Probably the only thing better than Butler’s interception in the final moments of Superbowl XLIX giving New England fans the finale they were praying for, was the media’s twist on this year’s commercials. There were the traditional knee slappers. Fiat’s “Little Blue Pill” ad topped the list, along with the dynamic duo of Chelsea Handler and Sarah Silverman promoting Wifi calling from T-Mobile.
For the majority of them were targeted around inspiration and awareness for various causes. It seems that the media has taken a 180. Less focus was put on the “sex sells” ideal and was in fact replaced with companies who wanted to show that they do in fact have a heart. So here’s this year’s top companies and their commercials:
5) Always “Like A Girl”
Always set out to make a statement on girl empowerment. Starting by featuring people who were asked to ‘run like a girl’, most participants ran rather weakly. When young girls were asked to run like a girl, most beat their feet as fast as possible and when asked how does one run like a girl? The response was an emphatic “as fast as you can”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3GpXgFwWmk
4) McDonald’s “Pay With Lovin”
A new promotion was aired this Superbowl from the U.S.A.’s favorite fast food restaurant. McDonald’s will be honoring their “Pay with love” to random customers up until February 14th (Valentine’s Day). This includes actions like calling mom and saying “I love you”, one big family hug and so on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2Sm2XGv_s
3) Toyota Camry “Amy Purdy”
Amy Purdy was the focus of Toyota Camry’s commercial. Purdy proved doctors wrong, when they gave her a 2% chance of surviving a bacterial infection. After both legs were amputated below the knee she went back into the world and became a Paralympic athlete among other things. Toyota’s choice of Purdy brought to light a story of triumph in the face of tragedy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsFs3iGRzCw
2) Microsoft “Empower Us All: Braylon O’Neill”
Microsoft technology isn’t just for computer programs. One of the company’s commercials this year centered around Braylon O’Neill, who as a very young child was fitted for his first pair of prosthetic legs. The narrator promotes “courage in the face of reality” and Braylon’s young life is shown through the eyes of his parents and doctors. Proving, that determination creates accomplishment.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLXRt-qRBfU
1) No More
This particular commercial tops number one. Falling more into the category of Public Service Announcement than actual advertisement, it tells a story of a woman calling 911. Being stuck in a domestic violence situation, the woman was unable to say exactly the reason for the call. Instead she stayed on the line with a very confused dispatcher who after the woman’s determination and calm, figured out how to get a policeman to the house as quickly as possible. This not only brought awareness to the issue of domestic violence, but showed a real life situation that viewers can connect to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z_zWIVRIWk
All in all, it was definitely a year worth watching the Superbowl. Just to see the commercials.
Photos courtesy of Google Images
Videos courtesy of Youtube