The Super Bowl was boring as the Kansas City Chiefs were demolished by the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that was not as close as the final score indicated. That means more attention went to the Super Bowl commercials to fill the entertainment void.
Fox sold out their ad inventory with each commercial spot fetching around $7 million at record pricing.
Here are the 10 best Super Bowl commercials from Super Bowl 59 and one that didn’t quite hit the mark:
10. Dunkin’: “DunKings 2”
The sequel to last year’s popular The DunKings commercial takes the bit to a new level with so many cameos. This time, joining the Affleck Brothers, Ben and Casey, are Jeremy Strong, Bill Belichick, Jay and Silent Bob, and Druski. The best here is Strong, who emerges from a tank of coffee beans like Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now, spoofing his reputation for being a method actor. While the tracksuits stole the show in 2024, this year’s ad is funnier because of Strong’s natural humor. It makes you wish Succession would return for one more season.
9. NERDS: “What a Wonderful World”
Not every Super Bowl commercial needs to be funny, clever, or jarring. Some can be just sweet. NERDS leans into your fondness for candy with Shaboozey snacking on Gummy Clusters while putting his spin on the Louis Armstrong classic “What a Wonderful World.” The Grammy-nominated artist is strolling happily in New Orleans along with animated characters and a jazz band in this brightly colored spot. The commercial feels like a call back to a simpler time when enjoying candy on a beautiful day felt awesome. We could all use this sense of joy and optimism these days.
8. Pringles: “The Call of The Mustaches”
Perhaps no food product is more associated with mustaches than Pringles potato chips. Focusing on its most recognizable brand element, we have a wacky commercial with flying mustaches summoned by blowing into a Pringles can. Nick Offerman, Andy Reid, James Harden, and Mr. Potato Head (LOL) all lose part of their facial hair. The one quibble, Harden is more famous for his beard than his mustache. But I guess the payoff is seeing how ridiculous he looks while sitting next to Offerman. Also, cute use of the 1960s Batman TV show theme song.
7. RITZ: “RITZ Salty Club”
There’s no easy way to acknowledge this. Aubrey Plaza is an incredibly talented and funny person. However, the timing here feels so sad considering the death of her husband, the screenwriter and director Jeff Baena last month. But making people laugh with her snarky brand of humor is what Plaza does best. Her Mountain Dew commercial was great last year. Here she teams up with Michael Shannon and Bad Bunny. Plaza delivers the best one-liner: “I’m the human version of Monday.” Plaza and Shannon are great contrasts to the energetic Bad Bunny.
6. Hellmann’s: “When Sally Met Hellmann’s”
It’s a shame Hellmann’s leaked this Super Bowl commercial early. It might have been more impactful as a complete surprise that Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were reuniting for the most famous scene in the 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally. Many Super Bowl commercials rely on nostalgia, but this use seems more appropriate and less forced. Adding mayonnaise to your favorite sandwich at Katz’s Delicatessen probably happens daily. And it’s also fun to see Crystal and Ryan working together after decades apart. Crystal has a funny line: “This one is real.” And, of course, adding Sydney Sweeney was a smart choice.
5. Coors Light: “Slow Monday”
The only negative is that everyone probably experienced the Sunday Scaries after viewing this. This is another reason why the Super Bowl should be moved to Saturday. Or, maybe the President can sign another executive order to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday. Anyway, having sloths in your commercial is always a win. The scene where the exhausted supermarket clerk watches in horror as the groceries collide at the end of the conveyor belt is relatable and funny. Not so relatable but still amusing is the slow-speed chase with the TV chyron “Bank Robbery in Progress – Stolen Vehicle Speeding at 2 MPH.”
4. Stella Artois: “David & Dave: The Other David”
The unknown twin brother concept has long been a part of pop culture. Stella Artois manages to put a fresh spin on the idea with simple yet funny jokes punctuated by a knockout punchline. David Beckham and Matt Damon don’t look anything alike. Beckham is younger and taller. However, the commercial does enough to sell you on the concept that the one thing they do have in common is their love for this beer. The “That’s a shame” dig at Ben Affleck is hilarious.
3. Michelob ULTRA: “The ULTRA Hustle”
Ted Lasso was originally conceived as a commercial. Maybe Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara as pickleball hustlers will be next. The concept is a delight as Dafoe and O’Hara con younger mixed doubles, not for money but beer. Dafoe is hysterical as he cackles and dances, but O’Hara might have the best line. The funniest part is when they take on Randy Moss and Sabrina Ionescu. Moss yells: “You know we’re professional athletes, right?” O’Hara, unflinchingly, retorts: “What sport?” Please, Netflix, Prime, Apple, or Tubi make a Dafoe and O’Hara pickleball series happen.
2. GoDaddy Airo: “Act Like You Know “
This is worth a rewatch because there’s a lot going on here in this commercial for an AI tool. If you were at a party Sunday night, you might have missed some of the jokes. The naturally funny Walton Goggins packs plenty of humor in 30 seconds, poking fun at how the secret to acting is pretending to know what you’re doing. He starts by absent-mindedly walking through a crime scene, then he punches buttons in a spacecraft that sends a fellow astronaut to possibly his death and he drives a stick-shift car the wrong way during an auto race. I would buy a pair of Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses. Bravo.
1. Nike: “So Win.”
It’s hard to remember the last time Nike made a commercial that felt this impactful. With women’s sports continuing to rise in popularity, the shoe and athletic apparel giant delivered a message that resonated and broke through the clutter of typical Super Bowl commercials. It featured superstars like Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, JuJu Watkins, Sha’Carri Richardson, and others. Nike struck back the heart of the nonsense and misogyny directed at women athletes. The message is simple: the most successful argument against this crap is to be yourself and be as successful as you can. We’ll be talking about this commercial for years.
The worst
Mountain Dew: “Kiss From A Lime”
There weren’t any truly terrible Super Bowl commercials this year. However, having Seal in this as a seal wasn’t funny. And him parodying his most famous song for a soft drink wasn’t interesting either. This spot felt weird and off-key.
