From a sports perspective, Super Bowl LI was an exciting football game — the first one ever going into overtime. But was this Super Bowl an advertising success? The reviews of the ads are mixed. [Click here to access all of the ads.]
Consider these observations from
“The New England Patriots’ furious comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons must have felt like a relief to the National Football League and many of its fans, if only because it squarely turned the focus and conversation back to football. That came at the close of a Super Bowl where commercials that once would have seemed relatively innocuous felt provocative thanks to the polarized political climate.”
“Super Bowl ads featuring images of multiculturalism and inclusiveness are hardly new — sponsors like to appeal to wide audiences with feel-good imagery. Even so, amid all the acrimony over government policies, several commercials risked becoming lightning rods, including a Budweiser ad that dared to trace founder Adolphus Busch’s immigrant roots and a Coca-Cola spot that offered ‘America the Beautiful’ in different languages.”
“[Nonetheless, for the most part], the much-ballyhooed commercials yielded as few highlights as New England’s offense did during the first half.”
Each year, Advertising Age runs an online post-game poll whereby anyone can vote on the question: “Which Super Bowl Ad Was the Best?” As of Monday night, the following ads were rated the best by those participating in the Ad Age poll. In addition to listing the best ads (in the order of the Ad Age poll results), we are providing the ads themselves. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Airbnb “We Accept”
84 Lumber “The Journey Begins”
Audi “Daughter”
Bai Brands “Gentlemen”
Budweiser “Born the Hard Way”
Mr. Clean “Cleaner of Your Dreams”
Honda “Yearbooks”
Kia “Hero’s Journey”
Tide “Bradshaw Stain”