Every year, the Super Bowl is more than a football game. It is a cultural event where people gather for parties, see friends and family and enjoy the peak of advertising artistry during its commercials.
The commercials, although some people’s favorite part of the night, do not come without their price. For Super Bowl 2024, a 30-second commercial cost $7 million, but this year, with an almost million-dollar price increase, the 30-second commercial was just shy of $8 million.
People grew tired of the Chiefs as they attempted to complete a historic 3-peat, so what better way to get through the game than to indulge in the commercials?
Here are five of the best commercials from the night.
Instacart’s commercial features many classic food mascots and other kitchen household items mascots. The commercial starts with Chester Cheetah saying, “Release the hounds,” and a pack of wiener dogs in hot dog costumes begin running down a hill, with the Pillsbury Doughboy riding one of them and the Jolly Green Giant stomping behind them.
As Chester continues to lead the crowd down the street while completing a grocery delivery order, many more mascots suddenly join the parade.
Mr. Clean is spotted running on a bridge, the Kool-Aid man smashes through a window on the street and Energizer Bunnies fly down from the sky.
The commercial was perfectly well-crafted, grabbing the audience’s eyes with a very unique mix of characters.
The world saw Martha Stewart bust some AI-generated moves right before the game began.
As she wore Skechers “Hands-Free Slip-Ins Glide Step” shoes, she did a bit of breakdancing, including the internet-viral “Glide Step.”
This commercial grabbed the attention of many people, as 83-year-old Martha Stewart breakdancing was a sight to see for everyone involved.
Who knows, maybe Skechers will have Julie Andrews breakdancing next year.
It would not have been a Super Bowl commercial without a few tear-jerkers, and this definitely got quite a few people crying.
The commercial begins with the classic WWE saying, “Let’s get ready to rumble” on the television. A kid then jumps out of bed in boxing gloves and shorts and rings the bell, a tradition done when cancer patients finish their treatment.
As “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J plays in the background, the kid makes his way through the hospital halls, the sidewalk outside of the hospital and eventually the streets of the city, celebrating that he beat cancer.
Large crowds gather as he walks down the street, and black-and-white shots flash on the screen as he pretends to box with people cheering him on.
The kid raises his gloves in triumph and runs up a large staircase, which is very “Rocky” like.
As the music slows down, the kid now runs through a neighborhood, home to his mother, and they embrace in a meaningful hug. Flashes of him completing his treatment play quickly, and as the father joins the embrace, the family is brought to tears.
Shane Gillis and Post Malone in Bud Light
Some classic celebrity features in advertising are always guaranteed in Super Bowl commercials.
The commercial begins with Post Malone and Shane Gillis sharing some snide remarks, and a neighbor comes up to them, stating, “Fellas, I accidentally threw a lame party.”
Post Malone and Gillis then ride through a fence with two leaf blowers, a lawnmower and a cooler filled with Bud Light beer.
They place the Bud Lights in the leaf blowers with invitations attached to them and then shoot them into other neighbor’s houses and yards, inviting them to a classic “Cul-de-sac Party.” People quickly arrive, bringing many things to add to the party.
As Gillis explains to a woman that his “smoker,” or grill, also cuts grass (and not the other way around), Peyton Manning arrives, asking, “How many Bud Lights can you fit in that puppy [cooler]?”
The party continues on, where a man climbs onto a boat, and then Gillis ends the commercial with a comedic remark, saying, “Phil, get off the boat, the HOA’s already breathing down my neck.”
In this day and age, it feels as if every generation is playing pickleball, but especially the Baby Boomers. Michelob ULTRA played into this idea with features from Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe.
As two young pickleball players order a round of Michelob ULTRAs, O’Hara and Dafoe ask to challenge them in pickleball for the beers. The obviously athletic duo assumes an easy match, so they take on the challenge, soon to be shocked at what is to come.
O’Hara and Dafoe become the champions of the game, winning the beers and barely looking out of breath. Their hustle continues for the rest of the commercial, tricking young people into playing pickleball for the sole purpose of winning Michelob ULTRAs.
At one point, they even played a game against Sabrina Ionescu (WNBA player for the New York Liberty) and Randy Moss (former NFL wide receiver), absolutely destroying them.
At the end of the commercial, they win the pickleball championship, and O’Hara asks the camera “Play for an ULTRA?”
This story was written by MaryKate Stepchuk. She can be reached at [email protected].
