While the 2024 Super Bowl was an incredibly competitive game that saw the game go to overtime for only the second time in Super Bowl history, the advertising landscape was equally as competitive and saw a plethora of brands vying for the laughs and tears of the audience.
From ‘Talkin’ Like Walken’ to ‘Shopping Like a Billionaire,’ here are the best and worst commercials from the 2024 Super Bowl according to Vladimir Jones.
The Best of the Best
CeraVe - Michael Cera
Skincare brand CeraVe’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial featured actor Michael Cera hilariously claiming that he developed its moisturizing cream. Perhaps even more hilarious is the brand had Michael Cera act as a sort of brand ambassador ahead of the Super Bowl, handing out CeraVe products on the streets and signing bottles of CeraVe to fuel speculation that he is connected to the brand.
Dove - It’s the Hard Knock Life
Dove continued with its long-running theme of body positivity and acceptance by showing the challenges that girls face in losing confidence while participating in sports. Not only was it one of the more emotional and impactful commercials of the Super Bowl, it also introduced the Body Confident Sport Program, which was recently launched by Dove and Nike to make sports a place of belonging for girls.
Google Pixel
Google partnered with blind director Adam Morse to highlight the ‘Guided Frame’ feature on the Pixel 8 that makes it easier for people with blindness or visual impairments to capture photos and share daily life. Putting accessibility at the forefront, the commercial simulates the same blurriness and visual impairments that many people face and shows how the ‘Guided Frame’ feature can help when taking photos.
Honorable Mentions:
Verizon - Can’t B Broken
Uber Eats - Worth Remembering
Etsy
Gift Mode: Etsy’s 2024 Big Game Commercial
Dunkin
Dunkin’ ‘The DunKings’ ft Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Jack Harlow, Jennifer Lopez, & Fat Joe
T-mobile
That T-Mobile Home Internet Feeling | 2024 Big Game Day Commercial | T-Mobile Home Internet
Not Bad, Not Great
State Farm - Like a Good Neighbaaa
Like a Good Neighbaaa (:60) | feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger & Danny DeVito | State Farm® Commercial
Anyone who has ever quoted “Get to the Choppaaa” will fully appreciate this State Farm ad featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger being unable to pronounce the ‘bor’ in ‘neighbor’ and instead says ‘bah.’ This hilarious commercial harkens back to Schwarzenegger’s illustrious career as an action movie star, but finishes with him getting upstaged by none other than Danny DeVito, his co-star in the 1988 comedy Twins.
BMW - Talkin’ Like Walken
BMW USA | Christopher Walken in "Talkin Like Walken" (ft. Usher)
Actor Christopher Walken has one of the most unique and often-imitated voices around, which BMW used to show just how many imitators are out there ‘talkin’ like Walken.’ BMW reminds us that no matter how many copycats there are out there, there is only one Christopher Walken.
Reese’s
REESE'S Cups Big Game Commercial 2024 | Yes! :30
Reese’s dialed the crazy up to 11 in this Reese’s Cups ad as a group of people get furious that Reese’s is making a change only to become happy again once they hear it will be a good change, similar to a sports fan who yells “No!” when something bad happens only to immediately yell “Yes!” when something good happens. This ad gets the best out of spokesperson Will Arnett and was one of the better slapstick commercials of the night.
Honorable Mentions:
Pluto TV - Couch Potato Farms
Paramount + - Sir Patrick Stewart
Paramount+ Super Bowl Spot | Sir Patrick Stewart Throws a Hail Arnold | A Mountain of Entertainment™
Mountain Dew - Having a Blast
MTN DEW | Aubrey Plaza Having a Blast Super Bowl Ad
Better Luck Next Year
Temu - Shop like a Billionaire
Temu's Big Game Ad Encore TV Commercial 2024
Most brands try to make a memorable splash during the Super Bowl with a hilarious or heart-felt message, and then there are the brands that simply try to spend the most and have the most commercials during the game. Temu was very much the latter in 2024, clearly spending an exorbitant amount of money to show their commercial several times, but not having an impactful message that stood out amongst the steep competition. Other brands also used the Super Bowl as an introductory stage to the world (Poppi soda), but they did so more tactfully and did not need multiple commercial spots to do so.
Robert F. Kennedy - Repurposed JFK ad
American Values 2024 Super Bowl Ad
Although 2024 is shaping up to be an incredibly contentious political election year, the Super Bowl is hardly the time or place to begin thinking about political races and candidates. However, the super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy’s independent presidential bid ran the ad during the Super Bowl, which was a reboot of an old commercial from John F Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign. While the ad does have certain historical callbacks and nostalgia, it came across as an incredibly expensive way to begin reaching constituents when people are more concerned with snacks and the halftime show.
Homes.com - A goldmine of local intel
Homes.com | A goldmine of local intel
It can be difficult for brands to try to tell a longer story across multiple Super Bowl commercial spots, but when it works, it can work out great (remember the ‘It’s a Tide Ad’ series from 2018?). But in the case of Home.com and their three Super Bowl spots, things felt a bit too disjointed and all over the place, leading some to wonder what the benefits of using Home.com actually are.
Honorable Mentions:
He Gets Us - Foot Washing
Snapchat - Less Social Media More Snapchat
Snapchat "Less Social Media More Snapchat" Superbowl Ad
