The Super Bowl is the reigning king of culture in America. They've got the biggest game, the biggest stars and the biggest ad budget in the world. Beyonce and the Ravens did their thing on the field, but how did the ads stack up?
That depends what you're reading and what generation you're from. As the NYTimes points out, this year's crop of ads seem to be generationally confused and unsure of how to communicate with the modern consumer.
But there were, of course, some interesting spots. Here are some of our favorites.
Did you catch the Samsung ad with Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and a cameo from LeBron James (yes, commercials now have camoes)? It was good work seeing the two comedians go at each other and bounce ideas around together. So good, in fact, that Samsung released an extended version after the game.
Taco Bell kept with their Live Mas slogan but this time featured a group of octogenarians going HAM on the town, staying young and eating the Bell. Do your thing.
Mercedes Benz put out an ad known as "Kate Upton Washing a Mercedes in Slow Motion" a few days before the Super Bowl, but appear to have changed course for the actual game. Their spot did feature Upton briefly but with more clothes and less bubbles. Clever ad with Willam Dafoe playing the role of the devil, a role he might want to save for a movie soon.
Last year, Clint Eastwood's Chrysler ad received a lot of attention for it's content, made effective thanks to Eastwood's brilliant delivery. This year, Dodge took up that mantle, using Paul Harvey's famous "God made a farmer" speech from 1978 to show some love to the hard-working men and women that keep the country running.
Bud Light has a good habit of making strong Super Bowl commercials. This year, with help from Stevie Wonder and the salacious Zoe Saldana, they put on again, capturing the witchcraft angle New Orleans conjures up. Wouldn't want that chair.
Bonus: Shoutout to Becks Sapphire. This one get the nod as favorite from our EIC, Vince Thomas. No Diggity.
