Favorite Super Bowl Ads of 2023
Four days have passed since this year’s Super Bowl, and I’m ready to share my favorite ads from the big game. It may not have been a vintage evening of Super Bowl commercials, but here are my favorites:
4. Michelob Ultra: “ULTRA Club | New Members Day”
My dad first showed me Caddyshack (1980) at a young age; probably too young if I’m being honest. But since then, Harold Ramis’ 1980 movie has been one of my favorite comedies of all time. It’s infinitely quotable, includes an absurdly talented cast of comedians, and is a true staple of early-80s humor.
In the weeks preceding Sunday’s game, I had seen this ad teased many times. I was pretty sure it was Caddyshack-themed but had not watched the full version. Kenny Loggins’ “I’m Alright” would’ve been enough to get my attention, but Michelob Ultra went even further. The commercial includes Serena Williams, Brian Cox (recreating Ted Knight’s Judge Smails character rather well), Alex Morgan, and Tony Romo (as a surprisingly passable Carl Spackler).
3. PopCorners: “Break into Something Good”
I have already devoted an entire blog post to this ad, so I will refrain from talking about it too much.
In this Breaking Bad-themed ad, PopCorners reunites the titular Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his cooking counterpart, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Teased heavily across social media, the commercial also features drug kingpin Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz). Instead of cooking their notorious crystal meth, Walt and Jesse are shown making PopCorners, a “popped-corn snack.” PopCorners even brought back Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan to help direct the advertisement. Read the rest of that blog here.
2. The Farmer’s Dog: “Forever”
This was the only ad that made me cry this year, and for good reason. The TV spot opens with Bear, a chocolate lab, beginning as a puppy and slowly progressing through life. As Bear ages, so does the owner, who eventually goes off to college, gets married, and has a child.
The ad ends with Bear cuddling in bed with his owner, many years after the story began. There, Bear relives his fondest memories, shown from a first-person point of view. As the owner of an eight-year-old black lab (named Buster), this ad was particularly moving for me.
1. Tubi: “Interface Interruption”
This 15-second prank ad instantly divided households with its clever execution. Tubi angered football fans across the country with this spot, tricking viewers into thinking that the channel was being changed.
I watched the game with about 15-20 friends, and their reaction to the Tubi ad was priceless. Within seconds, the entire room was up in arms; roommates, couples, and strangers were yelling at one another, each convinced that another had accidentally sat on the TV remote.
Perhaps the simplest ad of the year, it certainly left a mark. As I scrolled through TikTok the following morning, I kept seeing videos about the Tubi ad. And the comment sections were unanimous: everyone was fooled by the ad.