Campaign Spotlight: Super Bowl LI Special

Around the world people are gearing up for this weekend’s Super Bowl LI. While the matchup between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons may be the focal point of Super Bowl Sunday for sports fans, the rest of us will be treated to the best advertising spots of the year. With a going rate of more than $5 million for a 30-second spot, these ads can’t afford to leave us wanting. Take a look at our picks for the best ads of Super Bowl LI and have your say in who wins.

Skittles ‘Romance’ by Adam & Eve DDB

Adam & Eve/DDB has created Skittle's third consecutive Super Bowl ad and its humorous take on an age-old sentiment is sure to win some laughs. The 30-second 'Romance' spot shows a teen throwing Skittles through his love’s open bedroom window. The girl sits on the floor and catches the treats in her mouth and, unbeknownst to her suitor below, moves over to let her mum, dad and grandma have their fill. Hilarity then ensues as a friendly robber, cop and badger turn up to get their share of Skittles. The ad ends with the strapline, "Romance the Rainbow".

Ford ‘Go Further’ by Global Team Blue

While not technically during the action, Ford’s Super Bowl commercial focuses on research and development instead of on a new vehicle. The 90-second ‘Go Further’ spot will air between the coin toss and kick off and sees people stuck in a variety of situations, such as getting stuck in traffic, or worse, getting stuck half-way up a mountain in a chairlift. With narration by Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, the ad shows the people eventually set free in order to promote how Ford is investing in innovative products like self-driving cars, ride-sharing and bike-sharing.

Intel ‘Brady Everyday’ by McGarryBowen New York

The 30-second ad plays up Intel 360° Technology’s ability to make anything, and everything, look dramatic with slow motion, panoramic shots of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady waking up in the morning, brushing his teeth, making pancakes, and then eating a pancake off the floor before his dog can get to it.

TuboTax ‘Humpty Fall’ by Wieden + Kennedy Portland and Grupo Gallegos

TuboTax has booked a 45-second slot to promote its helpful tax season solutions. While the official ad will launch during the first half of the game, three teaser ads have already been introduced. One of the teasers, ‘Humpty Fall’ is part of the wider ‘Relax It’s TurboTax’ campaign and shows medieval soldiers coming to Humpty Dumpty’s rescue after seeing him topple off a brick wall. As per the nursey rhyme, they decide to put him back together. The pair try hopelessly to put the egg shells back together when they find out he was on top of the wall doing his taxes using SmartLook on the TurboTax app. The revelation makes the evening news and stuns the general public. At the time of printing, the ad proved to be the most popular on our list, having already amassed over 12 million views on YouTube.

Procter & Gamble Mr. Clean ‘Cleaner of Your Dreams’ by Leo Burnett Toronto

If you’re hosting your own Super Bowl party this week you may find yourself wishing that Procter & Gamble distributed Mr. Clean products in the UK market. The iconic American cleaning brand finally gets its Super Bowl debut with a modernised, hunky version of the character which was first released in the 1950s. The 30-second ‘Cleaner of Your Dreams’ ad shows Mr. Clean appear on scene as a stressed woman tries to get a post-party mess under control. Mr. Clean’s rippling muscles are barely concealed by his skin-tight white t-shirt and trousers as he gets to work scrubbing the house. The homemaker is so enamoured by his presence she zones out, only to be brought out of her fantasy by her husband calling her name. When asking for her approval of his cleaning skills she runs into his arms as the tagline “You Gotta Love a Man Who Cleans”.

Procter & Gamble Febreze ‘Halftime #BathroomBreak’ by Grey New York

Of course if Mr. Clean doesn’t meet all your cleaning needs P&G is also promoting Febreze in what is also its first Super Bowl appearance. The Super Bowl is unique in its lack of provisions for loo breaks; none of us want to miss any of the game, nor do we want to skip what could be the most talked about ad of the year. So that leaves half-time for an all-important wee break. Febreze is playing homage to that pivotal moment with its ‘#BathroomBreak’ ad set to air during the second quarter. Aptly timed, the 30-second ad is narrated by comedian Kathryn Hahn and shows the annual stampede for the bathroom between the halftime whistle and the halftime show. The ad is part of the brand’s larger ‘Odour Odes’ campaign which uses the strapline, ‘I love you. You stink.”

Wix.com ‘Big Game Ad with Jason Statham & Gal Gadot’ by in-house creative

The 75-second ad shows the head chef of a restaurant don noise-cancelling headphones in order to concentrate on building his website using Wix.com. Through he doesn’t know it, things quickly fall into chaos around him as actors Jason Statham and Gal Gadot fight a mob of gangsters in the restaurant’s dining room. The pair effectively demolish the restaurant before the chef realises what’s happening. As Gadot asks for her dessert to go, the chef cuts his losses and decides to customise his website for a food truck business.

Budweiser ‘Born the Hard Way’ by Anomaly

And of course, what’s the Super Bowl without the inevitable beer ads? This year domestic brands Michelob Ultra, Budweiser, Bud Light and Busch have secured exclusive rights during the game. Anheuser-Busch stretched its advertising budget to splurge on a 60-second immigrant-themed commercial for Budweiser. The full ‘Born the Hard Way’ ad depicts the life of the company’s co-founder Adolphus Busch. The ad has yet to be released, however, a 15-second teaser shows the famous founder arriving in St. Louis for the first time in 1857. While the company has stressed the ad should not be taken as commentary on the current immigration policies set forth by President Trump, the teaser clip makes it evident that Busch’s journey was in no way an easy one.

We might not have a say in which team takes home the Lombardi Trophy this Sunday, but you can vote in our poll and help us pick the winning ad of Super Bowl LI. For even more ads, tune in to the big game this Sunday night at 11:30pm.