From a Heartwarming Clydesdale Appearance to Larry David Pushing Crypto, Here Are the Five Buzziest Commercials from Super Bowl LVI
The 2022 Super Bowl commercials were not as memorable as those in the past. Nonetheless, here are five standouts:
- Toyota
The first Super Bowl commercial to air during the game featured a tribute to Canadian cross-country skiers Brian and Robin McKeever.
Actors portray one of the brothers on skis being pulled, the two watching the 1988 Winter Olympics, among other moves.
The ad takes a sharp turn when it portrays the moment that Brian was diagnosed with Stargardt macular degeneration, a degenerative eye condition. There is currently no treatment for it. The actor playing Brian looks dejected and is is seen sitting his brother on a bed as his brother helps him up and says, “Let’s go.” The two are seen training in a forest going around trees in preparation for navigating the obstacles on a ski course. The ad then shows the two training followed by actual footage of the brothers winning a gold medal.
“After Brian lost his eyesight, the McKeever brothers went on to win 10 Paralympic medals,” reads the ad toward the end. “Together.” The ad then shows the real brothers and the caption “Start Your Impossible.”
What a powerful ad. Yes, the ad doesn’t make the case for buying one of Toyota’s cars. But sometimes a company can put promoting itself aside and instead promote heroes like the McKeever brothers.
- NFL
This commercial featured video-game NFL players coming to life, causing mayhem in a house with two kids. A snap to Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson goes over his head and through the television into the house causes the players to break through the TV, causing the kids to scream and the players to do so in response. The players then go after the football, breaking things in the house, causing the stove to go on fire as former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis dances on the stove. Amid the mayhem, one of the kids says, “We are so grounded.”
Former Colts QB Peyton Manning, being tackled by a real-life toddler, throws the ball to the late former Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton, who leaps over players, goes into the the TV screen and scores a touchdown. Players return to being soaked into the TV, which then turns off as parents walk into the room with the mother yelling, “What happened!”
Sure, the kids probably got grounded. But at least Sweetness scored a touchdown. As a Bears fan, that feels real even if it’s a video-game version of him…on TV.
- Budweiser
What is a Super Bowl without a Budweiser commercial? My heart was warmed as the relationship between a dog and a Budweiser horse was on display especially as the horse recovered from an injury.
- FTX
This ad featured Larry David. I can say, to take a phrase of his from Curb Your Enthusiasm, that it was “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” After all, for better or worse, cryptocurrency is here to stay. It is no wonder that there was quite a handful of crypto ads.
- Hellmann’s
Don’t waste food … unless you want to be tackled by Jerod Mayo (yes, that is actually his name). How delicious.
Watch above.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
