All Posts

Superbowl LV - American Football, Ads & Americana again

First Quarter

  • OLD (Film Trailer).

https://youtu.be/eB1m-WogYeg

Looks terrifying. If I was going to go to a cinema, it’s probably not to see that.

  • M&Ms.

https://youtu.be/A5-lgI4w6A8

Actually sweet

  • Logitech.

https://youtu.be/3dBl1iwqqbw

I really did not expect this, mainly as don’t think you can get a webcam for love nor money at the moment. Overall, I think they gave an ad agency money and asked for a rebrand from the “Webcam, keyboard and mouse maker”

  • Paramount+

https://youtu.be/mvMqGO0pxnY

It’s a new streaming service in the US and appeared though the 1st quarter. Very well done. The brand synergy is strong here but I feel most of the sketches between divisions of CBS & Viacom actually worked. Colbert as the bartender I felt was a nice touch.

  • The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Series Trailer).

https://youtu.be/IWBsDaFWyTE

It will be commercially fantastic as it’s a Marvel production. Lukewarm on it. As it’s on Disney+ I suspect expect the reaction to Wanda vision again.

  • Inspiration 4 (Civilian mission to space).

https://youtu.be/b0S3ag7BVyA

Welcome to 2021 - where you can enter a sweepstakes to have a chance to go to space. Beautiful soundtrack, beautiful visuals - but what?

  • Doordash.

https://youtu.be/HZW-NUvSVOI

They got Sesame Street to make a TV ad. This somehow walks the line between sellout and sweet, but let’s not excuse the fact Doordash is gig economy. I would like this as better if almost any other company had this as an ad.

  • Doritos.

https://youtu.be/MpL1ci08p60

Good soundtrack, nice cameo with Jimmy Kimmel - but I find the premises of this as weird. Plus, I don’t think people have forgotten about Matthew Mcconnacy and his Lincoln yet.

  • General Motors.

https://youtu.be/mdsPvbSpB2Y

I saw this before the game as was looking forward to it. 2 of the strongest people from SNL (Will Ferrell & Kenan Thompson) plus Akwfinna make this work. It’s simple, insane and shows GM is not dead yet (but that new logo will take some getting use to).

  • Pringles.

https://youtu.be/APIMNM5X4jA

Although intresting idea, not that memorable. I remember mixing Pringles flavours in the early 2000s

  • Bud Light.

https://youtu.be/MxXBJeAldTc

Hate the Bud Knight? Hate any other of their ads? Well you are out of luck - they are all back to clean up an overturned Bud Light truck. If they had any sense, they would of left the truck overturned.

  • Chipotle.

https://youtu.be/BkXHqihY4RE

Look, if you think burritos can change the world then go ahead.

  • Mountain Dew.

https://youtu.be/sjMalUSxBvs

This one is insane, and that’s before you mention John Cena is in it. It’s memorable for the wrong reasons (earworm, the sheer insanity of it) but I do wonder if anyone actually managed to nail the exact number of bottles to win the $1million

  • Dexcom

https://youtu.be/zN8naTqX3TI

Yes it’s 2021, yes we have alot of technical improvements but also the US health market is still privatised. Thus here we are seeing a company pay $5million just to show an ad to tell you about a way for people to see their blood sugar levels (which I thought you could do already?)

  • Indeed

https://youtu.be/pZodu9AgwZE

Considering the state of the job market, this I think was a good ad and was beautifully done.

  • State Farm

https://youtu.be/lvpq2OjmJvg

  • The standard bearer of regular season ads extends the concept with a behind the scenes of them making their Superbowl ad. Again, it’s fine and it has cameos.

Quarter 2

  • Bud Light Seltzer.

https://youtu.be/g6CVKs77X74

“2020 was a lemon of a year, so let’s have the ad be lemons raining on people”. Somehow actually funny

  • Miracle Grow - Martha Stewart wants you have a nice garden, but she wants to have a better garden thab yours.
  • Sketchers

https://youtu.be/SgW9T3yXfv0

Yes, the person doing colour commentary for this game is also doing a trainer ad with his wife.

  • WeatherTech

https://youtu.be/rF6Jjm5547k

Casual “We live working here” ad, plus a reminder it’s all made in the lower 48.

  • Rocket Mortgage

https://youtu.be/EMgA-y2nRWE

Tracey Jordan proving there is a difference between ‘Pretty sure’ and ‘Certain’, and Tracy is insane enough to pull this ad off. One of the best. I can see myself using this at work…

  • Oatly

https://youtu.be/r2-f-qBcQFs

The CEO is playing a keyboard and singing. At what point did nobody think this was a bad idea? Or was the adbuy too much to have any left to make an ad?

  • Huggies.

https://youtu.be/aaC457-XO9M

Let’s not remember the Seal “Superbowl babies” ad, but this works. They have (apparently) kids born today and a explaination. I’m not in the market, but good ad.

  • Toyota

https://youtu.be/fqWG5_7nwyk

This ad is beautiful. Seriously. As in I would expect Channel 4 to do something like this for someone in Team GB at the Paralympics. It’s not too emotional but just beautiful.

  • E-Trade

https://youtu.be/Lc7Yb8D2E0c

Em, maybe a tough market at the moment after the whole GameStop stock saga. Plus - I thought we were done with Rocky inspired fitness montages?

  • Hellman’s

https://youtu.be/lyGs5xbZNWE

Clever. Amy Schumer as “The Fairy God Mayo” seems like it was an ad agency pitch that actually didn’t have to compromise

  • Turbo Tax

https://youtu.be/3bqk-JJsYWg

Keeps you entertained, you learn some triva about US Tax code.

  • Draft Kings.

https://youtu.be/dKyeFX-3MYY

Hot girl plus chance to win alot of money by betting (which I thought was illegal cross state lines?)

  • Tide

https://youtu.be/DhS6tuyB7wA

Why is the guy wearing a Hoodie with Jason Alexander’s face on it? Does the face change per scene in the montage? Why the 80s music? (Ok, it’s a montage). WHO IS JASON ALEXANDER?

  • Dr Squatch

https://youtu.be/vDHNMqOLw_o

Fast paced, I understand the point of it and does what it says on the Tin. I guess I need to slay a dragon to get this product though?

  • Vroom

https://youtu.be/haXc74orwhg

“Buying a car as a dealer is the same as getting tourched with battery leads” depicts Vroom. I think there may be evidence to back this up.

  • Jimmy John’s

https://youtu.be/bbU2ChdI4Ro

Straight into the New Jersey Soprano Mafia boss type being undercut by a cold cuts deli. I could actually see this playing into a story on Law & Order.

  • T-Mobile

https://youtu.be/HxllNfjYw2U

“Our 5G is so far ranging we will ensure that Gwen Stefani will not end up on a blind date she does not like”.

Third Quarter

  • Verizon Wireless

https://youtu.be/1ZviqRMYzHc

Are you going to argue with Samuel L Jackson on anything, yet along the major wireless sponsor of the NFL? Seriously - I have a feeling where the money at Verizon went.

  • Uber Eats

https://youtu.be/0OEMXXbkzDU

The fact that Mike Myers and Dana Carvey can still pull off Wayne’s World is a testament to themselves. The ad is in their style of humour, although I suspect most people watching the Superbowl would know who Cardi B was (before she was introduced).

  • T Mobile

https://youtu.be/UuUco_ddYWI

So the second ad from T-Mobile is having a family field football come family domestic live streamed via their 5G network. Why? Can this technology be put to better use? Can we showcase that better use? If not, Why?

  • Michelob Ultra Beer

https://youtu.be/6nzZW8BN-WY

A thought provoking ad that asks the question “Are you happy because you win or do you win because you are happy?“. Maybe a bit too deep for a Superbowl - bit I did notice the people in the scenes who were happy were drinking beer…

  • Rocket Mortgage

https://youtu.be/RWHT3Xt7qfw

Different ad to the second quarter but same idea. Still a good ad.

  • Fiverr

https://youtu.be/XelsNvpibpQ

Oh boy, now this is an ad. After the whole “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” saga in November post US election they just embraced it. Amazing.

  • Coming 2 America (Film Trailer)

https://youtu.be/x8uwZMP5bUg

Another film trailer - but on Prime Video. Interesting to see how this turns out as the Original Coming to America was made 40 years ago?

  • Cheetos

https://youtu.be/o7yvrDTtsHw

What do you get when you have Mila Kunis, Aston Kutcher, Shaggy and his song “It wasn’t me”? Fun ad, although a house furnished all in white/light colours and your eating Orange maze crisps? Good luck…

  • WeatherTech

https://youtu.be/R2Wkk-TDnRQ

2nd ad is “We don’t need to bring jobs back to the US as we never left the US” I feel speaks the current situation with outsourcing etc in the US.

  • Squarespace

https://youtu.be/CpbIajXwBic

The sponsor of every podcast going is wishing to be your web creation platform for the time you want to make money from but can’t afford to yet. Getting Dolly Parton to sing a cover of her own song is big though - so I guess this is a good ad.

Published Aug 7, 2021

Software Engineer in Glasgow, baker / climber / amateur DIYer at home, runs on coffee & cake