Journal

Watch the best Super Bowl ads before the big game

The Super Bowl is still a few days away, but brands are already rolling out their commercials online. At $5.5 million for a 30-second spot, this is still advertising’s biggest day and Madison Avenue has put together an A-list roster of celebrity cameos, including Matthew McConaughey, Michael B. Jordan, Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey. Enjoy some of our favorite ads below!

 

Tide

Good grief, this one’s funny. I think this one is my favorite. I laughed out loud as a teenager puts this Jason Alexander hoodie through some hilarious wear-and-tear that only Tide can fix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvjuL6Bci6M

 

General Motors

Will Ferrell brings conviction and absurdity to this commercial as he ridicules Norway’s lead over the U.S. in EV sales per capita and then recruits Keenan Thompson and Awkwafina for a trip to Scandinavia to settle the score.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCy-a_E2I3s

 

Frito Lay

This one wins the award for most sports cameos. Directed by Peter Berg, the spot features ten football greats in ridiculous scenarios as “Beast Mode” recites his take on “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Worth it just to watch Peyton and Eli Manning playing drilling each other with a football in their pajamas.

 

Anheuser-Busch

Directed by David Fincher, this commercial gets me in the soft spot. I’m such a sucker for these. The fluidity of the edits, camera movement, and natural-ness of the performances makes this one worth watching several times. Aesthetically, this one’s my favorite of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDvNUJUVmGk

 

Doritos

Poor Flat Matthew. We’ve all been feeling not-quite-right and two-dimensional during the pandemic, and this spot runs with the idea as Matthew McConaughey seeks to discover how he can feel 3D again. Hint: it’s Doritos 3D, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLuqtTn4610

 

Uber Eats

This one re-unites Dana Carvey and Mike Myers for a spoof on Wayne’s World. That’s pretty much it. Not a whole lot to it, but hey, it’s good to see them put on the wigs again.

 

Amazon

An Alexa user imagines the voice-recognition system taking human form as Michael B. Jordan. The actor is shown teaching her phrases in French, joining her in a candlelit bath and patiently standing still while she asks Alexa to aim lawn sprinklers at his chiseled torso. Yeah, it gets a little uncomfortable.