The Kansas City Chiefs won yet another Super Bowl by knocking off the San Francisco 49ers in dramatic fashion with a 25-22 overtime victory in Las Vegas.
On the field, it may feel a little like Groundhog Day as the Chiefs keep rolling, but the advertisers buying commercials at $7 million per 30-second spot, sure hope their promotional efforts stood out and cast a large shadow on one of television’s biggest stages, which had an estimated 120 million viewers glued to the big game.
Every company has a unique customer base, but the goal for Super Bowl advertisers is to deliver a commercial that crosses over and resonates with all viewers, grows their brand equity and ultimately boosts profits. Below are the SWBR staff picks for the commercials that we believe won the day – and won over a few new customers.
ET’s Pick: Reese’s | Yes!
Why It Won: While other brands depended on well known celebrities to catch the eye of Super Bowl viewers, Reese’s kept it simple and gave all of us something we can laugh at. Additionally, there’s no mistaking the brand behind this commercial as the name Reese’s appears several times.
What I Liked: Personally, I’m a big fan of physical comedy and this commercial has a lot of it. From the lady jumping out of both windows to the guy pounding his head through the wall and then the older lady dive-bombing the coffee table this commercial had me dying. To top it off, who doesn’t love a Reese’s?
Jess’s Pick: Popeyes | “The Wait is Over”
Why It Won: There’s no way a commercial has Ken Jeong in it and you don’t naturally just love it! Pair that with the slight nod to the Austin Powers movie where Austin goes through the unfreezing process, and I was hooked immediately!
What I Liked: Between Ken being terrified of the Roomba and throwing a shoe at it, to him shaking uncontrollably in a massage chair as he says the iconic “Love that chicken from Popeyes” tagline, I was dying laughing. And that’s the whole point of these commercials – make them resonate with something from our past (Austin Powers reference) so you hook people in, and make them laugh (him falling off a motorized scooter), and you have a commercial worth remembering.
Michael’s Pick: Dunkin Donuts | DunKings
Why It Won: Dunkin’ has caught my attention with its latest Super Bowl commercial, featuring the all star DunKings. The commercial opens with Ben Affleck bursting into a studio session led by none other than Jennifer Lopez. He is accompanied by a boy band like no other. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady applying their talents in this studio crash and it left me laughing.
What I Liked: I enjoyed watching this unexpected vocal group delivering this hilarious and cool spot. Amidst the embarrassment and hilarity, there’s a charming nod to the enduring relationship between Affleck and Lopez. It’s a moment that captures the playful dynamic between the couple and leaves viewers smiling.
Dave’s Pick: State Farm | Like A Good Neighbaaa
Why It Won: Arnold Schwarzenegger and sidekick Danny DeVito saved the day not just for families in need of insurance support, but for all sports fans that were rescued from seeing another Kansas City Chiefs player/coach pitch man. Congratulations to the Chiefs for winning their third Super Bowl title in the last five years. They are an amazing team that the rest of the NFL continues to chase, but Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and coach Andy Reid are personalities totally oversaturated in the media landscape. If they have not already, these pitchmen are going to generate a negative impact on the brand. State Farm has hopefully realized it needs to sell insurance to more than Chiefs fans. The need to speak to a larger audience is long overdue.
What I Liked: Schwarzenegger was fantastic in poking fun at himself, from his accent to his over-the-top, action-hero style. And with an assist from DeVito, who smoothly delivered the right tagline, it was a perfect Twins co-star reunion. Bringing entertainment and humor back to its ads was a big win for the brand. Hopefully this campaign direction will continue.
Elizabeth’s Pick: Uber Eats | DON’T FORGET UBER EATS
Why It Won: While the collective star power was nearly unbeatable, what set this memorably effective 60 second commercial apart from its competitors was its innate approach to take a simple running joke about our often flagging memory and remind customers that while the brand is known for one primary service (hello, instant gratification takeout!), the delivery platform offers far more than the standard default option. The spoof’s CTA – viewers at home, make room in your hippocampus to retain more critical information! – was brilliantly executed, and the closing vignette of this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performer Usher making a quip about forgetting that he’s mere minutes away from entertaining millions of tuned-in viewers sealed the comedic deal.
What I Liked: As an aging Millennial, there’s nothing that brings me an insatiable delight than a return to a nostalgic pre-9/11 time capsule when we lived for watching a brand new episode of Friends on a Thursday night (especially if we had a blank video cassette to record it with!). By reuniting the dynamic onscreen duo of Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer – who, despite the passage of nearly 30 years since its now-iconic television debut, Gen Zers have fallen in love with thanks to the relatability of the characters and aspirational friendship goals – this smartly played promo dug its heels deep into offering a cross-generational appeal that resonates with all fans. Mix in international power couple David and Victoria Beckham and breakout country artist Jelly Roll, celebrities who are arguably basking in the glow of their own “moment in the sun” spotlights, and you have a product that serves up far more than just online takeout.
We’d love to know what commercial was your favorite during Super Bowl LVIII, and if you’d like to make a video or commercial to help your company stand out from the crowd, contact SWBR and we’ll get started right away.
