It’s that time of year again! With Super Bowl Sunday being as much about the ads as it is about watching football, big brands aim to create memorable spots that will stick with the audience well after the game is over.
Advertisers pay around $7 million for a 30-second slot. So we wanted to share our top five picks for what we think worked in the most expensive advertising showcase on American television.
CeraVe “Michael CeraVe”
After a few weeks of Michael Cera popping up in bizarre scenarios fueling speculation that he was connected to the brand (like the photos of him carrying a bunch of CeraVe products around New York City), CeraVe concluded their Super Bowl campaign with a fantastical ad featuring Cera.
We think the melodramatic ad, which was reminiscent of a perfume commercial, was great for the brand’s first-ever Super Bowl spot.
Dunkin’ “The DunKings”
Dunkin reunited with Ben Affleck as he surprised his wife Jennifer Lopez, (who is busy in the recording studio) with his star-studded “boy band” The DunKings. The Super Bowl spot, also featuring Matt Damon and Tom Brady, both built off of last year’s campaign and poked fun at everyone who claimed he looked bored while at the Grammys.
State Farm “Like a Good Neighbaaa”
According to the USA Today Ad Meter, Super Bowl fans rated State Farm’s ad as their favorite spot for 2024. It was fun to see Arnold Schwarzenegger get back into his action-hero persona as Agent State Farm.
If you didn’t consider their slogan iconic before, we’re sure you’ll remember it now.
e.l.f. Cosmetics “Jury Beauty”
Apparently, Judge Judy had a Super Bowl spot on her bucket list. The ad also included a Suits mini-reunion and other familiar faces for an intergenerational message. The cliffhanger-style teasers and coordinating social media campaign made us really like this spot. It created a more immersive experience that will help it reach a larger target audience and keep it front of mind.
T-Mobile “Home Internet Feeling”
“Scrubs” costars Zach Braff and Donald Faison are no strangers to Super Bowl ads. But this year they were joined by Jason Momoa to promote T-Mobile. Just when you thought you might be tired of the same-old cellphone commercials, T-Mobile served us a musical number complete with not one, but two Flashdance references.