Super Bowl 50 has come to a close, and needless to say it was underwhelming all around. The game was a defensive one with little action, the halftime show only made us pine for more exciting performers of previous years and even the majority of Super Bowl ads were quite unimpressive. Most years, the majority of commercials are able to engage viewers and be controversial to say the least. This year? Not so much. Most of the ads that can be considered noteworthy had a pretty negative reception. With that said, here is the good, the bad and the ugly of Super Bowl 50’s commercials:
Good: Snickers
Snickers hit it out of the park once again, sticking with their “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign. This time, we were given the disturbing image of Willem Dafoe mimicking Marilyn Monroe’s classic scene from "The Seven Year Itch." The ad carries the perfect balance of shock and comedy.
Bad: Colonial Williamsburg
The message was clear: Discuss the history of the United States, finishing with the message that it all began in Williamsburg. The history lesson was your typical patriotic address, but went a bit too far: including a clip of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. While the ad gets its point across, one question lingered following the ad: Was that really necessary?
Good: Amazon Echo
Featuring their new voice-based computer, the ad includes cameos from Alec Baldwin, Jason Schwartzman, Missy Elliot, and Dan Marino. The three stars play off each other quite well in their comedic dialogue. The "Baldwin Bowl Party" may have not wowed many viewers, but it was a slick and comedic way of Amazon showing off their unique device.
Ugly: Mountain Dew Kickstart
Just what exactly is a "Puppy-Monkey-Baby," and why does Mountain Dew think it will do anything besides creep out viewers? It’s likely Mountain Dew’s crazy ad was intended to shock everybody; and while it was successful in that right, it’s highly doubtful viewers are rushing to stores to crack open a midnight grape flavored Mountain Dew energy drink. No. Just… No.
Good: Budweiser
If you can include a public service announcement into your beer advertisement and manage to get across both messages, you’ve just hit a home run. That’s exactly what Budweiser did, featuring Hellen Mirren in an ad shaming drunk drivers with the perfect hint of English sophistication.
Bad: Bud Light
Where Budweiser succeeded with its ad, Anheuser-Busch was not as lucky with its Bud Light Party commercial. While Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen can make a great duo on the big screen, they fell flat here. Although it's no fault to them, simply putting the two stars in a commercial leading the equivalent of a Bernie Sanders rally over beer isn’t going to cut it.
Ugly: CURE Auto Insurance
A comedic ad about a father’s last words. What could possibly go wrong? The theme of this commercial is disgusting enough that there’s no need for further comment.
