Super Bowl LIV is in the books, and that means it’s time to re-live the best commercials from the big game.
More anticipated in some households than the actual Super Bowl, or even the halftime show, are the interstitial 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.
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 cost of a 30-second commercial during the 2020 Super Bowl was $5.6 million, up $400,000 from 2019.
Despite the price, we saw political ads from Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg trying to get in on the action.
I promised to restore hope in America. That includes the least among us. Together, let’s KEEP AMERICA GREAT!
This is the one game that produces both a captive audience and an urge to share reactions, thus creating impressions on social media. This year’s ads skewed light and funny overdramatic and serious.
I’ve made it a habit to make a not-so-definitive and totally-open-for-debate list of the best Super Bowl commercials every year.
Here are the top-20 ads from Sunday’s Super Bowl 54.
20. Michelob ULTRA – Jimmy Works It Out
Michelob Ultra light beer utilized Jimmy Fallon and wrestler/actor John Cena to show Fallon getting fit with help from the likes of Usain Bolt and The Roots.
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19. Audi – Let It Go
In a savvy move, the car company tapped into the fandom of two of the biggest hits in recent memory: Frozen and Game of Thrones. While stuck in traffic, Maisie Williams (a.k.a. Arya Stark) sings Disney’s Let It Go in the Audi e-tron Sportback — the company’s new electric vehicle. For Audi’s eleventh Super Bowl appearance, they used 72andSunny agency and it culminated in their best ad yet.
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18. WeatherTech – Lucky Dog
For the second straight year, WeatherTech featured the CEO’s dog. This time it was used as a way to pay respect to and solicit donations for the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine, which saved his dog’s life.
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17. Mountain Dew – The Shining
In this homage to the cult classic The Shining, Bryan Cranston acts out Jack Nicholson’s role and Tracee Ellis Ross plays Shelley Duvall’s character.
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16. Budweiser – Typical American
Featuring the U.S. women’s national soccer team chugging victoriously, this ad does a fantastic job of letting “typical” Americans know they’re anything but. It’s a clear attempt to unite Americans in a divisive time, and it works.
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15. Google – Loretta
Tissue alert. When an elderly man starts to ask Google to help him remember his wife, it hit me hard.
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14. Walmart – Famous Visitors
In their first Super Bowl ad, characters from Arrival, Flash Gordon, Star Trek, the Bill & Ted franchise and more arrive to pick up something they need at Walmart, like us mere mortals do.
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13. Pop-Tarts – Fixed the Pretzel Commercial
Pop-Tarts gets an assist from Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness in this spot designed to introduce the brand’s new pretzel line.
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12. Snickers – #SnickersFixtheWorld
It turns out that life’s great problems (like corrupt politics, laughable baby names and always-incorrect autocorrect) can be solved by one thing: a Snickers bar. Who knew?
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11. Doritos – The Cool Ranch
It’s the gift we didn’t know we needed — a Lil Nas X vs. Sam Elliott Western shootout-style dance-off to Old Town Road.
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10. Amazon News – What did we do before Alexa?
Amazon knows celebrity power couples garner attention. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi ask a silly but equally funny question, “What did we do before Alexa?” This ad had #BeforeAlexa trending well before the game was over.
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9. Cheetos – Can’t Touch This
The ’90s are coming back in style, so obviously MC Hammer is back too. In a clever twist, one of his classic songs is used to show Cheetos lovers that getting that orange dust on your hands can actually be a benefit.
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8. TurboTax 2020 – “All People Are Tax People”
This commercial has an original version and a remix. When you have people from all walks of life doing various hip-hop dances in celebration for doing their taxes, you have a winner.
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7. Rocket Mortgage – Jason Momoa Super Bowl Commercial
In what is undoubtedly the strangest ad of the bunch, Jason Momoa stars in Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loan’s Super Bowl commercial. Momoa unveils what he’s actually like behind closed doors. For better or for worse, you won’t be able to un-see this.
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6. Genesis – Going Away Party
In one of the most well-shot spots of the night, Hyundai, which owns Genesis, used celebrity power couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend to tell the story of “new luxury.” The 60-second spot was the inaugural Super Bowl commercial for Genesis.
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5. Hyundai Sonata – Smaht Pahk
Though it looks like this ad was made with New England Patriots fans in mind, it still resonates on a more universal level. Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch and, yes, “Big Papi” David Ortiz himself, provide play-by-play of the Sonata’s new feature: remote smart-parking assist. The star of the commercial is undoubtedly the incomparable Boston accent.
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4. Budweiser Canada – Whassup Again
Budweiser recreated the legendary “Whassup?” ad spot on its 20th anniversary, this time with a “smart” twist — and it targeted Canadians specifically as Budweiser Canada partnered with Uber in the ride-sharing company’s first Super Bowl ad. The last frame of the ad revealed a discount code to help get Canadians home after watching the game.
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3. Jeep – Groundhog Day
Bill Murray, in his first-ever national television commercial, re-enacts his classic movie Groundhog Day, but this time around, he’s driving a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. Given that Super Bowl Sunday fell on Groundhog Day and that Murray has become a cult figure to sports fans, this was a win-win-win.
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2. Hulu – Tom Brady’s Big Announcement
Tom Brady’s cryptic Twitter post seemed thirsty. Now we know why. It was not a goodbye to the NFL and a hello to retirement, it was a teaser for his Hulu ad in which he says goodbye to traditional TV and hello to streaming. The irony is that the spot aired on cable in front of millions, but regardless, kudos to Brady who managed to stay top of mind on Super Bowl Sunday, even though he wasn’t in the game.
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1. NFL – Next 100
Once again, the NFL’s “The Next 100” commercial won the night. It displayed the old, new and future faces of the sport enjoying the game, including a goosebump-inducing Pat Tillman moment. In all, 32 kids were featured, one from each fan base, who were winners of the “Next 100” contest.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
