Top 5 Commercials after the Superbowl

It's not too late to discuss the highly watched Superbowl commercials of this year! Although they were the most watchable part about this year's Superbowl, the ads left fans feeling disappointed. Critics complained that commercials had a slower pace and focused too heavily on emotional appeals.  Funny commercials tried too hard or went too far, and the majority of commercials were released pre-Superbowl, sacrificing the element of surprise. More commercials have been released this week, including a plethora of Coca-Cola commercials withheld from the Superbowl. However, there were some standout moments of last week, the best of which may surprise you! 

5 - Budweiser: "A Hero's Welcome”

A best Superbowl commercial list would not be complete without a Budweiser commercial. The commercial "A Hero's Welcome" features Lt. Chuck Nadd coming home for overseas. Little does he know, Budweiser, his girlfriend and his mother have planned a huge parade for him to celebrate his return. The result is a heartwarming and inspiring commercial celebrating our troops overseas. Seeing the emotion of everyone's faces connected with the audience and was a nice reminder to salute and thank our troops.

4 - Wonderful Pistachios: Stephen Colbert

After last year's Gagnam Style disaster commercial, Pistachio bounced back with my personal favorite ad of the Superbowl. This year, their commercial featured timeless Stephen Colbert, a bald eagle, and lots of green. The first 15 second segment features Colbert in a black suit and a lime green tie claiming that "I am wonderful, pistachios are wonderful, so they will sell themselves... I think we're done here." After a false break, it is evident that "sales for pistachios have not skyrocketed in the last 30 seconds due to a lack of branding," so Colbert goes on to say “Pistachios” 10 times before cracking his own head open to reveal… a pistachio. A little over the top? Maybe. But this commercial was certainly talked about.

3 - Cheerios: “Gracie”

The "Gracie" commercial has been getting a lot of love, and rightfully so! The delightfully short commercial featured parents with a sassy daughter and a soon to come baby (and puppy!). Using the cereal to visualize a growing family, Cheerios emphasizes the brand identity of family. The commercial was short enough to be attention grabbing and funny enough to stand out.

2 - Budweiser: "Puppy Love" 

If anyone was going to make the list twice, it’s Budweiser. The geniuses at Budweiser seem to come up with something more adorable and heartwarming every year.  Like in years past, puppies and horses were the magic formula. A Clydesdale and a puppy share a special bond, such that the Horse chases down a car when the puppy gets adopted and brings the puppy home to his farm. All set to the recent hit "Let her go" by Passenger, this commercial had everyone on the verge of tears with a stupid smile on their face... just like last year, and every year preceding.

1 - Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion: Luge

Surprisingly, the best commercial of the week was not from the Superbowl! Leading up to the Olympics, Russia passed an Anti-Gay law, spoken of by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak. In a brilliant, creative response, the Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion quickly released the “Luge” video. The spot features two male lugers in a slowed down video featuring the song “Baby” by The Human League in the background, giving the sport a sexual spin. As the lugers launch, the line “The games have always been a little gay. Let’s fight to keep them that way” appears. Bravo, CIDI. Bravo.