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.
Steffany Reeve, director of consumer & lifestyle brands
Favorite commercial: “Real Strength” by Dove
Thoughts: This emotional and very touching ad showcased the caring sides of dads spending quality time with their kids during pivotal moments in their lives. Not only did this ad tug at my heart strings, but it also made my husband’s eyes get a little teary and even motivated him to reach out to our three-and-a-half-year-old son Benjamin and give him a big hug. Dove first won me over with its well–branded “Real Women” campaign, and this new campaign for men is a fitting, natural extension of the brand. When so much of the news lately has featured negative stories about “supposedly strong” celebrity male athletes caught beating their girlfriends, cheating, doping, and deflating balls, it’s important and refreshing to have campaigns like this one to help remind us all to celebrate the “true strong” men in our lives who do care, who try to be good, and who are wonderful dads.
Marina Panagopulos, intern
Favorite commercial: “Lost Dog” by Budweiser
Thoughts: Budweiser certainly knew how to tug on America’s heart strings in its recent Super Bowl commercial. This is the brand’s second advertisement starring the “Budweiser puppy” and spotlights the concept that a dog is a man’s (and apparently a horse’s) best friend with the trending hashtag #BestBuds. I thought the ad did a great job taking a simple idea and running with it. The storyline is incredibly heartwarming, which makes the audience feel closer to the brand. Budweiser reminds us all that the cuteness factor can never get old.