impact of its (lackluster) ads still remains. Read on to see who our team voted as the top 5 spots of the night.
1. (Michael) CeraVe – Ogilvy
What started as speculation has turned into a cannon event- or has it?
Over the past few weeks, Michael Cera has been popping up in bizarre scenarios fueling speculation that he is connected to the skincare brand, CeraVe. Coming to a head during Sunday night’s game, we see a first-of-its-kind immersive campaign that invites viewers to participate in a national prank-like experience. The week of the Big Game, we see Cera going toe-to-toe with dermatologists, revealing his own CeraVe commercial to prove his mastery, and ending with his claims debunked by a boardroom of CeraVe dermatologists. The journey from “CeraVe, developed by Michael Cera” to “CeraVe, developed with dermatologists” allows for an intricately curated campaign spanning across earned, paid, and owned channels, including social media and influencer promotion, which is why it receives our Bold Brands stamp of approval.
2. Hellmann’s Mayo Cat – Unilever
Meow for May-Ow!
Focusing on food waste for the fourth year, Unilever shows the fantastical adventure of America’s funny-gal, Kate McKinnon as her feline co-star shows Hallmann’s fans how to use “may-ow” to make meals out of their favorite Super Bowl leftovers. After discovering her cat can “talk”, this dynamic duo finds themselves on talk shows and in the conference circuit. Building craze from Hellmann’s loyalists, Mayo Cat takes center stage, making it on the front cover of People magazine for her brief celebrity relationship with Pete Davidson before ending with the statement “Make Taste Not Waste.” Unilever and Hellmann’s continue to challenge themselves to find relatability and authenticity through humorous ways making things like cutting food waste more attainable for their customer base.
3. Pluto TV – Haymaker
Idahos Best Couch Potatoes
From the minds that brought you favorite commercials of years past, Haymaker takes viewers on a tour of “Couch Potatoe Farms” located in Pluto TV County. Here, couch potatoes are raised on content offered by Pluto. In collaboration with Paramount-owned Pluto TV, this campaign takes an immersive stance with the initial introduction of a brand refresh, including an updated logo, motion graphics, and an updated color scheme. Haymaker elevated the viewer experience through the application of the refresh objectives: differentiation, resonating with new audiences, and preserving components of the brand that were already working. By highlighting subscriber favorites, Haymaker was able to tap into the common human experience of watching TV why giving an individualized lens through title-driven viewing.
4. Nerds – Digitas (Chicago)
Flashdance… What A Feeling!
From the whimsical minds at Digitas comes a reimagined Flashdance. Featuring TikTok’s sweetheart, Addison Rae teaching dance moves to a mystery student, viewers are opened to the sound of Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling” in a showroom with a single chair center stage and a red Gummy walking to take a seat. To the cue of the music, we see a reenactment of the iconic Flashdance water scene. However, water is replaced by small Nerds candies that hit the Gummy, transforming it into the brand’s popular Gummy Cluster before flashing back to Rae enjoying a bag of Gummy Clusters. Nerds Gummy Clusters have been a big hit for Nerds, growing from $50 million to half a billion dollars in retail sales within the last 5 years. We see this popularity rise in real-time through the “Candy Salad”, a largescale pick’n’mix style trend sweeping TikTok and Meta Reels for the past 2 years. Through trend forecasting and expansion through UGC, Digitas is able to appeal to multiple generations and candy lovers alike while keeping visuals new and elevating the Nerd’s parent company Ferrara brand for the first time since its launch in 1983.
5. Michelob Ultra – Wieden + Kennedy
Messy Messi
Making its appearance for its ninth consecutive Super Bowl, Michelob Ultra works with New York’s Wieden + Kennedy to unveil its 60-second “Superior Beach.” Kicking off with Michelob’s classic draft shot, we see soccer star Lionel Messi, actor Jason Sudeikis, and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, enjoying a day at the beach when Messi has the opportunity to show off his soccer skills to beachgoers. Wieden + Kennedy’s positioning of Michelob as a beer brand brewed for active living and social connections falls short through its depiction of a casual pickup game between legendary athletes and the everyday man. Its predictable storyline and the attempted message of “whether you’re a legend or an everyday athlete, you don’t have to choose between being active and being social.” gives a less enthused response from viewers. Seemingly relying heavily on its star-studded cast, Michelob and Wieden + Kennedy’s spot takes viewers out of the experience losing their message as a whole.