By Caroline Crawford

Whether you’re watching the game or not, the Super Bowl is an event for everyone. From the enticing football game to the electric halftime show, it would be a challenge to bore the viewers. Even the commercials keep spectators on the edge of their seats while they wait for the return of the program. 

For some, the only reason to watch the Super Bowl is to see the results of millions of dollars poured into advertising. Here are some of the most notable commercials from Super Bowl LVIII, which aired on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 11.

Most creative: In Uber Eats’ commercial, “Worth Remembering,” where each celebrity featured forgot something in order to remember that Uber Eats can deliver anything. In Jennifer Aniston’s case, she made room to remember what Uber Eats offers by forgetting her old co-star, David Schwimmer, who worked with her on the popular show Friends. A fan of the show, Ellie Featherston (’25) said, “I thought the idea was clever. Any Friends fan knows that Rachel could never forget Ross.” 

The cast of Friends. Photo credit: NBC. 

The ad also featured celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham, who forgot the name of Victoria’s previous girl group, The Spice Girls. By calling it “The Cinnamon Sisters,” they have room to remember that Uber Eats can deliver anything. 

Funniest: The Dunkin’ Donuts commercial “The DunKings,” featuring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady, was the most humorous. Beginning in a car, Jack Harlow attempts to advise against Affleck’s plan to drop into Lopez’s recording session. Affleck decides to appear unannounced to perform his song that will launch his hip-hop career, proving that anything is possible with Dunkin’ Donuts.

Dunkin’ Donuts products. Photo credit: Dunkin’ Donuts. 

The most humorous aspects of the Dunkin’ ad were Affleck’s, Damon’s, and Brady’s costumes: orange sweatsuits with shiny Dunkin’ logos and the words “DunKings” across the chest. Affleck is disappointed when Lopez tells him to leave because his ensemble requires preparation and effort. Dunkin’ Donuts is considered a Boston and New England essential, so Damon and Affleck bring out their best Boston accents to establish that connection.

Pulling on your heartstrings: Kia’s commercial “Perfect 10” was a beautiful film about a young ice skater whose grandfather could not attend her competition. When she sees her grandfather’s seat empty, the girl’s expression shifts from a cheerful smile to a more somber look. Her father notices the girl’s mood shift through the rearview mirror of their Kia and decides to take her to visit her grandfather. When they arrive at his house, they plug lights into the car to illuminate the pond so that her grandfather can see through the window. After the girl performs her routine, her grandfather writes a number ten through the fog in the window. 

Kia’s advertisement impressed viewers with the emotional aspect of the grandfather and grandaughter’s connection. The commercial established Kia as a car manufacturer that brings people together. The advertisement also allowed viewers to grasp just how powerful their new electric vehicle is by powering the lights so the grandfather could watch his grandaughter’s performance. 

Most controversial: With a catchy song and slogan, “Shop like a billionaire,” online shopping site Temu’s Super Bowl ad was controversial among viewers. For the first time, Temu users learned the true pronunciation of the company’s name: TEH-MOO. Users frequently mispronounce Temu as TEE-MOO. The correct pronunciation is heavily disputed among users of the online marketplace. 

Best advertising: Verizon’s “Can’t B Broken” convinced viewers to choose their internet service. During the commercial, Beyoncé tries to break the internet by launching a rocket, creating an AI robot of herself named Beyoncé-ai, and running for Beyoncé of the United States. While live-streaming her attempts, the Verizon advocate consistently proves that their internet cannot be broken, even by Beyoncé. Who doesn’t want their internet to be unbreakable?

Honorable mentions: The M&M commercial, “Almost Champions Ring of Comfort,” advertised M&Ms to be the comforting snack choice for Super Bowl losers. Instead of a championship ring, the losers would earn a ring of comfort to ease their frustration. The Mountain Dew commercial “Having a Blast” featured Aubrey Plaza enjoying her Mountian Dew Baja Blast in uncomfortable environments. 

My favorite commercial was Pluto TV’s “Couch Potato Farms.” Farmers at Pluto TV, a streaming service, put their energy into growing couch potatoes. Around the farm, people in potato costumes sit on couches and watch Pluto TV while the farmers encourage them to continue watching. This advertisement was witty, as it used the humor of a farmer growing a couch potato to persuade viewers to stream Pluto TV.

Featured image credit: Cpl. Caleb Gomez, U.S. Marine Corps.