We at right.video had shared what we considered to be the best Super Bowl ads of all time in a previous blog post. However, those were ads specifically focused on past championships, games that have long since been played. For today, we wanted to look into the more recent past, to a time before our current pandemic situation threw everything asunder and remind ourselves of when you could hear crowds roar live instead of by soundtrack. We’re focusing on the commercials that aired during Super Bowl LIV this past February, the championship match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the victorious Kansas City Chiefs. It may seem like a lifetime ago, but it’s always good to remind ourselves that, though times are tough now, that our best days are just ahead. Hopefully are choices will be a great indicator of the promise 2020 had in store.
Director: Wayne McClammy
Production Company | Agency: Cramer-Krasselt (C-K Advertising)
The German automaker’s first Super Bowl ad in nearly fifteen years, “The Heist” was an all-company line-up of their most famous cars, from the classic 911 to the 718. But the star of the show was the brand-new Taycan electric sports sedan leading the pack, as a thief attempts to shake off his pursuers. It combined the thrills of a crime heist with the roars (or, in the Taycan’s case, lack thereof) of a classic car chase. It was a perfect way to both honor Porsche’s past with the inclusion of its Stuttgart museum while looking forward to its future in the Taycan.
Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Lil Nas X became a global star overnight in early 2019 thanks to his western-inspired TikTok song “Old Town Road”. It was only fitting, then, that he would appear in a western-themed ad for the Super Bowl the following year. Promoting Doritos’ ‘Cool Ranch’-flavored chips, this commercial featured everything typical of a spaghetti western, from Ennio Morricone’s famous music to veteran cowboy actor Sam Elliot. Yet, as is typical of his work, Nas throws in his own riff on the western with his signature dance moves and his famous song. Plus, who didn’t want to see Sam Elliot dance off in a high-stakes Old West showdown?
Director: François Rousselet
Production Company | Agency: 72andSunny Amsterdam
Every once in a while, we all have the urge to belt out tunes on the radio while enjoying the open road. Audi understood this sentiment clearly, combining one of the most famous songs of recent memory with the carefree charm of Maisie Williams. Lifting the signature showstopper from Disney’s Frozen, this was a deceptively simple campaign promoting the new Audi e-tron Sportback and masterminded by 72andSunny Amsterdam. With images of high gas prices and ugly roaring engines, “Let it Go” invited viewers to leave the world of gasoline behind and towards a brighter future with its new all-electric sports sedan.
Agency: Google
With a quiet piano score and accompanied only by the sound of an elderly man’s voice, Google showcased the power of its search engine and AI to go beyond simple web browsing. Using Google’s technology, we can bring back loved ones for a short while and remember anniversaries, favorite movies, and vacation haunts. Running for just 90 seconds, “Loretta” is a heartwarming and touching ad about the power of memory and that new technologies aren’t always as cold and calculated as the stereotype would lead us to believe.
Director: John Hillcoat
Production Company: Serial Pictures
Agency: David&Goliath
In a mix of both the meta and autobiography to promote the toughness of its Kia Seltos SUV, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs reflects on his youth experience with homelessness. Speaking with his younger self, Jacobs gives himself advice to prove himself on the football field while tying into the sturdiness the new Kia promises. Both gritty and uplifting, “Tough Never Quits” is a statement for how giving it your all with grit and determination can show how far one can go.
Director: Tom Kuntz
Production Company: MJZ
Agency: BBH-LA
Say what you will about Quibi’s ultimate failure to gain traction, the streaming start-up did make quite the impression with its ad campaign. This Super Bowl variant focuses on the tightness and readiness of a classic bank heist, only to be undone by the smallest detail overlooked. In this case, the convenience of a quick slice of entertainment promised by the new Quibi streaming service much to the frustration of the titular robbers. It’s one of the more ‘traditional’ ads that aired during this Super Bowl, but it did herald in the promise of a rising media upstart.
Director: Steve Pink
Production Company | Agency: Panay Films
Perhaps setting up what was to come for the rest of 2020, T-Mobile showcased the versatility of its 5G network with actor Anthony Anderson and his real-life mother. It combines the comedy that Anderson is well-known for while illuminating dynamics of a healthy family, even if it does tend to send them up the wall sometimes. It deftly shows a network that can work from anywhere and keep family closer together than they’d prefer.
Director: Jim Jenkins
Production Company | Agency: Highdive
In a chance of cosmic fate or coincidence, Super Bowl LIV happened to be played on Groundhog Day in the United States, leading to the creation of this ad from Jeep. Tying into the classic comedy film of the same name, “Groundhog Day” featured legendary comedian Bill Murray reenacting famous scenes, including the ‘groundhog’-napping of Punxsutawney Phil. It’s only the new addition of a Jeep Gladiator that Murray is able to enjoy the time-loop that so plagued him in the original movie, alongside his new furry friend. It’s a nostalgic look back on a comedy classic while looking forward to the everyday pursuits promised by Jeep.
Director: David Shane
Production Company: O Positive
Agency: Highdive
Showcasing Super Bowl advertising’s penchant for the weird and off-kilter, Game of Thrones alum and superstar Jason Momoa takes the lead in this surreal ad. At home, Momoa’s free to relax and unwind, gradually stripping away his tough-guy image to something more comfortable… quite literally as this ad suggests. Its this ease of mind that Rocket Mortgage promises security of home to be yourself, even someone with a high-image as Aquaman himself.
Agency: Widen + Kennedy
Another ad from a vastly different sort of technology, “Ready to Rock?” was focused purely on the present and the social media giant’s commitment to its signature friend groups feature. Set to the guitar riffs of Twisted Sister’s I Wanna Rock, Facebook was determined to show off the wide-ranging diversity of its platform, from front-porch sitters to dune buggies tearing up the rocky desert landscapes. Throw in surprise appearances by Chris Rock and Sylvester Stallone to tie into the ad’s ‘rock’ theme and you had an instantly memorable ad.
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Though 2020 hasn’t turned out to be the year many of us were expecting (and then some), we can always take comfort the Super Bowl as we usually do. You can find these ads and others from this game on the right.video search engine.
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