Super Bowl LVI delivered a thrilling ending with the Los Angeles Rams' 23-20 comeback victory over the Cincinnati’s Bengals, on LA’s home field, SoFi Stadium.
For the Rams, it started to look bleak when Odell Beckham, Jr., who had a fantastic first half, had to leave the game because of an injury. It put even more pressure on quarterback, Matthew Stafford, and star receiver, Cooper Kupp. However, with less than two minutes left, they connected for a touchdown that helped them go up by three points. It was a 15-play, 79-yard drive that used up much of the fourth quarter, leaving the Bengals with just one minute and 25 seconds to play. Then, standouts on defense, like Von Miller and Aaron Donald, made it too hard on Cincinnati’s quarterback, Joe Burrow, and his offense to move down the field.
For the head coach, Sean McVay, who had been the youngest head coach ever in a Super Bowl (when the Rams lost to the Patriots, 13-3), this win, three years later, confirms he is one of the best coaches in the league, even at the young age of 36.
With estimates that 100 million people watched, and with a cost of about $6.5 million for an ad spot, the Super Bowl commercials usually are some of the best of the year. Here are the winners:
Most Touching Award: Toyota’s “Brothers | Start Your Impossible”
This commercial was the first of the game. It set the bar very high and most others fell short. It tells the story of two brothers growing up. One begins to have progressive vision loss at a young age, but they stick together and train in some tough conditions. It was a bit of a connection to the Winter Olympics also going on at the same time in Beijing. At the end, with touching music playing, the screen reads, “After Brian lost his eyesight, the McKeever brothers went on to win 10 Paralympic medals…Together…Start your impossible.” It delivered the best warm-fuzzy feeling of all the ads.
A Good-Laugh Ad Award: Toyota Tundra’s “The Joneses”
Toyota also had a pretty funny ad staring Tommy Lee Jones, Leslie Jones, Rashida Jones, and a surprise…Nick Jonas. Leslie and Tommy start by racing their trucks. The audience might not have picked up on the “It's Not Unusual” background music by another Jones, Tom Jones. Then Rashida joins. Nick pulls up to the three stars, saying, “It’s keeping up with the Jonases now.” Tommy then replies, “Try to keep up…whoever you are.”
Funny Ad Honorable Mmention: E*TRADE “Off The Grid”
This add starts with a helicopter landing by a secluded log cabin and a slightly aged E*Trade baby in lumberjack attire saying, “Ah, they found me.” Two executives in suits paint a picture of people having their money sitting around doing nothing, getting crushed by inflation and taking advice from memes. The E*Trade baby spits out his coffee and says, “I'll Get My Onesies.” If you recall, E*Trade had some funny Super Bowl commercials, first airing in 2008. As the young hero comes out of retirement and is taken away in a helicopter, driven by another baby, the viewers hear, Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.” The voice over says, “Welcome to another chapter of investing. E*Trade, now from Morgan Stanley.”
Funny Ad Tied For Runner Up: Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts “Feed The Debate”
We all probably have had two buddies that have had meaningless debates over something, like how to properly eat food. That’s just what comedians Joel McHale and Ken Jeong do. Together they record a question, asking: “Internet, how do you like to eat your mixed nuts, one at a time or all together, the right way?” Next, a series of other people are debating the same question, the news anchor asks the question and eventually there is anarchy in the streets. It leads to McHale pondering, “Who knew America would tear itself apart over a relatively minor difference of opinion?” It was a playful way to make fun at how friends can break up their friendships by debating politics. It is quite possible the debate of how to eat mixed nuts will now spread across America…one at a time or all together?
Funny Ad Tied For Runner Up: Lay’s “Golden Memories”
The audience knows some laughs are coming when Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd are about to go through an imaginary memory lane before Seth gets married. A road trip, a heart-to-heart conversation on a turbulent plane, a stalker kidnapping, a turf war and a purchase of a haunted house all deliver some “good times” for the pair. The best laugh comes when Seth’s surprising pick for a bride screams in a ghostly fashion when it is her time to say “I do.” This ad is sure to have many views, replays and shares. It might even get people to share their own golden memories while eating Lay’s potato chips.