Super Bowl LI (51) had several records. It had the New England Patriots fight back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons. Previously no team had come back from being more than ten points down. Both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick became 5-time Super Bowl winners. A record that might not ever be broken. In doing so, they both staked claims as the greatest of all time in their respeictive positions.
This year, the commercials that are sometimes better than the actual game, were greatly overshowed by what took place on the field. Like the Falcons, they were a bit of a letdown. With that said, Atlanta still had terrific moments, some worth replaying. Similarly, there were some television ads worth watching again.
The following Super Bowl commercials all had one similar trait – they used humor to entertain the viewers.
Three Honorable Mentions:
“2017 Big Game Ad” from Bai – This ad starred Christopher Walken quoting an 'NSync song, sitting next to Justin Timberlake that does not speak a word. The silence drew people in to figure out what the ad was about. As it concluded, viewers heard the song “Bye Bye Bye” while seeing the drink. The brand name, pronounced the same, but with a different spelling, will likely receive a lift in awareness.
“Super Bowl Commercial 2017 with Terry Bradshaw” from Tide – When Super Bowl commentator, Terry Bradshaw, found out he had spilled some barbecue sauce on his shirt and it was “trending,” he frantically searched for help. The humor in this ad from the self-deprecating Bradshaw, Rob Gronkowski and Jeffrey Tambor was mildly funny. It was however all about a stain, so it helped Tide pitch its new product.
“Big Game Commercial with Cam Newton & Miranda Kerr” from Buick – This ad showed two fathers watching their kids in a football game. One dad said, “If that is a Buick, then my kid is Cam Newton.” When he then turned into Newton, there were some funny scenes with a star NFL player in the game. Along with humor, the ad did feature two automobiles.
Runner Up:
“Hero’s Journey Starring Melissa McCarthy” from the 2017 Kia Niro – Melissa McCarthy, seen trying to save whales, trees, ice caps and rhinos, found herself in a lot of physical pain as her body bounced around in each scene. This commercial is well targeted to the person that wants to find an easier way to be an “eco warrior” by buying a certain type of car. While it was probably the funniest of all the commercials, it came up just short of winning.
2017 Winner:
“#UnlimitedMoves with Justin Bieber” from T-Mobile – This ad showed endzone celebrations from Rob Gronkowski, Terrell Owens and Justin Bieber. Bieber talked about unlimited moves, which was loosely related to “unlimited data,” and encouraged people to post their moves online.
It was somewhat related to football, showed football stars (one of them being Gronk with his shirt off) and encouraged online sharing. This can potentially expand awareness through creating other viral dance videos. That is why it is this year’s winner!
Final thoughts
As he accepted the trophy, Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots’ owner, said of the win, “a lot has transpired over the last two years,” referring to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s deflategate prosecution against his quarterback and team. He went on to say, “And I don’t think that needs any explanation. But I want to say to our fans, to our brilliant coaching staff, our amazing players who were so spectacular: this is unequivocally the sweetest.”
Some say that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were vindicated by this Super Bowl win, already described by many sports commentators as the best Super Bowl game ever played.
The ads that seemed to underwhelm viewers can to be vindicated too, if they receive a high level of post-Super-Bowl-Sunday sharing on social media, many views and increased attention for their brands. Because of their entertainment value, they all have the potential to be winning commercials.
Mike Byrnes is a national speaker and owner of Byrnes Consulting, LLC. His firm provides consulting services to help advisors become even more successful. Need help with business planning, marketing strategy, business development, client service and management effectiveness? Read more at ByrnesConsulting.com and follow @ByrnesConsultin.