Super Bowl LVIII is in the books, and that means it’s time to relive the best commercials from the big game.
It’s estimated more than 100 million people tuned in for the Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.
More anticipated in some households than the actual Super Bowl — or even the halftime show — are the advertising spots that break up the periods of play.
No matter your level of engagement with the game or your football knowledge, everyone wants to watch the commercials. This year, iconic Usher halftime show aside, the commercials were the most entertaining part of the broadcast.
In the PVR and on-demand generation of viewing, live-event advertising has become coveted ground — the most sacred and lucrative of which is Super Bowl commercial real estate — and this year the average cost of a 30-second commercial during the game was $7 million USD, the same as 2023 and up from $5.6 million in 2021. Inflation is real as the price was $4.25 million in 2015.
Despite the price, the biggest day in advertising brought back the usual suspects like Doritos, Taco Bell, Amazon, Tide, Skechers, Turbo Tax, Coors Light and Verizon.
There were more than 30 new advertisers this year compared to last year’s Super Bowl. New advertisers included STōK Cold Brew and Pluto TV.
Every year, Super Bowl ads are a time capsule that act as a social commentary on the issues and trends of the time. With this in mind, it was no surprise that AI was a big theme in campaigns to bring the trend further into the mainstream.
This year, we saw more celebrities in ads than ever before. Athletes were prominently featured, including Lionel Messi, Dan Marino, Rob Gronkowski, John Cena, Tom Brady, David Beckham and Wayne Gretzky. Women’s rights, electric vehicles, tech, entertainment, consumer goods and health and wellness were the other sectors that featured prominently in ads.
Here is my top 30 list of this year’s Super Bowl ads.
30. Bud Light – Easy Night Out | Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy
An epic night out with Peyton Manning, Dana White and Post Malone via the Bud Light Genie granting wishes.
29. Michelob Ultra – Superior Beach
Lionel Messi’s North American takeover continues as in this spot he walks into a beach bar in need of a drink and while he kills some time with a ball at his feet. This 90-second spot also features cameos by Jason Sudeikis and Dan Marino.
28. Amazon – Double Shot Dad
This ad for Prime Video shows that the streaming service is just as action packed as being a dad.
27. Booking.com – Tina Fey books whoever she wants to be
Tina Fey hires body doubles to help her fully experience the accommodation options Booking.com provides.
26. Frito Lay – Taste with victory
Rob Gronkowski makes his second Super Bowl LVIII commercial appearance with Marshawn Lynch and Troy Polamalu in a spot that salutes the Super Bowl winners and takes a subliminal shot at the Dallas Cowboys.
25. M&M’S – Almost Champions Ring of Comfort
Some famous almost champions aren’t taking themselves too seriously. Shout out to Dan Marino, Terrell Owens, Bruce Smith and Scarlett Johansson who helped transform M&M’S Peanut Butter into diamonds for the first-ever M&M’S Ring of Comfort.
24. Mountain Dew – Aubrey Plaza having a blast
Aubrey Plaza, “The White Lotus” star, is the main attraction in this spot that plays off the deadpan nature of some of her most famous character portrayals. Nick Offerman also joins for some Baja Blast and a dragon ride.
23. Hellmann’s – Mayo Cat
Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson are in this ad for the mayo brand that plays off the frequency of cats going viral for a myriad of reasons.
22. Starry – It’s Time To See Other Sodas
Starry, Pepsi’s lemon-lime replacement for Sierra Mist, makes the breakup official by showcasing Ice Spice moving on from an ex.
21. STōK Cold Brew – Sir Anthony Hopkins’ Inner Wred Dragon
Why not capitalize on Wrexham mania? Anthony Hopkins plays the role of Wrexham AFC’s mascot in this ad for the popular cold brew franchise.
20. Snapchat – Less Social Media. More Snapchat.
Snapchat uses this ad to attempt to call out the dangerous and toxic aspects of social media platforms. It brands itself as the fun, lighthearted alternative.
19. Pluto TV – Couch Potato Farms
This as is for all the couch potatoes who are looking to stream Pluto TV’s thousands of movies and shows for free.
18. Skechers – Mr. T in Skechers
In this spot, Tony Romo provides a spelling lesson reminding us there is no T in Skechers. Mr. T, however, joins Romo to promote the Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins. The A-Team icon is just as hilarious after all these years.
17. Popeyes – The Wait is Over
Ken Jeong stars in this commercial where he’s been cryogenically frozen for 52 years. Why? Because in 1972, Popeyes opened and had tasty fried chicken but not until now did they offer chicken wings. As Jeong is being brought back to experience the new option, he also experiences how many ways life has changed in the interim.
16. Uber Eats – Don’t forget Uber Eats
The food delivery app went for comedy as Uber Eats brought the most celebrities together. This spot stars halftime performer Usher, Jelly Roll, former “Friends” co-stars Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer along with David and Victoria Beckham. This ad did get criticism and ultimately was changed because it included a peanut allergy which can be extremely dangerous.
15. E*TRADE – Picklebabie
Year in and year out we have come to expect the E-Trade babies to be featured during the Super Bowl. This year, they are partaking in everybody’s new favourite sport — pickleball.
14. BMW – Talkin Like Walken
BMW returned to the marquee event with a star-studded ad featuring Academy Award-winning Actor and Hollywood icon Christopher Walken, actress Ashley Park (Emily in Paris, Beef, Joy Ride), and Grammy Award winner and Super Bowl LVIII halftime performer Usher. The 60-second-spot, which features the first-ever, 100-per-cent electric BMW i5, plays off Walken’s instantly recognizable voice and signature speech cadence, following the actor throughout a typical day as he encounters a never-ending stream of imitators – from his hotel valet to his drive-thru barista. The social media extensions included a TikTok activation which challenged creators to give their own spin on a Walken impression by #TalkinlikeWalken.
13. Kia – Perfect 10
The journey of an emotional figure skater and a loved one she has lost was the biggest tearjerker ad in 2024. Kia powered up those emotions while showcasing the all-electric, three-row Kia EV9 SUV.
12. Oreo – Imagine a World Where the Twist of an Oreo Could Change Everything
Flip a coin? No need. This Oreo’s ad imagines historical moments where people, including Kris Jenner, make decisions by twisting the two halves of the cookie open and letting the side the icing resides on plan their fate.
11. NFL – Born to play
The Super Bowl is watched all over the world and the NFL used that platform to showcase their desire for the game to be global. The spot features a young boy from Ghana with a passion for football and a dream to play. Featuring Osi Umenyiora, the ad promotes the NFL’s global pathway program.
10. Dove – Hard Knocks: A Dove Big Game Film | #KeepHerConfident
This spot sticks to Dove’s brand values of normalizing conversations about issues women deal with. This time it’s the fact that 45 per cent of girls are quitting sports, with low body confidence being the main reason. Dove teamed up with Nike to create the Body Confident Sport program – a free, evidence-based tool designed to help sports coaches support girls on their teams, build their body confidence and keep them in the game.
9. Cetaphil – #GameTimeGlow, A New Sports Tradition for Dads & Daughters
This has been the most talked about spot in a long time. The skincare brand’s spot references the rise of young girls watching football because of Taylor Swift and, because of that, them becoming closer with their dads. The jersey numbers in the ad include the numbers 13 (Swift’s favourite number) and 89 (year of her birth), as well as friendship bracelets, and references “the most famous fan of the game” in the colour commentary herd in the background.
Without outright naming Swift and Travis Kelce, it’s clear the association is being made. Even in the bio description of the video, the copy reads “certain globe-trotting eras singer.”
Their legal issue however might be with a TikTok creator named Sharon Mbabazi (@sharavinaaa) who claimed Cetaphil stole the idea for the campaign from her videos with her stepfather. She’s spoken about it in multiple posts, one of which has over one million views. Either way the message in the ad is strong and more importantly, it is being talked about and shared just as much as the action from the game.
8. Google Pixel – Javier in Frame
This commercial balances a great message with strong execution and production. The ad showcases the Guided Frame on Pixel 8, which uses Google AI to make it easier for people with blindness or low vision to capture photos. Blind director Adam Morse brings the feature to life in his Super Bowl commercial debut and the voiceover is done by none other than Stevie Wonder.
7. State Farm – Like A Good Neighbaaa
Arnold Schwarzenegger is all set to play Agent State Farm in the Agent State Farm The Movie but needs help with his pronunciation until his former movie partner Danny DeVito helps out.
6. Homes.com – We’ve done your homework
Canadian actor Dan Levy stars in a “Succession” inspired commercial in which Levy plays a character taking over the company from his great-uncle. Lil Wayne is one of his experts and Jeff Goldblum is a board member who co-signed it all.
5. T-Mobile – Auditions
All your favourite celebrities are auditioning to be T-Mobile’s Magenta Status spokesperson. Jennifer Hudson, Common, Laura Dern, Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht of “Suits” audition. Even Bradley Cooper and his mother are involved.
4. CeraVE Skincare – “Michael CeraVe”
Michael Cera hilariously takes credit for the dermatologist’s work with the CeraVe Skincare line.
3. Bet MGM – Tom has won enough
In this spot we learn why BetMGM is for everyone that loves sports betting, including Vince Vaughn and Wayne Gretzky… but not Tom Brady apparently. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has won enough.
2. Verizon – Can’t B Broken
Beyonce stars in this ad where she attempts to break Verizon’s strong internet signal. The ad announces that she is dropping new music. Immediately afterward, the 32-time Grammy winner announced on Instagram that the second part of her “Renaissance” project would be released on March 29 with two singles coming out Sunday.
1. Dunkin’ – ‘The DunKings’
Hands down the best ad by far goes to Dunkin’ Donuts. Boston native Ben Affleck teams up with his hometown donut and coffee spot and his long-time Beantown collaborator Matt Damon in a hilarious ad that showcases a “U got it bad” type obsession with Jennifer Lopez. Tom Brady, Jack Harlow and Fat Joe round out the cast and all have great comedic performances.
