Natalie Barth
Social Media Strategist
Whether you were watching football, Rihanna or the commercials, Sunday night’s big game certainly had something for everyone this year. Kansas City Chiefs became the newest champions, pulling off a last-minute upset against the Philadelphia Eagles with a final score of 38-35.
The 2023 game is on pace to become the third most-watched television show in history, with an estimated 113 million viewers, according to preliminary numbers released on Monday. With FOX selling 30-second ads for up to $7 million this year, brands splurged on these slots for a chance to create memorable moments. Let’s talk about our favourite part of the big match: the commercials!
Here are our top five favourite advertisements that aired on Sunday night, in no particular order.
Dunkin’ Donuts
America runs on Dunkin’ and Affleck does too! Ben Affleck, who has been caught by paparazzi dozens of times with Dunkin’ cups, is now in a Dunkin’ commercial. The commercial showcases the Oscar-winning actor surprising visibly shocked customers in a drive-thru at a store in Massachusetts, taking their order and listing off the daily specials in a heavy Boston accent. Even his superstar wife Jennifer Lopez makes a cameo and visits her husband on the job.
Tubi
Streaming platform Tubi grabbed the attention of millions of viewers in their innovative 15-second commercial, in which they made it seem like the broadcast had returned from a commercial break when the TV screen suddenly exited the game and headed to the Tubi app. The cursor then selected the 2005 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt action movie, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and clicked play before the Tubi logo flashed on the screen. Tubi’s chief marketing officer Nicole Parlapiano told Ad Age that she saw the ad as “a brilliant engagement hack that further shows our creative capacity and brand personality.” The hack increased awareness about the streaming platform – Tubi was trending on Twitter for hours after the commercial aired.
Bud Light
Bud Light’s commercial started with Top Gun star Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry on hold with customer service. While waiting for an answer, the actor grabs two Bud Lights from the fridge and cracks them open while they both start dancing to the hold music. Viewers shared their love for the commercial, admiring the brand for effortlessly showing how even in most mundane of circumstances, you can still find ways to make your loved ones laugh and smile.
PopCorners
One super easy way for brands to stand out during the big game is to include notable cameos in their ads. PopCorners recruited Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul to reprise their iconic Breaking Bad characters, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Instead of manufacturing illicit drugs in their famous trailer, the two are shown making PopCorners snacks. The ad included many callbacks to the popular TV show, playing into nostalgia and ending the ad with the caption, “Break Into Something Good.”
The Farmer’s Dog
Another successful tactic that brands use is to include man’s best friend: dogs. Boutique dog food company tugged at the heart strings of millions of people with their emotional commercial, which followed a young girl and a chocolate lab through the journey of life. The commercial showcases the girl growing up, going off to college, getting married, and having children, all with her dog by her side. The heart-wrenching ad ends with a shot of her family lying in bed with the dog, who is reaching his last days, with the caption “Nothing matters more than more years together.” Warning: don’t watch this advertisement if you’re not in the mood to cry.
This year’s best ads included a mix of celebrities, heart-wrenching emotional appeal, and dog-focused stories. What was your favourite commercial from Sunday night?
This article was initially published by our sister company Padilla.
——— Natalie Barth is a Social Media Specialist at Padilla, sister company of NATIONAL Public Relations
