Super Bowl 51 - Our Picks
Source's editor Jamie Madge makes his selection of the spots from this Sunday's Super Bowl.
Another Super Bowl, another selection of cracking spots. Whilst the media team at Source slogged away getting EVERY spot online for your viewing pleasure overnight (don’t believe us, just click here), our illustrious editor (who writes his own intros) chose a few of his faves from the night.
In short, it was a night of the usual mega-budget and chuckle-inducing commercials shot-through with pointed messages of equality and acceptance. Here’s his take on a few stand-outs:
Squarespace – Who Is JohnMalkovich.com?
If you ever saw the film ‘Being John Malkovich’ you’ll know that there’s only one Malkovich. Well, there’s kinda loads, but they’re all in his head or something. Anyway, the point is, the world hears the word ‘Malkovich’ and instantly pictures the bald intimidator from ‘In The Line Of Fire’, ‘Dangerous Liasons’ and, his magnum opus, ‘Con Air’. You can imagine Malcatraz’s frustration, therefore, when he discovers another pretender to the crown has registered his name as a URL. A simple premise expertly realised by the direction of Smuggler’s Miles Jay.
The ever-important issue of wage inequality between the sexes is addressed beautifully and powerfully in this striking spot from Somesuch’s Aiofe McArdle. Created by Venables Bell & Partners, the timely message is deserving of its wide audience.
First, a confession. It’s true, dear reader, that the person writing these very words you’re reading is… a Brit. I know, you probably guessed with my insertion of unnecessary ‘u’s (colour and the like) and occasional references to obscure English television shows (Smoke me a kipper), but it’s time the assertion was made public. The reason I’m owning up to this is simple – yearbooks hold a strange filmic fascination for me as it’s something UK schools simply do not do. Therefore, whenever I’ve seen one in real life, I treat it like a bizarre relic of a pop-culture world I’ve only seen and not experienced. Anyway, that might be why I like this ad a lot. Or it might be the hilarious pics of young celebs. You can decide. Elastic's Angus Wall doing the honours.
84 Lumber – The Journey Begins
Even without the message, the cinematic quality of this ad (short?) for building supplier 84 Lumber would mark it out as a Super Bowl star. However, the apt timing of this tale of a mother and daughter journeying from Mexico to the US mean that regardless of craft it was bound to court controversy. Initially rejected by Fox for a reference to Trump proposed border wall, the spot’s teasing ‘See the conclusion…’ call to action led to the brand’s site crashing. Despite contradictory interpretations of the spot’s message, the resulting conversations and buzz make this bold choice from a hitherto fairly media-shy company.
GoDaddy – The Internet Wants You
If you want to hear the whole story about this funny spot, check out our chat with Rattling Stick’s Traktor. In brief, it’s a densely packed meme-ery, humanising our old pal The Internet with aplomb.
Brands certainly bet of the rejection of certain ‘other’-phobic views this Super Bowl, with this Airbnb spot being one of the most overt. A powerful, important message of acceptance, the spot may not win awards for innovation but certainly packs an undeniable punch in the current climate.
If you hold more Fonda-ness for the cinema of American New Wave of the late 60’s and 70’s than the current crop of blockbusters, then you’ll be pleased to see the other ‘Captain America’ don his familiar garb in this nostalgic spot for Mercedes. Shot with graceful elegance by the Coen Brothers (yes, those ones), this ode to ‘Easy Rider’ makes a mark.
OK, maybe not a favourite from the show, but I have questions… Did they deliberately make it look like an ad from a movie set in a dystopian future where the robots were about to seize control? Have they made a Terminator Jon Hamm? If so, my wife wants to know if she can buy one? What was I talking about?
Febreze – Halftime #BathroomBreak
Febreze chose to honour the unsung hero of the viewing experience – the well-kept washroom. Yes, in a most epic manner, the smell-obliterator sang a mighty ode to pooping which not only matched the brand's core function (come on, who wants to smell that) but also managed to be extremely humorous.
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