Ah, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has fans, and non-fans, glued to their TVs. Whether you watch the Super Bowl for the sports, or for the halftime show, there is one thing that has everyone in unison, watching together, and that is the commercials. This year’s Super Bowl wasn’t the most exciting, and additionally, the halftime show didn’t manage to wow the masses, but to break up the game, the commercials sure created an element of intrigue and excitement. These Super Bowl commercials are perfectly planned, organized and crafted to meet the viewers’ attention and grasp it. Though some were a hit, others were not so hot. To round it up, we will be looking into the top three and bottom two Super Bowl commercials of 2019.
The Good
Doritos
Doritos decided to advertise their new Flamin’ Hot Nacho Chips and brought Backstreet back, (ALRIGHT). This commercial not only shows the viewer a new flavor of everyone’s favorite brand of chips, but the commercial begins with Chance The Rapper, center screen. He tastes the new Flamin’ Hot Nacho Chips, and the viewer is quickly transported to his vision. Chance starts freestyle rapping about hot chips (which he could do for hours, and I would still listen), encapsulating the audience, until a pink cloud rolls over the entire screen. Soon, the Backstreet Boys appear in their iconic all white attire. Not only do the Backstreet Boys begin singing “I Want It That Way,” a fan favorite, but Chance joins in on the performance, creating an epic collaboration leaving the viewer wanting some of those new Flamin’ Hot Nacho Chips by Doritos. Even if you weren’t a big Doritos fan before watching this commercial, you were left craving a taste of these chips.
Pepsi
Whether you’re a Pepsi or Coke fan, this Pepsi commercial is sure to make you want to try a Pepsi. This commercial does something incredibly interesting. Have you ever gone out to eat and asked for a Coke, and are quickly met with the response “we don’t have Coke, is Pepsi okay?” Almost everyone can relate to this phrase. Whether you’re at your local diner, or favorite restaurant, this phrase is heard everywhere. Instead of taking that as a negative, Pepsi took this saying and made it a positive. One of the actors in the commercial ordering at the diner asks for the competitor, Coke, at the start of the commercial. She is quickly followed by that classic remark: “we don’t have Coke, is Pepsi okay?” Before you can even laugh, Steve Carell pops onto the screen and mockingly asks “is Pepsi okay?” followed by witty comments on why Pepsi IS, in fact, okay. This commercial uses relatable comedy to sell their product. Not to mention, the ad features celebs like Cardi B and Lil Jon to help sell their product and make it entertaining. This commercial will leave you wanting a Pepsi, as they take a relatable, everyday phrase and convince their audience that Pepsi is okay.
Bumble
This commercial was my favorite for many reasons. Not only is Serena Williams the centerfold of this commercial, but it’s not about branding Bumble, it’s about empowering and motivating the audience. Using strong, bold colors like the signature Bumble yellow and contrasting blues and pinks, the imagery itself is captivating. The commercial shows all the different ways one can get involved in Bumble. In a society driven by social media and technology, Bumble is a hot app that gives women the power to make the first move. Since it is not just a dating app, it is a way to connect with new friends, businesses and much more, they cantarget a younger, age-appropriate audience. This commercial successfully branded Bumble, but they also relayed important messages throughout the entire commercial. Listening to William’s speak in the midst of “flashbacks” of her childhood adds another layer to this commercial. One of the most memorable of William’s quotes is “Don’t wait to be given power, because here’s what they won’t tell you: We already have it.” Her statement fuels the fire to what makes Bumble such unique and powerful app.
The Bad
Pringles
Now, don’t get me wrong; I love me some Pringles. They remind me of my childhood and bring me back to a simpler time. This commercial, however, doesn’t satisfy me like a Pringle chip does. The beginning of the commercial starts off with two guys sitting, stacking different flavors of Pringles chips together to make the perfect stack, until they are interrupted by a smart-tech device (like Alexa, but off-brand), who goes on a tangent on how “she” will never get to enjoy Pringles chips, rather anything in life. She goes on to continue her emotional rant, until she is interrupted by one of the two guys eating Pringles. At the end of this commercial, I didn’t know if they were branding Pringles, or a smart device. Not the best commercial in my opinion.
Planters Nuts
The last, and certainly my least favorite of the 2019 Super Bowl commercials goes to the Planters Peanut commercial. “Mr. Peanut” is an iconic and well-known animated spokesperson and face of the Planters brand. However, the execution of this commercial was a little nutty. When I imagine Planters nuts or just any nut in general, I usually don’t associate them with high intensity and action. This commercial showed Mr. Peanut, riding in a giant Peanut Mobile speeding through a suburban town, racing against the clock to save Alex Rodriguez, pro-baseball player, from eating the “unwanted” kale chips he had waiting in front of him. Not only that, but not even halfway through the commercial, there is a guest appearance by Charlie Sheen. The two seconds of Charlie Sheen had me wondering why he was in this commercial than the actual commercial itself. After trashing the town, Mr. Peanut flies into the home, seamlessly throwing a bowl of planters nuts on to the table just in time to “save the day.” There seemed to be no clear direction to this commercial, other than showing that nuts are better than kale, which many can argue against. The commercial did not leave me wanting Planters nuts.
The Super Bowl is known for its entertaining new commercials, but the time slot doesn’t always guarantee success. I guess we’ll have to wait until next year to see more of the good and bad!
ALL PHOTOS: YouTube
About Anabella Ronson-Benenati
You may recognize Bella Ronson-Benenati from the many plays (including one off-Broadway show) she has been in. When she's not singing and acting, sophomore Bella writes for our Entertainment section, cooks, and hangs with her friends.
You may recognize Bella Ronson-Benenati from the many plays (including one off-Broadway show) she has been in. When she's not singing and acting, sophomore Bella writes for our Entertainment section, cooks, and hangs with her friends.
