Yesterday was the biggest day of the year for high-profile television advertisements along with a bit of football in between. As always, the ads attracted praise, condemnation and more than a few head shakes.
For me, the strangest and most memorable was Mountain Dew Kickstart’s “Puppy, Monkey, Baby.” (Say it – puppy, monkey, baby…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql7uY36-LwA
Running a close second for me was the Kia car commercial titled “Walken Closet” staring, who else, Christopher Walken.
“It’s like the world’s most exciting pair of socks. But it’s a midsize sedan.”
There were, of course, many lists of best and worst commercials, and there will be links to them in a moment, but let me take one final moment to show you Lady Gaga just absolutely nailing the national anthem. Regardless of the rest of her image as a pop icon, that lady can sing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyqkN3zezso
And now, the rest of the story:
- Best commercials, according to WaPo
- Ads criticized for being politically incorrect (or just kinda creepy)
- All the ads, with commentary (Vox)
And finally – the halftime show with Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Beyonce
Personally, I liked seeing the inclusion of the marching band (shades of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk”), the whole umbrella bit reminded me of an olympics opening ceremony.