Because if you haven't heard, the major corporations have been nervous this year about pandemic politics, and spending so much on big game ads. So was no Budweiser commercial this year (though Sam Adams still brought the Clydesdales, and Anheuser Bush had ads for two of its other brands). There are no Pepsi or Coke ads. Nothing from Hyundai or Audi. Movie ads were largely MIA, except for "Raya and the Last Dragon," "Coming 2 America," "F9," "Nobody," and the M. Night Shyamalan film "Old," and only three of those aired during the game proper. Many companies cited economic instability for sitting out the event, while others, like Planters, are donating to charities instead.
The ads that did run were noticeably more subdued this year. There was little frat-boy behavior or crass humor, little partying on display, and even overt sexuality was in short supply (with one exception discussed below). Instead, there were a lot of more earnest, life-affirming ads that were all about getting through adversity together, and looking toward the future. There were also a lot of unexpectedly poignant spots, like the one for the Indeed job search platform reminding us about the unemployment crisis, or the Jeep ad with Bruce Springsteen coaxing us toward national reconciliation while carefully dancing around specifics. Only one ad directly alluded to the recent election - a Fiverr ad set at Four Seasons Total Landscaping. Probably the best ad of the night was an Anheuser Busch ad produced by David Fincher and scored by Atticus Ross, showing groups of co-workers and friends drinking beers together. It may be the happiest thing that David Fincher has ever been involved with.
There were still plenty of funny ads, and an avalanche of celebrities. It was absolutely gobsmacking how many celebrities were in these ads, often so many they were cancelling each other out. A Michelob ad even mocked this by casting their ad with a cavalcade of celebrity look-alikes, including a Christopher Walken sound-alike for narration. The celebrity-heavy ads were often the worst ones, including a truly awful Cheetos ad where Ashton Kutcher attempts a Jamaican accent while singing "It Wasn't Me." The better celebrity-fronted ads were the more absurdist ones, like the Tide ad featuring a hoodie with Jason Alexander's face on it, and a Jimmy Johns ad with Brad Garrett playing a sandwich-obsessed mobster. Also, all props to whoever got Timothée Chalamet to play the son of Edward Scissorhands in the Cadillac ad. I'm always a little wary of car ads revisiting the beloved movies of my childhood, but this one was so well conceived, it won me over.
Then there was the Amazon Alexa ad, which sexually objectifies Michael B. Jordan in the same way that Superbowl ads have objectified women for many decades. While I'm aware of the double standard and understand the concerns, on the other hand sexualizing a black man and depicting a black woman's sexual desire is still rare enough that it's actually kind of empowering to see. Also, it was clearly self-aware enough and tongue-in-cheek enough that it strikes me as pretty harmless.
The Superbowl itself did its part in signaling unity and caution. The opening montage highlighted the work of health care workers, there were masks everywhere on the field and in the bleachers (even incorporated into the halftime show), and there were a slew of other pandemic safety protocols in place, including the event being totally cashless, and stadium attendance being capped at 20%. Production limitations meant that 4K and HDR streaming were unavailable. Somehow, a streaker still got through during the fourth quarter, apparently part of a misguided porn site marketing stunt.
He was more memorable than a lot of the expensive ads this year, so I'll give him that.
Here's a quick top ten of my favorite ads of Superbowl LV, unranked and ordered by when they were aired during the game.
The Superbowl itself did its part in signaling unity and caution. The opening montage highlighted the work of health care workers, there were masks everywhere on the field and in the bleachers (even incorporated into the halftime show), and there were a slew of other pandemic safety protocols in place, including the event being totally cashless, and stadium attendance being capped at 20%. Production limitations meant that 4K and HDR streaming were unavailable. Somehow, a streaker still got through during the fourth quarter, apparently part of a misguided porn site marketing stunt.
He was more memorable than a lot of the expensive ads this year, so I'll give him that.
Here's a quick top ten of my favorite ads of Superbowl LV, unranked and ordered by when they were aired during the game.
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