Super Bowl LII has come and gone, and an exciting game it was. The Philadelphia Eagles scored a field goal on the very first drive of the game, then the New England Patriots replied in kind with three points of their own. Then the Eagles scored a touchdown! But… missed the extra point. Then lots of other stuff happened, we’re not here to give you a breakdown of the entire game, but rather to give you a breakdown of the very best Super Bowl LII commercials. You probably figured that out based on the title of this article, though, so let’s make like the Eagles and get right to the good stuff.
As you’ll see, most of the ads on our list of the best commercials from the 2018 Super Bowl used comedy. But our #1 and #5 best Super Bowl commercials went right for the feels.
#1 – BUDWEISER – Stand By You
The Budweiser 2018 Super Bowl commercial was released a few weeks back, so chances are good that you have already seen it by now. But whether you watched it for the first time during Super Bowl LII, whether you have already seen it 10 times, or even if this is your first viewing of the spot, chances are good that it still moved you. That’s because the Bud Super Bowl LII commercial titled “Stand By You,” is quite simply moving.
#2 – AUSTRALIA – Tourism Australia
Hey, what do you get when you ad Chris Hemsworth, Danny McBride, Paul Hogan, wine, beaches, a big knife, the Outback, and a kangaroo together? You get one damn good Super Bowl ad. And when that ad turns out to be a tongue-in-cheek promotional spot advertising Australia as a tourist destination in the guise of a buddy comedy movie, you get a great ad. We’re not sure there was any doubt that Australia was a cool place to visit, but if there were, it just got cleared up for tens of millions of viewers of Super Bowl LII.
#3 ROCKET MORTGAGE – Keegan-Michael Key FTW
Here’s why the Quicken Loans Rocket Mortgage Super Bowl commercial works: there are no fewer than eight different jokes in the minut-long ad — they are all based on the same premise, but they are all funny. Delivered by someone other than actor/comedian/writer/director Keegan-Michael Key, the jokes in this spot might not have landed so well. But as it is, the commercial will get at least a few laughs out of anyone who isn’t made of stone, and it will also let you know that, hey, it doesn’t have to be that hard to see if you qualify for a mortgage.
#4 – AMAZON – Did Alexa Lose Her Voice?
We’ve said it before and now we’ll say it again: the 2018 Amazon Super Bowl commercial is a winner, and it works not merely because it is jam packed with celebrities ranging from Sir Anthony Hopkins to Chef Gordon Ramsey to Amazon’s own CEO Jeff Bezos, but rather because the premise of the ad is funny (Alexa loses her voice and needs a replacement) and the execution is solid. And when a joke’s setup is solid and its punchline hits home, well… it works.
#5 – TOYOTA – Good Odds
This commercial didn’t focus on a Camry, a Highlander, or even on a Prius, but instead focused on people. And not just any people: the Toyota Super Bowl LII commercial titled “Good Odds” showcased people who have overcome physical disabilities to become world class athletes; people who can inspire and motivate the rest of us to rise to the occasion, even if we’re only facing the challenges of everyday life, not of an Olympic-level sporting challenge.
