Which Super Bowl LIV Commercials were worth the Hype and Money?

By Joanne Kong

Twitter: @KongFu4U

According to Hollywood Reporter, a 30-second commercial during Super Bowl LIV was $5.6 Million, up $400,000 from 2019.  It’s not surprising.  Re-sale Super Bowl tickets have gone up almost a thousand dollars from last year’s New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams game, who’s resale averaged $4,657.  According to StubHub, as of 6-hours before game time, the cheapest tickets for Super Bowl LIV were being sold for $5,307 dollars (before fees), which is on pat with the average resale for Super Bowl LII, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots, at $5,373.

Now that we know the cost, let’s take a look at the commercials I thought were worth the money and the hype.

Kicking it off, I liked the NFL 100 commercial leading into the Super Bowl (although I’m not certain they’d have to buy the time) as it had most of our favorite players with a great message.

1st Quarter

Rocket Mortgage featuring Jason Momoa

Aquaman, Jason Mamoa, knows how to be the punchline and we all love him for it.  Let’s be honest, is this really so unbelievable?

WalMart  “Grocery Pick-Up” Commercial featuring…everybody from Animated Martians to the Enterprise

WalMart is no stranger to spending money in their commercials, and Super Bowl LIV was no exception.  I mean, what character didn’t they pay to make a cameo?  Though, I noted that no actual actors from these franchises made an appearance, it was still effective.

Speaking of high budget commercials, you might also recognize this one from Super Bowl LIII

2nd Quarter

2020 Hyundai Sonata : Smaht Pahk

It’s just smaht and funny.  And, if you want a smile, you can’t beat the Boston accents…who’s pahking the cah?  Particularly entertaining as you can imagine this actually happening during the Super Bowl as the Pats aren’t in it for once.

Cheetos – “Can’t Touch This” featuring MC Hammer

He’s back and he’s showing us why “You can’t touch this”…yes, it’s Cheetos dust.  But hey, it’s as good of a reason as any why you can’t hold a baby. 😉

Notable Commerical: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine

David McNeil, CEO of WeatherTech, was so grateful to the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine for saving his 7-year-old Golden Retriever, Scout, that he made a contribution of a 30-second spot during Super Bowl LIV.  Animals with Scouts heart tumor usually have a 1% survival rate, but thanks to the progressive advances in medicine, Scout is healthy and almost cancer free.

3rd Quarter

Doritos Cool Ranch featuring Sam Elliot and Lil Nas X

An old western…dance-off?  To be honest, the horse dancing makes the commercial.

Amazon: “Before Alexa”

I always say it…what did we ever do before Google Maps?  Not that I’m promoting Google Maps.  I’m just saying, you used to print out directions from MapQuest.  And before that, you actually used a map…you know, one of those paper things that no one knew how to re-fold, or your just one of those strange mythical people who never got lost.  Today, even if you know where you’re going, you put on your GPS for traffic alerts.  So, what did we do before Alexa?  It really is hard to imagine life before instant answers to obscure pop culture questions and voice command smart homes.  The believability of this commercial makes it a winner.  In one word…clever.

4th Quarter

Toyota Highlander – “Go Where You Need to Go” featuring Cobie Smulders

Why is this commercial so entertaining?  Maybe it’s Smulders’ cool and calm attitude?  Maybe it’s her son who asks the question “Again?”  But we’ve all been there, just not having enough room.  Hopefully, Cobie Smulders will come to your rescue.

JEEP Gladiator “Ground Hog Day” featuring Bill Murray

It’s a bit of nostalgia.  It’s a bit of Bill Murray being Bill Murray.  It’s a new twist to a familiar movie that makes this commercial entertaining to watch.  And, it didn’t hurt that the super cute groundhog was the co-star.

Agree or disagree?  Hit me up on social media and let me know what you think!