Author Spotlight
Sophia Brockmeier
Now let’s be real: the Super Bowl is undoubtedly an incredible display of athletic talent and ability, but I’m only watching to see the outlandish and creative commercials.
As I sat down this year to watch Patrick Mahomes amaze me yet again with his un-human passes, I also anticipated the over the top commercials that I would ponder over for days to come – five of which stood out to me.
“As if?” – a phrase every girl has heard from the teenage cult-classic: “Clueless”.
Reuniting after 28 years, “Clueless” actors Alicia Silverstone and Elisa Donovan reprise their roles as Cher Horowitz and Amber Mariens for a partnership with Rakuten – a cash-back shopping company.
When the commercial came on the screen, the iconic yellow and black plaid vest that adorns Silverstone in “Clueless” glared right at me — an automatic ode to the movie. It registered instantaneously and I was able to get a feel for the commercial.
The beginning is set in a highschool classroom as Silverstone delivers a speech to the class about Rakuten. Donovan is standing at a platform beside her, but is shushed by Silverstone.
I wish that Donovan had been giving a speaking part in the commercial, her snobby attitude could have been portrayed better in the debate.
Silverstone is then seen selecting clothing from her closet and stores as yet again the directors make a comparison to her shopping addiction in “Clueless”.
As the commercial cuts from scene to scene, I found myself wishing they had created more cameos in the commercial – where was Paul Rudd or Stacey Dash? Only having Silverstone and Donovan in the commercial left me wondering where they stood and why these well known and crucial actors didn’t appear.
Although I was longing for more of my favorite characters to appear, the commercial included the essential ones which kept me entertained.
Clouds are drifting over the hills of an electric green golf course. You’re sitting with renowned professional golfers: Justin Thomas, Jordan Speith, Ricky Fowler and… Alex Morgan?
Yes, Morgan’s appearance in this Michelob ULTRA and Netflix commercial threw me for a loop too.
“Full Swing” – Netflix’s newest sports show, collaborated with Michelob ULTRA in several commercials featuring golf stars from around the country. “Full Swing” will be a documentary coming out Feb. 15, covering the PGA Tour from the competing golfers point of views.
It made sense to me to include the golfers featured in the documentary into the commercial, however women’s soccer star Alex Morgan didn’t.
The overall joke clicked, making light at the monotone and third-person viewpoint of golf announcers. Morgan asks Fowler if golfers always talk in third-person and he responds to her in third-person. I’ll admit I did laugh at this one and was able to remember it days later, but for the confusing aspect – not the comedy.
The hit commercial that took over TikTok: Tubi’s trick on the nation.
As I scrolled on my TikTok “For You” page after the Super Bowl I couldn’t help but see all the buzz about Tubi’s commercials. This movie and television service provider created an optical illusion for the viewer.
When the commercial turned on, it appeared as if the break had ended and the football news casters were recapping the game.
Then popped up a bar from the bottom of the screen that looked as if one of my fellow viewers had picked up the television remote and changed the channel to a streaming service. The television then seemed to magically select “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and started to play the show momentarily before the commercial ended.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to think – did I sit on the remote accidentally? What if I missed the next play? My brain however, didn’t process what I was watching until the moment was over.
Super Bowl viewers from all over the country shared their personal stories on TikTok about watching the Tubi commercial describing short quarrels that broke out between family members to frantic searches for the television remote.
Doritos made yet another commercial using their classic marketing strategy – the triangle.
Songwriter and rapper Jack Harlow stars in this commercial as he attempts to make a new hit with the musical instrument – a triangle. His concerts are decked with triangles, fans want his signature on triangles and Harlow even holds his own “triangle school”.
The point of this commercial gets across very quickly, the innovative structure of a Dorito chip makes it catchy and addictive for consumers.
However, examples such as a triangle replacing the British pound were exaggerated too much and the commercial took too long.
Would the triangle truly remove the British pound? This is a commercial so anything can happen or be perceived to happen, but I just got tired of seeing more and more examples of the triangle craze – the humor is overdone.
Each scenario didn’t add up until one widely creative example – instead they fizzled down.
The Pepsi Zero Sugar commercial starring Ben Stiller is yet another commercial this year that broke the “third wall” of television. Stiller shows the persuading and storytelling side of acting by illustrating his skill for acting in different theatrical situations.
For example, he proposes to his wife only to be kicked in the face by her seconds later. Stiller then grabs his nose in pain only to miraculously recover, the whole scene was never real.
And I’ll have to admit, my brain is so trained to believe my screen that I almost forgot the point of the commercial each time Stiller found himself in a new situation.
The commercial included the perfect medium of acting examples – they didn’t take the focus too far or yet not provide enough compared to the extravagant Doritos examples.
The commercial ended off with a predictable conclusion to the joke. Stiller takes a sip of Pepsi Zero Sugar and comments on its refreshing taste only to turn around and ask the viewer “Or was I just acting?”
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