Super Bowl 50 - Our Picks From The Night
Our Editor Jamie Madge chooses a handful of spots that tickled him during the big game.
So there it was. Super Bowl 50. The Denver Broncos won. A man called Peyton Manning did some excellent work. “Defense won the championship.” “No player was more decisive than outside linebacker Von Miller”. “Rodeos can be a painful business, when you’re dealing with Broncos that fight as hard as these.” Er…
Truth be told, I, the London-based Editor of Source Creative, know little of American Football other than a) it’s a bit like rugby, b) it’s enormously popular and c) Friday Night Lights is amazing. However, what I do know is adverts, and, luckily for me, the commercial breaks seem to be as important to the event as the half-time show, Gaga’s warbling and the throwy-kicky action itself.
As promised, the fine team of Source Creative stayed up throughout the night to ensure that all of the spots that aired before, during and after the big game are up on the platform with full credits and keywords. You can check all of that out here, but scroll down to see a few of our hand-picked highlights from the show.
Mountain Dew – PuppyMonkeyBaby
Director: Ulf Johansson
Production Co.: Smith & Jones
Agency: BBDO/NY
OK, these guys know what they’re doing. A combination of a multitude of meme-favourites (pugs, apes and sprogs) – check! Catchphrase type thing that kids and grown-up-kids will be saying until the next word-wizards brew up a new concoction – check! The sort of surrealism that doesn’t seem to bother anyone anymore even though you’ve had more coherent nightmares – check! The spot concerns a group of TV-watchers as they get invaded by the type of creature Dr Moreau would reject as “too creepy”. Despite this, definitely one to get people talking during the game.
Toyota Prius – The Longest Chase
Director: Lance Acord
Production Co.: Park Pictures
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi LA
A cute spot with a neat central idea – a Prius is the perfect choice for a getaway drive due to its performance, energy efficiency and, when needs-be, whisper-quiet motion. However, the killing stroke for this one is – IT HAS 3 OF THE SOBOTKA FAMILY FROM THE WIRE!! ZIGGY, NICK AND FRANK SOBOTKA!!!! ROBBING A BANK TOGETHER!!!!! AND NO-ONE MENTIONS IT!!!!!! Just me then? OK.
Director: Russo Brothers
Production Co.: Bullitt
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy/Portland
As usual, there were a lot of movie-related spots and micro-trailers during the Super Bowl this year, but Coke’s spot with the biggest and littlest of the MCU certainly stood out. Playing out like a fun scene from one of the Avengers movies, the spot sees Ant-Man (charmingly voiced by Paul Rudd) foolishly nicking a can of cola from Br Bruce Banner - aka Hulk. The resulting chase is fun, inventive and looks just as good as it’s big-screen counterparts (unsurprising really, as it’s directed by the Russo Brothers - the helmers of the upcoming Captain America: Civil War). It’s Hulk smash-ing.
Director: Matthijs Van Heijningen
Production Co.: MJZ
Agency: David & Goliath/Los Angeles
Neat ad, but this is mainly here because of the amazing way Christopher Walken says ‘pizzazz’. Seriously, it’s poetry.
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Production Co.: Wondros
Agency: FCB/Chicago
Now this is interesting – it’s one of those sports brand / energy drink spots that shows loads of people doing serious activity seriously, but it’s for… a beer? With brilliant editing and a great sound mix, it’s one of the best-looking spots of the Bowl, and by basically making beer a health drink it makes pubs around the world happy too. Win win win.
Director: Milovan Radovic
Production Co.: Patria Producciones S.A.C.
Agency: Young & Rubicam/Lima
It’s a smart idea to confront big issues when you know everyone is listening, so this simple message from Colgate couldn’t have been better-placed. The clear imagery backing up the central theme – turning off the tap whilst brushing your teeth saves gallons of water – makes for an effective and affecting spot. Certainly not the most glamourous of the Bowl, but maybe the most important.
Director: Jeff Low
Production Co.: Biscuit Filmworks
Agency: DAVID/Miami
I don’t know about the stats of the night, but it certainly seems like this doggy-loving spot ‘won’ the Super Bowl in the week before the game. To be fair, what’s not to love – sausage dogs in hotdog buns galloping through a field is such a beguiling image you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t let the smallest ‘awww’ leak out of their facehole.
To be continued...
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