Role of Super Bowl Ads
In American culture football plays a large role in the sports world. The Super Bowl LIX, played on February 9, 2025, not only delivered a well played football ‘rematch’ but also showcased a series of memorable commercials—which some argue are the best part of the event in general. With Caldwell being somewhat of a ‘football town’ and it being ingrained in our American culture, I dove into the thoughts of fellow students and my own opinions on the various advertisements played during the Super Bowl.
Dunkin’s “DunKings 2” commercial
With Ben Affleck making an appearance in the commercial, it featured Dunkin and another brand (Starbucks) verbally fighting as the “Battle of the Brands” (ew.com). The commercial also featured John Candy’s son, Chris Candy, as a big cameo. However, when asking 10 anonymous students in our school, only two remembered the advertisement and only one said that they liked it. Obviously, from this and taking into account my own opinion, this ad was a miss for this year’s Super Bowl.
Ray Bans “Hey Meta, Who Eats Art?” Commercial
Kris Jenner appeared alongside Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth in a commercial promoting Ray-Ban’s new AI-powered Meta glasses. The ad features Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth in an art gallery, where Hemsworth mistakenly eats a banana that’s part of a $6.2 million artwork. Kris Jenner enters the scene in the kitchen, delivering the line, “Hey Meta, who eats art?” to add a comical show of the glasses’ abilities. With the three celebrities well known (and the fact that they are all named “Chris”), this advertisement stuck out during the Super Bowl. Everyone asked, including two freshmen, four sophomores, three juniors, and one senior, all said that they both remembered and enjoyed the ad. This was definitely memorable and incorporated new AI technology into modern advertisements, making it a hit in this year’s event.
Nike’s “So Win” Comercial
Nike’s 2025 Super Bowl Commercial featured prominent female athletes, including Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Sabrina Lonescu, and was narrated by rapper and singer Doechii. The ad dove into stereotypes faced by female athletes and advocated against them and stated, “You can’t win, so win” (dailycampus.com). The ad promoted women athletics and sportswear and gave more power to women in athletic hobbies and professions. When interviewing sophomore Milianna Theodule, she stated, “As someone who plays volleyball with our school, I think it was very powerful to see women portrayed so positively in an event as big as the Super Bowl.” Obviously, the message behind the advertisement and the ad itself make it an ad worth watching.
Reese’s “Don’t Eat Lava” Commercial
The commercial used real lava and people trying to eat it, mistaking it for a new and delicious snack. Reese’s came up with this idea for their commercials to promote their “Lava” chocolates, playfully highlighting the gooey chocolate center and warning people to not consume real lava. Although not being the most memorable, it was a cute and fun commercial during the break but in my opinion, it could be used as a bathroom break.
State Farm NOT making a Super Bowl Commercial
In January, State Farm canceled their plan to create a commercial for the Super Bowl to invest both time and money into helping Los Angeles residents that were affected by the LA wildfires. They used the millions of dollars that were going to be spent on the ad to help assist their customers and recover their homes. Despite the massive viewership of the Super Bowl and money that could’ve been made off of it, State Farm prioritized their customers and put people in need first (wsj.com). In discussing the topic with Senior Annabella Grosso, she explains, “it is important to have these big companies see people as people rather than numbers that give them money. I think this is a great thing for the company and shows the morals behind a company as big as State Farm.”
