14 must-watch Super Bowl commercials for pop culture fans

The Super Bowl is known for its commercials, and we’ve collected a list of the best commercials and trailers pop culture fans need to see.

The Super Bowl is known for having some truly great commercials. With millions of Americans tuning in to watch the game each year, advertisers pay the big bucks to get a spot (this year, it’s around a whopping $5 million), and they want to ensure their product is memorable by creating a better-than-average ad.

While there were a lot of interesting, good, and bad commercials this year (we really are worried about robots as a society right now, huh?), some of the favorites for many people are those that feature celebrities or the trailers for movies.

We’ve collected a list of 14 Super Bowl commercials that all pop culture fans need to watch, whether you tuned into the big game or not.

Stella Artois featuring Sarah Jessica Parker and Jeff Bridges

This ad uses a couple of iconic characters who have signature drinks to show that Stella Artois is better. Instead of her customary Cosmopolitan, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City asks for a Stella. And the Dude from The Big Lebowski forgoes his White Russian to get a bottle of Stella, too. Overall, this ad was pretty effective, and especially so if you love Sex and the City or The Big Lebowski.

Bumble featuring Serena Williams

This ad uses the power of Serena Williams and the idea of serving a ball in tennis to promote the dating/friendship app, Bumble. Bumble stands out because it’s a dating app where women have to make the first move, just like Serena Williams has done in her career. This ad is a great example of using a short story element to hook viewers in.

Pepsi featuring Steve Carell, Lil Jon, and Cardi B

This clever ad has a lot of star power. Steve Carell lets us all know that Pepsi is more than okay. In fact, it’s the preferred drink. Using moments of both Lil Jon and Cardi B saying “Okay” in their iconic ways really drives this ad home.

Bud Light’s Game of Thrones crossover

This ad has fans of Game of Thrones and beer really excited. Also, it leaves people asking if this Bud Light kingdom is canonically part of the Game of Thrones universe now? This was definitely one of the most surprising and exciting of the entire Super Bowl and a brilliant move on Bud Light’s part.

Doritos featuring the Backstreet Boys and Chance the Rapper

Sometimes something original and nostalgic is the perfect way to sell something. The surprise appearance of the Backstreet Boys had boy-band fans happy to see the throwback. And we’re happy to see the make a come back. Either way, who’s hungry for Doritos now?

Amazon featuring Harrison Ford, Forest Whitaker, and more

If your ad features an adorable dog, you’re likely going to have people enjoy it. This brilliant ad explores failed Amazon ideas with Alexa, including an Alexa dog collar. The cute pup just keeps ordering dog food, much to owner Harrison Ford’s chagrin, and we love that little doggo.

Planters featuring Charlie Sheen

While Charlie Sheen is a controversial figure, Planters capitalized on his public perception to sell their peanuts. Sheen says the line, “and people think I’m nuts,” during this commercial that features Mr. Peanut driving wildly.

Michelob Ultra featuring Zoë Kravitz

This ad has Zoë Kravitz using ASMR to sell beer. And while it might be a little strange, it was weird enough to be memorable. Memorable is sometimes just as good as quality, right?

Expensify featuring 2 Chainz and Adam Scott

In this commercial, 2 Chainz is performing when Adam Scott interrupts him to bother him about expenses in a manner similar to Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation. 2 Chainz reminds us all that there are better ways to deal with your finances because a boss doesn’t have time for that. And who wants to struggle to do their finances anyway?

Burger King featuring Andy Warhol footage

This ad uses old footage of Andy Warhol eating a hamburger and changes it up so it looks like he’s eating a Burger King burger. The ad was a little eccentric and had a quirky way of repurposing some classic footage.

Avocados from Mexico featuring Kristin Chenoweth

In this funny ad, Kristin Chenoweth is an announcer at a human show (a bizarre spoof on a dog show), where humans compete to get Avocados from Mexico. With how pricey avocados can get, being in a human show might be something to consider just to get some tasty avocados. (Might, is the key word, of course.)

https://youtu.be/UKCIgtstpSQ

Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone

Trailers for television and films are often the most highly anticipated spots during the Super Bowl commercials. This creepy, realistic trailer for Peele’s upcoming Twilight Zone remake makes it seem like the Twilight Zone was hacking the broadcast in real time and was really effective and intriguing.

Captain Marvel

Marvel had two commercials this year, much to the excitement of fans. There’s already been a couple of trailers for Captain Marvel, but there was some new footage in this short teaser. Fans definitely can’t wait for this movie to come out in March, and neither can we!

Avengers: Endgame

Definitely the most anticipated moment during a commercial break was the new Avengers: Endgame teaser. This trailer aired right before the game began and left a lot of fans shook because of the depressing, realistic tone the teaser took. While this trailer didn’t really answer any questions, it was great to finally get some new content.

Which of these pop culture commercials was your favorite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!