One of the most-watched events of the year aired just a few weeks ago: Super Bowl LVII. Despite it being the biggest TV event of the year, sometimes the commercials between the game are more entertaining than the actual football. 

More than 113 million people tuned into the Super Bowl this year, making it one of the biggest television events of the year and therefore the perfect way to market to millions of people. According to Statista, a 30-second commercial for the Super Bowl costs around 7 million USD, so the companies have to bring their A-game. So,  which commercials were the most entertaining from Super Bowl 2023?

5. Tubi

Although Tubi’s advertisement was not as funny as the rest of the ones on this list, it definitely was the most popular of the game. The advertisement began as a fake introduction back to the football game, but then it looked like someone may have sat on the remote and changed the channel to a random movie on Tubi. Apparently, this caused an uprising around the nation as people thought the channel was being changed in real life causing them to miss the game. The advertisement was later trending on Twitter as well as TikTok with people posting reactions. It captured the attention of viewers and created something for people to discuss besides the game. The reactions are what helped the commercial make this list.

4. General Motors and Netflix 

This commercial opens with the announcement from actor Will Ferrell that General Motors is introducing electric vehicles. The advertisement is a partnership with Netflix to promote several of their most popular original shows like “Squid Game,” “Bridgerton” and “Stranger Things.” It gave specific situations in each of the shows, added a GM electric vehicle in the background, and posed the question “Why not in an EV [electric vehicle]?” The advertisement was extremely well produced and looked like Will Ferrell was actually in each movie. It even included some of the original actors from each show. Although I never would’ve expected a collaboration between these two companies, it ended up being a pretty funny commercial. There was more physical comedy than verbal comedy in this one, making it not as entertaining as the others.

3. Dunkin’

The Dunkin’ Donuts Super Bowl commercial this year featured well-known actor Ben Affleck as a Dunkin drive-thru employee. The commercial was set in Medford, Maine, and although he was staged, the reactions of the customers were completely genuine. Affleck disregarded their shocked reactions and continued his goofy acting with selfies and jokes. At the end of the ad, Affleck’s wife, Jennifer Lopez, made an appearance. The way the advertisement was cut was quick and captivating for the audience. However, it wasn’t as showy as the first two and there wasn’t as much going into this commercial as the other commercials, placing it in third.

2. Pringles

It’s an ongoing joke on the internet about how the chips at the bottom of a Pringles can are so hard to reach, and it’s easy to end up with one’s hand stuck. Pringles leaned into this joke by making the commercial “Best of us.” The advertisement features a kid who has his hand stuck in a Pringles can, and his grandpa reassures him that “it happens to the best of us.” The commercial goes on to show different people with Pringles cans stuck on their hands. Again, it was a memorable advertisement that I remembered after the game was over. It also related back to the public, as people have found themselves stuck in this situation while reaching for the last chip. The production itself was  high-quality. The cuts were quick, and the acting was flashy. 

1. Doritos

This commercial, titled “Jack’s New Angle,” starred Jack Harlow as a world-renowned triangle player. The advertisement starts with Harlow needing inspiration for his new song, and then he sees the triangle from across the room and the commercial then begins a montage of Harlow’s life after he discovers his love for the triangle. The advertisement has a fun concept that relates to the company (Doritos) without it being shoved in the viewers’ faces. It features a very popular and charming celebrity that did a terrific job in his role. From a marketing perspective, the advertisement did not really feel like an advertisement as it continued to draw me in before revealing the sponsor at the end. It was one of the commercials that captured my attention and was my favorite overall from the entire game.

 There were many others that didn’t quite make the list, as well as those that were heartwarming and moving. These commercials kept the audience engaged and were entertaining enough to trend and start a conversation. These companies definitely didn’t come to play this year, no matter the type of advertisement it was.

 Contact Macey Thaxton at [email protected]