The Super Bowl is over and despite the fact that I was born and raised in LA, I’m not going to gloat. To me, the Super Bowl isn’t about some game, it’s not about who’s team wins and who’s team loses. It’s not about local pride. It’s all about celebrating the only day of the year where it is socially acceptable to be excited about commercials.
Ads aren’t anyone’s favorite thing, I get that. They’re intrusive, obnoxious, and really easy to forget exist, especially if you have an ad-blocker. But during the Super Bowl, they take on a special importance and significance. They reflect our cultural needs and obsessions. They make us feel like we’re a character in Mad Men.
It’s the one day of the year where ad companies try to flex their Draper-level shit, and nobody is as good at it as the food brands. From market staples to fast food brands to liquor labels, they bring their A-Game and often drop the day’s most memorable commercials. So we rounded out all our favorites for your viewing pleasure before life resumes to normal and you go back to rightfully being annoyed by them again.
Let’s watch!
Taco Bell — “The Grande Escape”
Taco Bell, Doja Cat, Doja Cat covering Hole’s Celebrity Skin, what’s not to love about this commercial? Oh, right the clowns. Look, I won’t pretend to understand what the hell is going on in this commercial. But we see Doja Cat, at some sort of clown university, peel out in an open-top car with some of her clown buddies going to a Taco Bell parking lot where they eat taco and shitty hot sauce and drink Baja Blasts.
Oh, I get it. They’re saying Taco Bell fans are clowns.
Frito Lay’s — “Push It”
There’s something funny to me about this commercial. No, it’s not the beatboxing animals eating chips dusted in chemicals that are banned in Europe. It’s that Frito Lay’s paid a lot of money for it — a lot of money to clear Salt N Pepa’s Push It, a lot of money to get Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth to do teasers for it. Hell, the very fact that the commercial had teaser trailers, to begin with, is hilarious to me. All in an effort to sell more Flamin’ Hot chips.
Don’t we already love Flamin’ Hot chips as it is?
Pringles — “Stuck In”
I feel for the dude in this ad because who amongst us hasn’t gotten our hands trapped in a Pringles can for a second and thought ‘will I have to live my whole life like this?’ Oh is that not a thing that happens to anyone? Anyway, this dude gets his hand stuck in a Pringles can and lives the whole rest of his life like that, which means to answer the question we know you’re wondering. Yes, he has sex with it on.
Hilarious.
Avocados From Mexico — “Always Good”
A bunch of Romans tailgate at a gladiatorial game but the party doesn’t really start until someone busts out the avocados from Mexico. Sounds about right. Burn the history books, this is all we need. Avocados from Mexico. In Ancient Rome.
Well, at least we get to see Andy Richter as Julius Ceasar, so it gets a pass.
Lay’s — “Stay Golden”
This year Lay’s brought us the Paul Rudd/Seth Rogen buddy movie we never knew we needed. We see them singing ballads in a drop-top. They almost die in a plane crash. They get kidnapped by stalkers. They get involved in a turf war. Seth buys a haunted house, and then marries a demon? Give it to us now.
Hellmann’s — “Mayo Tackles Food Waste”
I have to give it to Pete Davidson, he’s a good sport. He knows there’s something inherently distasteful about himself (doesn’t it just boil down to jealousy?). He’s always willing to be the butt of a joke. Not only does he get tackled by an unhinged Jerod Mayo in this commercial, but he also pokes fun at himself for his close relationship with his mom. He also admits he has a very hittable face.
Bless you, Pete Davidson. Oh and apparently, Hellman’s is doing something about food waste. That’ll save us.
Michelob Ultra — “Welcome To The Super Bowl”
Steve Buscemi at a bowling alley? We’re in. Forget all the other famous people, all we want to really see is some kind of spiritual sequel to The Big Lebowski. If we have to drink Michelob Ultra to get it, we’re in.
Cutwater Spirits — “Here’s To The Lazy Ones”
The black and white sentimental ad that attempts to celebrate hard-working people is the biggest Super Bowl ad cliche, and this offense is usually committed by big liquor brands. So we congratulate Cutwater Spirits by poking fun at the trend with their own black and white sentimental ad that celebrates lazy people.
“The ones who make the most of their time are the ones ahead of it.” We couldn’t agree more.
Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda — “Land Of Loud Flavors”
I’m not sure what kind of world Bud Light Seltzer is trying to depict here. Is a world where everyone dresses like and submits to the will of Guy Fieri a good or bad thing? On the one hand, everyone has to dress like Guy Fieri, on the other hand, everyone has to dress like Guy Fieri. See the issue here?