15 Best Super Bowl XLIX Commercials
The Best Commercials From Super Bowl XLIX
You may have different picks for the "best," but here are 15 of our favorite 2015 Super Bowl commercials.
'NO MORE' (60 Second Version)
It's not cute. It's not funny. It's not sexy. It's chilling. This NO MORE ad is the first-ever Super Bowl commercial to address domestic violence and sexual assault. This is the 60-second version. Unforgettable. Pledge to say NO MORE at http://nomore.org.
'Lost Dog' - Budweiser #BestBuds
Puppy + horse = adorable. Budweiser does it again with this heart-tugger set to Sleeping At Last's cover of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." GoDaddy tried to mock this kind of sweetness with an ill-conceived puppy ad of its own, then pulled it before the big game. Don't mess with the animal lovers!
'The Brady Bunch' - Snickers
Marcia and Jan Brady are not themselves when they're hungry. Turns out, they're Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi - which isn't that bad a fate, when you think about it. Props to Snickers for continuing their series of clever ads on this theme. And Danny - you're a beautiful Marcia.
'#RealStrength' - Dove Men+Care
Dove went for the sweet sniffles with this ad showcasing fathers and their adorable kids. It's selling Dove's Men + Care products, but also the idea that a man's caring side is a key element of his masculinity and strength. (Nissan also had a great father-focused #withdad commercial.)
'Always #LikeAGirl'
Always redefines the phrase "like a girl" to have less insulting connotation. It's in the same realm as the Dove ad, which tries to show that being a "man" isn't about tough-guy stereotypes. There's only a slight connection to the world of feminine hygiene products here, but please, please let those young women in the ad keep that pre-stereotype perspective.
'Dear Kitten: The Disappearing Humans' – Purina Friskies
Dogs and Clydesdales get most of the attention on Super Bowl Sunday, but there's always time for cute kitties bein' cute. Friskies went for a classic awwww/chuckle with this story of an adult cat showing a kitten the ropes when it come to the mysterious coats that pile on the bed when new humans come to visit. What happened to the people? They must've evaporated...
'#FirstDraftEver' - Avocados From Mexico
Who'd have imagined Avocados From Mexico would make one of the best ads of the year? In this commercial, we head back in time about four billion years to see the First Draft Ever. The kangaroo was the very first draft pick, but Mexico got the avocado -- and apparently Jerry Rice and Doug Flutie approved.
'Real Life PacMan #UpForWhatever' - Bud Light
Who wouldn't want to be PacMan in a life-size version of the game? If only we could all be given a Bud Light as a golden ticket to real-life gaming.
'#KimsDataStash' - T-Mobile
Kim Kardashian proves she has self-awareness and a sense of humor in this cheeky T-Mobile ad. Or maybe she just picked up a paycheck and missed the joke. Either way, well done.
"Sorta" Ads - Esurance
Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan will see your self-awareness and raise you some meta mockery in esurance's new ad. Lindsay has a long history of driving issues, so she's kind of the perfect spokesperson for car insurance. In this ad, they play off the idea that not all people of a certain demographic are the same, so they shouldn't be covered the same by insurance companies. Esurance also ran other great ads on the same "Sorta" theme, including one with "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston. Watch an extended cut of Bryan's "Say My Name" ad here.
The Lucy Bowl - Lucy Pet Foundation
Dogs and cats face off in The Lucy Bowl, Lucy Pet Foundation's Kitten Bowl ad featuring all rescue animals. As they note, when erasing a stadium filled with animals, "Over 80,000 dogs and cats are euthanized every week. You can help stop this. Go to LucyPetFoundation.org today and donate."
'Newfangled Idea' - BMW i3
Young'uns won't remember, but there was a time before the Internet. And during the time when the Internet was brand new - say, 1994 - people like Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric asked the kind of questions that now seem ridiculously quaint. It was a "Newfangled Idea," and the morning show anchors return in this BMW i3 ad to mock themselves and ask more head-scratchers about this new big idea.
'Invisible Mindy Kaling' - Nationwide
There are benefits to being invisible - or at least thinking that you are - and Mindy Kaling enjoys a few in Nationwide's ad. Then she harasses Matt Damon, who politely but firmly insists she is actually visible and cannot kiss him. Hate it when that happens. But the point, to Nationwide (as voiced by Julia Roberts), is to get people to "join the nation that sees you."
'#MakeItHappy' - Coca-Cola
The world is what we make it, and the Internet can be made to spread happiness or hate. So make it kinder, less angry, less negative, less divisive. Make it happy. Or just make it buy more Coke. Either way, love the message - and the song!
'Pay With Lovin'' - McDonald's
"Pay With Lovin'" might sound X-rated in some contexts, but here it's McDonald's heart-warming way of letting random customers pay for their food with acts of kindness -- like calling their moms, having a big family hug, or asking a mother to share what she loves about her son. It's sweet, and the start of a promotion that runs through Valentine's Day. Yeah, these commercials are about selling products to consumers, but it's worth a slow clap when corporations use their spending powers to promote positive messages, especially in front of such a large audience.
