It’s that time again.  Time to rate and learn from some of the best marketing minds and deepest advertising budgets, as the Super Bowl ads are showcased on America’s main stage.

Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks was as exciting as a football game can get.  It was a seesaw battle that ended with an incredible on-the-back catch by Jermaine Kearse and then an improbable interception by Malcolm Butler (a virtually unknown undrafted rookie), with just seconds left on the clock.

The commercials on the other hand, were not as great.  Actually, overall they were a bit disappointing for have costed a reported 4.5 million for a 30-second spot.

Here is my take on the best of the best, with my reasons why:

Best attention getter

When hosting people at your house for the big game, the worst thing that can happen is your TV reception goes out. 

Chevy’s “4G LTE Wi-Fi” ad showed a screen that was getting distorted, it had crackling noises and then it went black.  It was only for a couple of seconds, but it was long enough to create a panic in football lovers across the country.  My friend Anthony Froio described his thought process, saying, “I almost left a hole in your door.”

While this ad did a great job of stopping the hearts of millions of people, it also distracted people from knowing what the ad was all about, as they were too busy reacting to the first part of the commercial.

Best crowdsourced

Having the consumers create the marketing for a company to choose from is an ingenious idea.  What happens is that the organization gets loads of great commercial ideas at a fraction of what it would cost to hire an advertising agency to come up with all the different concepts.

Doritos’ “Middle Seat” came out of a “Crash the Super Bowl” contest.  One winner received a grand prize of $1 million and a dream job at Universal Pictures.

The ad, where a person on an aisle seat of a plane discourages people from sitting next to him, until he thinks he sees the perfect blonde, made people laugh.  It also tied in a positive brand impression to an already well-known product line.

It shows that getting thousands of entries from countries all over the world, can result in a funny and well-received ad.  Plus, what happens is that people want to see the other ads in the contest and Doritos’ YouTube channel encourages this type of viewership to take place.  Increased eyeballs and subscribers leads to additional earned media and brand exposure.

Most entertaining

BMW i3’s "Newfangled Idea" commercial had a glimpse of TV history and laughs.  It starts with Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel seen in old television footage struggling to understand the internet.  The spot then flashes 21 years later to see the same pair not understanding the new technology behind a new car. 

This commercial has fun of those that have not quickly understood technological advancements in the past and teases them into wanting to learn more about a new car.  It also creates some laughs which helps make it entertaining and memorable.

Snickers’ “Brady Bunch” ad gets an honorable mention in this category for showing what Marsha and Jan look like when they get hungry.  As the past Betty White version was such a hit, this year’s version was overshadowed.

Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” ad also gets an honorable mention for having a puppy get saved by Clydesdales.  In seeing kids react to this ad, I know the company is indirectly winning over future customers when they grow up and can drink beer.

Best at segmenting an audience

Always’ “#LikeAGirl” commercial knew when the most women, who are the users of their products, focus the most on the game – during the Katy Perry halftime show.  The ad pointed out that our culture takes away girls’ confidence during puberty and somehow the saying ‘like a girl’ has become an insult.

The commercial did not just work with women.  Men probably benefit from seeing the advertisement even more, because it provides a valuable lesson on discrimination.  As a result, the message sparked thinking, questioning of one’s own behavior and some healthy conversations.

Again in the Super Bowl, commercials try to maximize their shelf life by using Twitter hashtags.  The title of this company ad was even a hashtag.

Largest shock factor

While many do not find the Super Bowl as a time to address anything too controversial, one company tried to tackle a sobering topic and bring attention on their organization.

Nationwide’s “Make Safe Happen” pointed out that ‘the number one cause of childhood deaths is preventable accidents.’ 

On one hand, this was a huge buzz kill during one of the ‘funnest’ nights in America and it should have aired another time. 

On the other hand, as a dad of two young kids, if this ad starts conversations that help kids from dying from avoidable deaths, it was worth every second and every penny. 

While it will never be ranked the most popular, I hope it is memorable.  I also hope the fallout in the coming days, creates awareness and helps saves lives.  Nationwide’s makesafehappen.com has tips in areas like preventing burns, poisoning, falls and tip overs, and car safety.

Other thoughts

There were more ads that got Dad’s to tear up and kids to hug them, they touched hearts and made people smile, while also pointing out interesting products and services.  Still, the more-somber-than-normal Super Bowl ads, had many good commercials, but not many that stuck out as great.

Hopefully there are advertising lessons learned in these top ads that any company can leverage them in their own marketing efforts.

Search “Byrnes” and “Super Bowl” on FA-Mag.com for past write ups on America’s biggest marketing showcase.

Note:   Universal Pictures’ “Ted 2” Super Bowl spot, with Tom Brady as a potential sperm donor, might have been offensive to some.  Still, it won a place in the hearts of Patriots Nation as one of the best commercials.  I did not rank it with the rest of the ads in an effort to be unbiased, as I am a huge New England fan.  But, I would like to go on record as saying… Patriots win again!  A fourth time in 15 years.  Whuuu-whooo!!!

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.