Ads usually suck. We hate ads so much that we’re willing to pay extra just to get rid of them (even if it means that your previously affordable Amazon Prime Video subscription is now a lot pricier). But there’s one day a year when we sit up and pay attention during the ads, instead of sighing and pulling out our phones—the Super Bowl.
Now that the big game is behind us, we can start analyzing this year’s crop of ads. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine made a surprise appearance at the game with a full trailer promising … the most fan-servicey film this Marvel fan has ever seen. Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen recruits Deadpool to Loki’s Time Variance Authority (TVA), turning him into “Marvel Jesus.” This marks the start of a new crossover chapter between the X-Men and MCU films, which previously existed in two separate universes.
Also, Wolverine is there. Snikt, Snikt.
Wicked
The long-anticipated film version of the musical Wicked finally dropped its first trailer during the Super Bowl. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda/Glinda, this movie brings viewers back to the emerald-tinted world of Oz.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with the super-popular Broadway musical, it reimagines The Wizard of Oz through the eyes of the Wicked Witch—who’s actually more of a misunderstood sorceress trying her best.
Beyoncé and Verizon
Every social media manager and marketer wants to follow in Ralph’s footsteps and “break the internet.”
Beyoncé nearly succeeded in her new Super Bowl collab with Verizon (and The Mysterious Benedict Society’s Tony Hale, for some reason). She paid tribute to 2023’s Barbie movie, became the Beyonce of the United States (BOTUS), and even went to space.
But fans will probably be more excited at the announcement of a new album. Two new singles, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” dropped during the ad.
This one might have been more successful at advertising Beyoncé than Verizon, though.
Judge Judy and e.l.f.
Remember last year when Suits unexpectedly found new relevance on Netflix? That must have been around the time that cosmetic brand e.l.f. began planning their Super Bowl ad, which takes Judge Judy, Meghan Trainor, and the guy from Jury Duty, and puts them all in a (beauty) blender with the cast of Suits.
It’s a lot, but it kind of works. We guess the Super Bowl just got … “Litt” up.
Pluto TV
Listen, “cable TV” is literally in our name. We love being couch potatoes.
But this ad takes the concept seriously, and it’s a little bit unsettling. It’s just some creepy music and a couple of celebrity cameos away from becoming a Black Mirror episode.
Martin Scorsese and Squarespace
The website-building platform Squarespace is almost synonymous with annoying podcast ads, but this time they’re doing advertisements the traditional way. They even got Martin Scorsese to make a dramatic trailer, taking cues from Don’t Look Up (if Don’t Look Up was about aliens).
Kris Jenner and Oreos
If you’re a Kardashian fan, you’ll know exactly why Kris Jenner is here. But if you’re like this writer and are completely lost, Kris Jenner is partnering with Oreo because of one of her daughter’s organizing quirks, although it’s a little more clear in the ad’s trailer.
In 2015, Khloe Kardashian filmed a video tutorial for organizing her cookie jars the Kardashian way. It involves meticulously stacking rows and rows of Oreos in big, clear glass jars, something Khloe apparently re-does on every first of the month.
It’s a ritual that requires buying lots of packages of Oreos, and we’re mostly surprised it took the company this long to take advantage of the trend.
Chris Pratt and Pringles
Pringles has gone ahead and released their full ad spot ahead of Sunday’s game. In it, Chris Pratt gets recognized on a trip to the store, not as himself, but as the enigmatic Mr. P, aka the Pringles guy.
(Did anyone else know he was called Mr. P? Surely, there could have been a better name.)
Regardless, Pringles is offering a grand prize of $15,000 to the winner of its #ISeeMrP contest. Entrants should post their Mr. P lookalikes to Instagram or TikTok by February 16 to be considered.
Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and UberEats
According to Jennifer Aniston, in order to remember new information, you have to forget something else. This commercial takes that theory and runs with it as people forget more and more important things in their lives.
Poor David Schwimmer.
Jason Momoa and T-Mobile
One of our favorite Super Bowl commercials from 2023 was T-Mobile’s Grease tribute, which saw Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and John Travolta singing about T-Mobile’s 5G home internet plan.
This year, Braff and Faison are back, paying tribute to another classic movie: Flashdance. The pair sing “What a Feeling” with Jason Momoa, and Jennifer Beals even makes an appearance at the end.
Sir Patrick Stewart and Paramount+
The Paramount+ cinematic universe continues to grow with its latest ad spot. It’s Knuckles the Echidna, Jeff Probst, and Sir Patrick Stewart vs. Drew Barrymore and (Hey) Arnold as the Paramount+ stars try to make their way up a mountain.
A rebooted Dora the Explorer is also there, but she remains silent during the heated debate.
Kate McKinnon and Hellmann’s
Hellmann’s is teaming up with Kate McKinnon this year to witness the rise of “Mayo Cat,” the internet’s new favorite feline and Pete Davidson’s latest ex? Sure.
Unfortunately, the full version of the commercial cuts the “Mommy, give me the mayo” line from the trailer.
Eric Andre and Drumsticks
In the new Drumsticks ad, Comedian Eric Andre shares the spotlight with the brand’s mascot, a weird little doll man named Dr. Umstick.
Some background on the mascot: It’s unclear if he actually possesses a medical license, but he is married to a Drumstick and has at least one ice cream-doll hybrid baby. Just don’t think about it too hard.
Jenna Ortega and Doritos
Jenna Ortega turns her back on her abuelas, Dina and Mita, for about five seconds in this commercial before losing them on an action-packed chase to reclaim the last bag of Doritos. Well, not just Doritos. Dinamita.
Dinamita is a fairly new addition to the Doritos lineup, but it already has its own distinct YouTube channel with, at the time of writing, 942 subscribers. Its bio describes the brand as “unhinged.” Make of that what you will.
A bunch of horses and Budweiser
Regal. Powerful. Majestic. People just cannot get enough of the Budweiser Clydesdales. When this year’s commercial teaser was only eight hours old, the comment section was already filled with people calling the horses “beyond magnificent,” “beloved,” and “gentle giants.”
It’s an important lesson to other brands: Sometimes, you don’t need to spend a bunch of money on celebrities or make Chris Pratt grow a silly mustache. Sometimes, you just need to let your audience look deep into Clydesdale’s soulful eyes.
Ken Jeong and Popeye’s
Popeye’s has two campaigns running this football season. The first is the “Wings for Wings” promo that promised free wings if a “team with wings” wins the Super Bowl, although that dream died when the Ravens lost to the Chiefs.
The second is a collab with Ken Jeong, stepping into the role of a man who froze himself in 1972. That just so happens to be the same year that Popeye’s began its chicken-serving journey (as a failing KFC copycat, “Chicken on the Run”) in New Orleans. Coincidence? No, of course not.
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks, make art, and spend time outdoors.
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