Be Smart

Jai Phillips

13 February

Let’s Be Honest, The Super Bowl 58 Commercials Weren’t Good

Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, and Matt Damon for Dunkin Donuts' DunKings Super Bowl Commercial

Dunkin Donuts

Let’s Be Honest, The Super Bowl 58 Commercials Weren’t Good

Last night, Super Bowl 58 finally happened. In an overtime thriller, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22. It almost seems like fate, considering the American Royal Couple debuted this year and Taylor Swift began reviving the Chiefs’ magic.

It’s the second year in a row that the Chiefs have won the Super Bowl. After a rousing, raucous rendition of Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas” led by Travis Kelce, I can officially say that is enough of the Chiefs winning for me. To no surprise, the big game was a star-studded event. Celebrities in the stands included Lana Del Rey, Ice Spice, and more. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. also made his hard launch debut with Kim Kardashian. Pick your Royal Couple.

The game, which aired on CBS, Paramount +, and Nickelodeon (yes, where Spongebob and Patrick Star were main commentators), is set to be among the highest-viewed Super Bowls of all time. Last year’s matchup, labeled “The Kelce Bowl” with a record-breaking Rihanna halftime performance, holds the current title, with 115.1 million viewers. However, after (dashed) rumors of a Justin Bieber and Usher reunion and Taylor Swift driving the female viewer market, that number could be shattered.

How Much Does A Super Bowl Commercial Cost?

While you may have been watching for reasons other than football (i.e. to watch Usher rip his shirt off during his halftime show), one of the more entertaining aspects of Super Bowl Sunday is the commercials. Brands shell out a lot of money to have even 30 seconds of airtime during the Super Bowl. The sticker price for a Super Bowl 58 commercial this year reportedly cost over $7 million.

Super Bowl commercials are so lucrative because it’s rare to get a guaranteed, captive viewing audience in one place. And that’s not to mention the frequent celebrity cameos featured in Super Bowl commercials. Needless to say, a lot of money was spent.

But to be honest, this year I was underwhelmed.

What Were The Best 2024 Super Bowl 58 Commercials?

Temu’s 10 Ads 

When Temu surfaced onto my radar out of nowhere, it was my understanding that this was yet another Shein. If Shein could somehow, some way dupe themselves, it would be Temu. And I thought there couldn’t possibly be people who purchased from this website.

And yet…there evidently are. Despite the fact that I think their whole site is a credit card information hack, Temu apparently has loyal customers. So many that they not only sponsored the Super Bowl, but had three (I lost count) commercials. All the same.

CeraVe x Michael Cera 

There is nothing better, and more relatable, than a brand making fun of itself. CeraVe recently went viral by making social media users ponder if Michael Cera was somehow a celebrity face behind the highly-regarded dermatologist-recommended skincare brand. They ended this perfectly executed marketing campaign with a Super Bowl commercial.

“So, my name is Cera. So it’s the perfect crossover opportunity” He says in the commercial. While Michael Cera isn’t a skin-fluencer or the founder of the brand, it’s perfect.

Google Pixel Javier in Frame

We love a good tear-jerker. Google Pixel is showing what it means to debut a feature while also conveying human emotion. Javier, who is visually impaired, shows the world how he can now take photos by using Google AI to verbally communicate when it detects his face and others in the frame.

It puts life into perspective, highlights a new feature that can make photography more accessible, and makes us love Javier! The triple threat of ads.

Dunkin Donuts’ DunKings 

Ben Affleck and Dunkin Donuts have been a meme-ified collaboration spanning years. In his second Super Bowl commercial with the chain, Affleck teams up with Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady to record their own song…but that’s not all.

Dunkin has released exclusive DunKings merch and menu items, including Ben Affleck’s go-to iced coffee order, alongside the commercial.

Cetaphil 

The skincare brands were on fire this weekend, and the earliest commercial leaked was Cetaphil. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s impact on the NFL this year, we watch a father try (and fail) to get his daughter interested in the sport. Time after time he walks in as she’s doing her skincare routine, attempting to get her downstairs…until a certain singer starts attending games.

You slowly watch the girl leave her room, put her new 13 jersey on, and put her phone down, and watch the game with her dad. I was sobbing. No notes.

Volkswagen- “An American Love Story” 

Trend-wise: old is in. Retro clothing is back — think wide-leg denim, Harley Davidson merch, and Daisy Jones and The Six-inspired fur trim coats. Spanning back to the 1940s, Volkswagen takes us through the lives of their iconic cars like the Beetle and the bus.

Shots from movies like Herbie, where the star of the show is the VW Beetle itself, emphasized nostalgia in the best way. I loved it.

State Farm- “Like A Good Neighbaaa” 

Overall the highest-rated Super Bowl commercial this year, State Farm brought in a new fan-favorite duo: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito. After Schwarzenegger saves a pregnant woman from a burning home, he can’t pronounce State Farm’s iconic tagline. So instead, he brings in some help.

None other than Danny Devito brings it home with “Like a good neighbaaa, State Farm is there.”

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