Very few memorable commercials during Super Bowl XLVIII

Viewpoints Editor|February 3, 2014

Last night, all across the United States millions of people gathered for their American duty to watch the Super Bowl.

The game itself was boring with the Seattle Seahawks blowing out the Denver Broncos early in the game; then there was the lackluster performance of Bruno Mars (only to be revived by the vibrant appearance of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) during the halftime show.

The best moment of the night came from Twitter when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted:

The commercials were not as good as past Super Bowl commercials, but there were a few good ones that stood out.

“Puppy Love,” Budweiser

This was probably the most emotional ad of the night. Anything that pairs two animals that should not normally be friends with an emotional story line and perfect background music is guaranteed to pull at the heartstrings of an audience. If it was not for the classic Budweiser Clydesdale horses, most people would have thought the commercial was for a car company, not a beer company.

Multi-language “America the Beautiful” commercial, Coca-Cola

This ad was probably the most controversial one of the whole entire night. It shows the diversity of America through people singing “America the Beautiful” in various languages. It was a great way to show that the U.S. is not some homogeneous country, but a melting pot where citizens are able to express their patriotism while also sharing their personal culture.

Those that criticize this commercial most likely don’t understand it. They are ignorant to think that English is the only language spoken in America. 

“Captain America: the Winter Soldier,” Marvel

The next Marvel movie is coming out soon, which means the obligatory Super Bowl commercial was played during the game. Everything about this ad was perfect to tease the movie, including the extended trailer online.

The haunting rendition of the National Anthem just heightens the tension playing out in the trailer. Plus, they aired this commercial right after playing the National Anthem at the stadium. Good timing, Marvel.

“Doberhuahua,” Audi

The funniest ad of the night came from Audi, where a couple must compromise on the type of dog they want so they get a “doberhuahua,” a terrifying mixture of a doberman and chihuahua. The point of the commercial was simple enough: compromise is not always a good thing. The best moment was when Sarah McLachlan started a PSA—á la her heart-wrenching ASPCA commercials—to save the doberhuahua but gives up when the dog attacks her guitar. 

“Make Love, Not War,” Axe

This commercial from Axe starts with an ominous tone and a tank heading towards a city; an army about to invade a village; a North Korea-like country having a parade; and an Iranian-like leader about to set off a nuclear weapon. Setting this tone very early on in the ad made the audience assume it was going to be a negative ad, but when people started to show affection towards one another, the true meaning of the commercial was revealed— let’s make peace, not war.

Now most people will not think of Axe when thinking about world peace. Even though the whole point of this commercial and others is to get you to buy their product, the advertiser wants the audience to feel something while watching.

Most of the Super Bowl commercials were very safe this year, but the ones that took risks and attempted to go for a big broad message accomplished their mission.