Our Take on the Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2019

While yesterday’s Super Bowl game may not have been full of high-scoring action, the commercials that aired during the game continue to generate the kind of buzz that Super Bowl commercials are known for—although with ads costing an estimate $5 million for 30 seconds, advertisers definitely want to make sure they are leaving a lasting impression. Here is a look at some of our favorite and most memorable ads from Super Bowl LIII.

“Give It Everything” by Kia

Ian McDaniel, Communications Specialist

I spent almost the entirety of the game buried in coding, but one commercial forced me to stop, look up and pay attention: Kia’s “Give It Everything.” The commercial follows in a similar vein to that of Chrysler’s 2011 “Imported From Detroit” and Dodge’s 2013 “Farmer” with minimal audio except the voice of a narrator over a montage of footage. Like its predecessors, it is the stripped-down audio that calls the attention. The Super Bowl and its ads are often incomprehensible cacophonies of light and sound, so the young Georgian and his somber Southern drawl immediately demands notice because of how jarring the difference is. The interplay that follows between the narration and the stunning and quaint landscapes and lives of a small, rural town is emotionally haunting and will live much longer in my memory than any of the “funny” commercials ever could hope to.

“Ball in Her Court” by Bumble

Renee Harvey, Senior Communications Manager

The theme of the 2019 Super Bowl, as least from an ad standpoint, seemed to be robots and re-establishing goodwill around a brand. One example of the latter was certainly Bumble. One of many dating apps on the market that has come to be known for one-night-stands and matches that turn out to be less than promising, Bumble saw its opportunity to own the narrative.

Bumble’s ad featured Serena Williams and the message that women already have the power.

Something that is literally true in Bumble’s app where, in heterosexual relationships, the woman has to initiate contact after a match has been made. While reinforcing an aspect of the program that does technically give women the power, Bumble also used the opportunity to inspire female viewers to take charge in every aspect of their lives from work, to love, to friendships. Although one ad won’t change the people actually using Bumble, the brand made the most of its Super Bowl debut and chimed in on an issue that is relevant and important to the majority of its audience.

“Not Everything Makes the Cut” by Amazon’s Alexa

Brianna LaRouche, Communications Manager

There were a few different ads that stood out for me this year, but the one that I enjoyed the most was Amazon’s ad showcasing “failed” attempts at integrating Alexa technology into other products. The commercial was funny and entertaining plus, who doesn’t enjoy an appearance from Harrison Ford? It begs the question though, where is he going to put all that dog food?

“The Pitch” by BON & VIV Spiked Seltzer

Chloe Tagariello, Communications Specialist

My favorite Super Bowl commercial this year was BON & VIV’s “The Pitch,” which was a mock of ABC’s TV show Shark Tank. Besides the fact that I enjoy spiked seltzers, I also really love watching Shark Tank, so this commercial was fun to watch and felt more relatable than some of the other commercials. The idea was clever and I’ve never seen a commercial like it, so it was one of the only ones that I remembered well.

“Democracy Dies in Darkness” by The Washington Post

Michelle Rash, Vice President

While there were several Super Bowl commercials that made me smile, my favorite of the night was one that made me pause. The Washington Post’s “Democracy Dies in Darkness” highlights the importance of a free press in our society, and the impact the media has had in changing our nation through its coverage, including some of the historic events like the March at Selma featured in the commercial. The ad also reminds us of the danger many reporters face in bringing us the news, including the death of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi in late 2018.

While the commercial was paid for by The Washington Post, I think it did a great job of promoting not just itself but highlighting the wider media landscape by featuring reporters for other news organizations, such as CNN’s Anderson Cooper. As a former reporter, I remain a news junkie, and this commercial serves as a reminder of why media outlets of all shapes and sizes play such a vital role in our society.

RLF’s Take on the Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2018

This year’s Super Bowl ads seemed a bit different than years past – gone were the Budweiser commercials featuring cute puppies or the beer’s trademark Clydesdales. Instead, the company chose to focus on the donations of water it made following recent natural disasters here in the U.S. Other brands also took a more somber tone, with humanitarian and feel-good narratives. However, humorous commercials remained a Super Bowl staple, with brands such as M&M’s, Doritos and Mountain Dew continuing to lead the way in generating laughs.
Continue reading “RLF’s Take on the Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2018”

Millennial Market Shifts Trend in Beer Advertising

By Heather Ebert
Beer advertisements have typically tended to have funny, playful or sensual undertones. The goal of a beer ad is to influence preferences by appealing to emotions rather than trying to convince consumers one brand of beer is better, because let’s face it – beer drinkers know that one brand of beer is just as likely to get them as drunk as the next, even if it tastes like water. In turn, we see horses, puppies and scantily-clad women across our TV screens and in print. But lately, it seems as though some brands have turned away from these images to focus on tapping into a new market – the “socially conscious millennials.”
Continue reading “Millennial Market Shifts Trend in Beer Advertising”

2016 Super Bowl Ads – Part 2: Cute and Fuzzy Wins Us Over

Super Bowl ads are known for playing up our emotions, especially the ones that feature adorable animals. A few brands made the strategic move to include animals in their commercials, and in turn, made us say “awww.” Below are comments from RLF employees who couldn’t resist the cuteness in this year’s ads.
Continue reading “2016 Super Bowl Ads – Part 2: Cute and Fuzzy Wins Us Over”

2016 Super Bowl Ads – Part 1: Celebrities and Pop Culture References Prevail

This year’s Super Bowl game might not have been all that memorable, but the ads are definitely worth talking about. Many commercials made us laugh, some commercials stirred our emotions, and other commercials left us scratching our heads (puppymonkeybaby??). Among this diverse list of TV spots, a common ad strategy emerged: the use of celebrities and pop culture references. Several brands incorporated famous personalities or funny memes into their ad’s message, effectively capturing the viewer’s attention and leaving a lasting impression of the product. Continue reading to find out which RLF staff members identified their favorite ads in this category.
Continue reading “2016 Super Bowl Ads – Part 1: Celebrities and Pop Culture References Prevail”

Comedians and Advertising: Rebranding with Laughter

By Rebecca Phillips
Let’s be honest – there are some brands that have been around for so long that their advertising just gets a little stale. Not only that, but some brands are simply overshadowed by industry-dominating competitors. While many brands turn to celebrities to endorse their products, consumers often see right through these endorsements. In order to set themselves apart from the many celebrity endorsements out there, some brands have turned to comedians to spice up their advertising.
Continue reading “Comedians and Advertising: Rebranding with Laughter”

Super Bowl Ads Draw on Our Emotions

While several of this year’s Super Bowl ads tended to the more serious or focused on generating a laugh, there were also several that seemed designed to draw on our sentimentality and emotions, such as Nissan’s “With Dad” commercial.
In our final review of the best 2015 Super Bowl commercials, we will focus on these more heartwarming, and often tear-evoking, ads.
Continue reading “Super Bowl Ads Draw on Our Emotions”

Super Bowl Ads Continue to Generate Laughs

While many of this year’s Super Bowl ads seemed to take a much more serious tone, there were also several lighthearted commercials in the bunch. Here is a look at some of our favorite of the funny.
Continue reading “Super Bowl Ads Continue to Generate Laughs”

2015 Super Bowl Commercials Take a More Serious Tone

Super Bowl ads have historically been funny and clever, focused more on selling beer, junk food and cars than creating serious dialogue about societal issues. However, many of this year’s Super Bowl ads varied from that course and instead focused on a wide range of serious issues, starting with a highly controversial commercial by Nationwide looking at accidental deaths among children, and also including ads discussing cyberbullying, domestic violence and gender stereotypes.
Tomorrow we will look at some of the more humorous ads from this year’s Super Bowl, but today a few RLF employees will share their insights into some of the more serious ads from yesterday’s big game.
Continue reading “2015 Super Bowl Commercials Take a More Serious Tone”