Super Bowl Commercials – Syndication Server

USA TODAY Ad Meter Rewind: Looking back at Mountain Dew’s ‘Puppy Monkey Baby’

The 2016 Super Bowl commercial lives on to this day, even growing stronger

Sit back, and let me tell you a tale that would make oil and water jealous.

It happened in 2016 on a Super Bowl Sunday. The big game had already become a memorable event well before kickoff, with a trivia question arising after the NFL think tank nixed the typical Roman numerals for the number “50”, thus avoiding the Super Bowl L jokes (that happened anyway).

The matchup pitted the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. Peyton Manning vs. Cam Newton.

The location was San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium.

Lady Gaga had the mic for the National Anthem, and Coldplay covered the halftime duties, along with Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson and Beyonce.

It was CBS’ turn in the broadcast booth, a pre-Tony Romo set headed by Jim Nantz and Phil Simms.

The pregame hoopla gave way to the kickoff…

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When the clock ticked to zero in the fourth quarter, the Broncos would be champs, winners of a game with the third-largest viewing audience in Super Bowl history: 111.9 million.

And, of course, you could say many of those millions were simply tuning in to see the commercials.

This is where my tale really takes place.

The 2016 Super Bowl commercial lineup wasn’t an all-time great in the overall pop-cultural vault, but it did have its moments—from a Weiner Dog stampede to Christopher Walken and his “Walken Closet.”

History was made as Hyundai took the top spot in the USA TODAY Ad Meter ratings—out of the 63 ads in the national block—becoming the first car brand to earn that distinction.

The cost for a 30-second commercial that year? Upwards of $5 million.

But most of that is forgotten at this point: The game, who sang the National Anthem, who flipped the coin, the halftime show, and even the Ad Meter champion.

What’s not forgotten?

Puppy Monkey Baby.

That’s what.

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The mashup of epic sidewinding creativity from Mountain Dew came to life during the commercial break in 2016 and left a vast array of emotions among the audience, ones typically reserved for movie trailers or wardrobe malfunctions.

Agency BBDO was behind the ad, with Don Marshall Wilhelmi serving as creative director and copywriter.

He reflected on the spot in MEL Magazine, saying, “It’s probably the biggest TV investment that they can make because it’s one of the few times during the year where people pay attention to ads. So when a brand chooses to do one, what they’re looking for is to get attention — they want to get talked about.

“That being said, there’s kind of this running gag in the ad world that, in Super Bowl spots, the most popular ads have cute puppies, babies doing something silly, or there’s a monkey, as there were a few years in a row where monkeys were in everything.”

And thus, an unlikely star was born.

The commercial was by no means a hit in the Ad Meter ratings, mind you, landing 55th overall with a sub-4 rating (out of 10).

But just as not all heroes wear capes, not all successful commercials end the night cloaked in greatness.

That can take time, especially when it’s a mix of things that shouldn’t be mixed.

And now? Well, during every Super Bowl commercial rush, there is a whisper that steadily grows into a conversational roar…

A BARK-CRY-OOH-OHH-AHH-AHH:

Super Bowl Commercial Watch Party with YouTube AdBlitz: TurboTax takes the stage

TurboTax is back in the commercial lineup with this 45-second ‘tax-free’ musical.

TurboTax is back for the Super Bowl 57 commercial rush, and as part of USA TODAY Ad Meter’s partnership with YouTube AdBlitz, we’re taking a look at the brand’s 45-second spot, “Dancer.”

The tax prep provider has become a familiar face on advertising’s biggest stage, appearing in the nationally televised block for nearly a decade, which includes the 2022 commercial starring “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis.

Shifting to 2023, the creative behind the campaign continues the brand’s overall mission, which Cathleen Ryan, SVP of Marketing for Intuit TurboTax, explains is a feel-good message consumers would welcome as Tax Season nears.

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“This year’s Super Bowl spot is the culmination of our annual brand campaign ‘Come To TurboTax’, which encourages people to meet with a TurboTax Expert who can do their taxes for them, freeing them to get back to enjoying their life, said Ryan via email to Ad Meter. “We wanted to celebrate the joy and freedom people feel once they meet with a TurboTax expert that does their taxes.”

What can you do…. when you’re not in charge of doing your taxes?

The dream scenario plays out in 45 seconds, interpreted in a musical number by the star of the show—a guy who doesn’t have to hassle with his taxes.

The win-win display of W2-free freedom hits the small screen on Super Bowl Sunday, where TurboTax sees a perfect melding of Big Game joy and Filing Day fears.

Ryan continued on that thought: “The Super Bowl is a massive cultural moment that also happens to align with a key peak in the tax filing season. TurboTax’s approach to the Super Bowl reinforces that the brand isn’t just a DIY tax prep company – TurboTax has the products and services to handle your tax situation no matter how you want to file – including meeting with a TurboTax Expert while they file taxes for you.”

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Super Bowl coin toss outcomes since 1989

The anticipated act has played a significant part of Super Bowl and Ad Meter history.

Heads or tails?

Few elements of a football game have as dramatic an effect as the answer to that simple—yet extraordinarily profound—question. And the emphasis is only magnified on Super Bowl Sunday.

Though the lead-up productions can be quite extensive, the Super Bowl coin toss happens in mere seconds but creates a ton of excitement and sets up the action on the NFL’s biggest stage.

Gasp—it’s ours!

Sigh—it’s…theirs.

Since the first Super Bowl, the outcome has been nearly even. Heads has landed 27 times. Tails has been the winning call 29 times. And it’s been 100% riveting each time.

But the chance-based hoopla sets an important marker beyond what’s about to take place on the football field, too. Anyone familiar with the Super Bowl commercial rush of USA TODAY’s Ad Meter recognizes that the coin toss represents the opening act to the national block of commercials featured in the ratings. (From the coin toss to the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter!)

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So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to take a look back at every coin toss since Ad Meter’s inaugural year in 1989. Who won the toss? Who won the game? Who took the Ad Meter crown?

All great questions. And here are the answers….

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Heads or Tails: Heads

Coin Toss Winner: Chiefs

Super Bowl Winner: Bucs

Ad Meter Winner: Rocket Mortgage

Super Bowl LVI, 2022

Teams: Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Heads or Tails: Heads

Coin Toss Winner: Bengals

Super Bowl Winner: Rams

Ad Meter Winner: Rocket Mortgage

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Serena Williams sizzles in Rémy Martin Super Bowl 57 teasers

Super Bowl Commercial Rewind: 5 iconic freeze-frames in Ad Meter history

Super Bowl commercial infamy—in less than 30 seconds.

While Super Bowl ads typically run 30 seconds to one minute or even two, it only takes a simple frame for a spot to go from average to a pop-culture conversation — one that lasts well after the big game is over.

Whether it’s a funny punchline or a creative twist, the brands and creative agencies that have found the winning formula to execute such a feat is one of the more impressive achievements in the entertainment cosmos.

It’s a digital-age spin on Mark Twain’s famous quote: “I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.”

That’s to say… to capture an audience’s attention—some 80-plus million each year—in such a brief time is an underestimated talent. More so when considering the final product is battling trips to the refrigerator, football fandom convos and social media browsing, bathroom breaks, all the general flare of Super Bowl parties.

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Since 1989, when USA TODAY Ad Meter first began, more than a few spots have competed for such rare space in the iconic commercial vault. But out of the thousands of commercials that panelists have rated, only a select group of ads have excelled at creating instant recognition and reactions, where the audience simply needs a freeze-frame glimpse.

These five Super Bowl ads would be on that short list…

5. Pepsi “Pepsi vs. Coke Truck Drivers in Diner” — 1995

What started as a nice moment between a Pepsi delivery truck driver and a Coke delivery truck driver at a diner quickly turned into a scuffle with fisticuffs a flying. It was another hit for Pepsi—literally and metaphorically—and was one of three Pepsi ads in 1995 that placed at the top of the Ad Meter ratings.

Remember the song?

4. Volkswagen “The Force” — 2012

A little Darth Vader stepped into the galactic world of Super Bowl commercials back in 2012 and won the night. Even though his powers didn’t come to full “force” until his dad gave a little behind-the-scenes assist, the boy’s reaction to the Volkswagen starting is television gold —and is still priceless today.

3. Budweiser “Frogs Know Their Beer” — 1995

There have been more than a few classic Budweiser characters throughout Super Bowl commercial history, from the Dalmatians and Clydesdales to the Cooler-Worshipping Crabs. But nothing can hold up to the Budweiser frogs. One look at the 1995 commercial, and chances are, someone will begin the cadence: Bud-Wei…SER!

2. Snickers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” — 2010

A football game for the ages took place during the 2010 Super Bowl…and it happened in a commercial break. The Snickers ad featuring the late, great Betty White truly became an instant classic, introducing her to millions of new fans and creating a legendary status in the Super Bowl commercial world.

1. Pepsi “New Can” — 1992

One supermodel. One vending machine. One Pepsi. Two very awestruck boys. Cindy Crawford pulled up to the Halfway Cafe in her Lamborghini and slow-mo strutted to grab a soda back in ’92, creating a lasting image—one that people only need to glance at before they start humming Doris Troy’s “Just One Look.”

Fun fact: The commercial finished second in the Ad Meter ratings that year, just behind Nike’s basketball game between Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny.

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Ben Stiller vs. Steve Martin in Pepsi’s pair of Super Bowl 57 teasers

Stiller and Martin or Stiller vs. Martin?

There is not enough room for Ben Stiller and Steve Martin in one Pepsi ad during Super Bowl 57.

So there’s going to be two.

The duo create some laughs in a pair of teasers released by the soda brand which will have a new-look relationship with the football game in 2023.

Pepsi and the Super Bowl have seemingly always been connected at the hip. For the past 11 years, it’s been the Pepsi halftime show at the Super Bowl. This year, that’s changed, but Pepsi is going to be involved on the advert front.

For the first time in three years, Pepsi is going to run an ad campaign during Super Bowl 57 which will have a chance to take home the crown during the 35th year of Ad Meter’s ratings.

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In Pepsi’s changeup, the two comedic stars hold a back-and-forth session where they’re really… roasting each other. The quips between the two increase throughout the two teasers.

The first preview has the duo going at it over who is the better actor in general:

In the second, the jabs about acting remain, but they turn the heat up on each other’s on-screen styles and more:

In lieu of the halftime sponsorship in 2023, which Apple Music took over, Pepsi is going to run a pair of ads during the contest. Pepsi CMO Todd Kaplan wrote on Linkedin following the teaser releases that there will be two adverts during Super Bowl LVII:

Two icons. Two Super Bowl spots. Zero Sugar.

This year for the Super Bowl we are excited to share that we are teaming up with Ben Stiller and Steve Martin for our new Pepsi Zero Sugar campaign!

Each will appear in their own, separate standalone Pepsi Zero Sugar ad, marking the first time that either of them have starred in a Super Bowl commercial!

According to E! News, both Stiller and Martin are expected to attend the Super Bowl. Fans can look forward to potentially seeing them both during the game’s broadcast in the stands and during Pepsi’s feature on the commercial scene during the Feb. 12 game.

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Alicia Silverstone brings back ‘Clueless’ for Rakuten at Super Bowl 57

NFL leaves fans guessing in double dose of Super Bowl 57 teasers

The NFL is back in the Super Bowl commercial lineup… and that’s about all we know.

Housekeeping?

HousekEEPing?!

The NFL has fans wondering what’s what in the first round of teasers released during the AFC and NFC championships, with each 15-second spot heavy on athletic star-power and light on details.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Cam Heyward and Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson appear in the first teaser disguised as bellhops, mysterious and more so mischievous, as both conceal their voices to possibly gain access into one of the hotel rooms.

But why?

That answer remains unknown and only grows deeper in perplexities as we arrive at teaser No. 2, where New York Jets’ Sauce Gardner and the L.A. Rams’ Jalen Ramsey are dressed as security guards in a stadium concourse.

Ramsey is not thrilled with his fellow cornerback, who is more worried about “sauce” than locking down the perimeter, when…

Suddenly, an “all units, Code Red” drops over the mic, and both take off in hot pursuit!

Of what? We don’t know.

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Here’s what we do know:

The NFL has become just as meaningful in the Super Bowl commercial world as it has for the big game that unfolds between the breaks, creating eye-catching campaigns that feature some of the game’s best and play out like short films.

And that type of rise has been prevalent in recent Ad Meter competitions, too.

(Courtesy of NFL, 2022 Super Bowl Commercial)

In terms of brands that have garnered success in the longstanding ratings, the NFL is near the top, winning in 2019 and holding multiple top-five finishes.

The outlook for 2023?

Adding to the overall reputation, the league’s creativity comes with a dynamic force behind the lens as well. The teasers and full commercial were directed by Bryan Buckley, who has been coined the ‘King of the Super Bowl’, of which he has produced some 60-plus ads since 1999.

Combine it all, and you’ve got a proverbial All-Pro squad set for advertising’s biggest stage, one that will have fans watching in curios anticipation, perhaps wondering—maybe even asking in a Tom Cruise voice—who ordered the Code Red?!

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Melissa McCarthy is in full relaxation mode in Booking.com’s Super Bowl 57 teaser

Alicia Silverstone brings back ‘Clueless’ for Rakuten at Super Bowl 57

Rakuten takes a ‘Clueless’ approach to their #SuperBowl 57 ad:

As if you needed another reason to be looking forward to the commercial scene during Super Bowl 57, you’ve found one.

Thanks to another bold swing by the shopping site Rakuten, Cher Horowitz is back. A 15-second teaser of Rakuten’s upcoming Super Bowl LVII advert revealed that Alicia Silverstone is returning as her character from the iconic flick “Clueless” on game day.

During the preview, some unmistakable references to the film are made.

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While the now 46-year-old Silverstone makes her way through a classroom, one can immediately take note of her attire: yellow plaid. Then she dusts of a “don’t bug,” reference:

The cherry on top is the “Get a clue” and date of the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 by Rakuten at the end which ties the whole thing neaty together.

Silverstone said bringing Cher back for such a company and idea made too much sense to pass up.

“When I think about Cher and about how she’s film’s most historic shopaholic, the idea that she would be able to use this app is the greatest hack ever, getting cash back on all your shopping,” Silverstone told Variety. “I feel like she would want everyone to know that.”

Prior to the teaser’s release, Silverstone also did a sneak peek of it on her social media account via Instagram a day prior:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFk7Z1JtJe/?hl=en

Rakuten’s commercial will have many gitty for the ad’s debut. It clearly will grab the attention of fans of the 1995 hit, but with the brand in mind, it’s likely going to have a 2023 shopping twist.

So far we know the game day commercial is set to be a 30-second spot. Rakuten’s submission will be in the running for the top prize in Ad Meter’s 35th year of ratings.

Last year’s Super Bowl featured Rakuten’s first Big Game commercial. In a similar big effort, their debut one featured Hannah Waddingham, the AFC Richmond’s owner Rebecca Welton in “Ted Lasso.”

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Melissa McCarthy is in full relaxation mode in Booking.com’s Super Bowl 57 teaser

The talented actress/producer returns to the Super Bowl commercial lineup as the spokesperson for Booking.com.

Melissa McCarthy is back in the Super Bowl commercial spotlight in 2023, pampered in relaxing decadence for Booking.com’s first big game teaser reveal.

And the early impressions are comedy gold.

In just 15 seconds, the spot sets off a jovial journey by hitting all the right elements of bliss, right down to the oversized snack—fit for a comedy queen in paradise, as the brand put its—plus, an ill-colored mask and a foot massage.

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Watch the teaser below.

It’s the brand’s second straight appearance in the national lineup, a follow-up act to the 2022 ad that starred Idris Elba for the Booking.Yeah campaign.

And while the global travel leader has yet to reveal what’s in store for the full spot, the award-winning actress has proven her talent to capture a Super Bowl audience’s attention, with McCarthy being part of KIA’s Ad Meter-winning commercial in 2017.

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Will they get out? Jon Hamm and Brie Larson are stuck in the fridge in Hellmann’s first Super Bowl teaser

Hamm and Brie are stuck in the fridge with a jar of Hellmann’s — say what?!

Cheeses and peppers and pickles—oh my!

Jon Hamm and Brie Larson are stuck in a strange environment for Hellmann’s teaser ahead of the brand’s Super Bowl 57 commercial, with both A-listers circling a mayonnaise jar in geographical confusion.

Take a look at the 15-second spot with the now pint-sized duo below.

Will Hamm and Brie get out of the fridge?! That’s the build Hellmann’s will answer with the full 30-second ad.

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Solid puns aside, the commercial’s creative looks to highlight the vital issue of food waste at home, encouraging people to do more with what’s in their fridge and ‘Make Taste, Not Waste.’

It’s a continued effort by Hellmann’s, one that brings a focus to Super Bowl Sunday—the second most wasteful food day of the year in the U.S., trailing only Thanksgiving—with past creative efforts toward the overall campaign having looked to big-name talents like Amy Schumer and Pete Davidson.

This time, the brand likes the star-power combo (albeit a shrunken iteration) to help headline the messaging when the curtain lifts on advertising’s biggest stage on February 12.

“We’re so excited to have award-winning actors Jon Hamm and Brie Larson star in our Big Game commercial this year,” said Ben Crook, Vice President/GM, Dressings & Condiments (NA) at Unilever. “With names like Hamm and Brie, there are no better partners to help us inspire viewers to think creatively about the ingredients found in the fridge at a moment like the Big Game, the second most wasteful food day of the year in the U.S.”

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Avocados From Mexico teases Anna Faris as Eve ahead of Super Bowl 57 ad (plus behind-the-scenes photos)

Comedian Jeff Ross preps for the roasting of Mr. Peanut in first Super Bowl teaser from Planters

The iconic legume is back in the Super Bowl commercial lineup—and let’s hope he’d got a hard shell.

Mr. Peanut is back in the big game for a good ol’ roasting.

The triumphant return to the Super Bowl commercial lineup is a first since 2020, when Planters captured a large portion of a pre-Super Bowl commercial chatter after the monocled legume plunged to his demise in a teaser spot…only to enjoy a rebirth on advertising’s biggest stage as Baby Nut.

That ad placed 23rd in the Ad Meter ratings.

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This time around, the snack brand rolls up its comedy sleeves—with the help of comedian/Roastmaster General Jeff Ross—and introduces a time-honored tradition that’s been wrapped into one masterpiece of a pun.

Watch the first teaser:

Will Mr. Peanut crack?

According to Ross, fans will just have to wait and see.

“When MR. PEANUT® called and told me he wanted to be roasted, I almost dropped the phone because I thought he died two years ago. Not only is MR. PEANUT® an American legend but he’s got me through some tough times personally, like when I was lonely at the bar or stuck in traffic … so honoring him the only way I know how seemed like a fun idea,” said Ross in a statement released by Planters. “You’ll have to tune in to see if MR. PEANUT® can take the jokes or if he finally cracks.”

The mission won’t be left entirely to Ross’ punchlines, however, as Planters is also looking for crowd participation, welcoming fans to post their roast-worthy deliveries at PlantersMadeToBeRoasted.com.

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Avocados From Mexico teases Anna Faris as Eve ahead of Super Bowl 57 ad (plus behind-the-scenes photos)