This just wasn’t a strong year for Super Bowl ads. No commercials stood out as truly memorable or even something we’ll talk about the day after The Big Game. Yet there also weren’t any ads that were so terrible that they compelled a “what were they thinking” response or could enjoyed in a “so bad they’re good” manner.
Failing to fulfill expectations, trying to deceive the audience, and stretching to appeal to nostalgia were crutches several ads leaned on. And virtually all of those attempts struck out. We’ll probably see very few, if any of these commercials again, though beer companies certainly try to wring everything they can from their expensive Super Bowl campaigns. Playing something over and over again doesn’t usually make it any better, unfortunately.
Here are the worst ads we saw during Super Bowl LI. [Afterwards, click here for the best ads from the broadcast.]
Snickers: A Live Super Bowl Commercial
This was by far the most disappointing ad of this year’s Super Bowl. Snickers did a nice job of building anticipation for its live ad featuring Adam Driver with a horse auditioning with a cardboard cutout of the Girls and Star Wars: The Force Awakens star. The directors must not have found the right horse because one wasn’t in the live spot that did air.
Driver’s character walks out of a saloon and mentions the Super Bowl score to show that they were live. Squibs explode in three outlaws’ chest, Driver bumps into a pillar that causes a facade to come crashing down, and the entire set falls apart. Presumably, the point was to show that a live production can’t be pulled off if the crew is hungry? Maybe it sounded like a good idea, but it was a head-scratcher in execution. And there was hardly a mention of Snickers, nor was the product shown. The whole thing seemed like a mistake.
https://youtu.be/_9M_wQDTTdk
American Petroleum Institute: Power Past Tomorrow
Can oil be cool? The American Petroleum Institute certainly tried with a colorful ad that showed some of the uses and products oil fuels besides gushing out of the earth, being processed into gas and destroying the polar ice caps. “This ain’t your daddy’s oil”? What does that even mean, other than attempting some kind of catchphrase and corporate speak to hide the roles which oil and petroleum largely perform in our society? The imagery was bright and beautiful, but ultimately conveyed a bullshit message.
TurboTax: Humpty Hospital
With the end of the 2016 NFL season, may these horrifying ads from TurboTax also please go away. (OK, we’ll probably keep seeing these until the April 15 tax filing deadline.) Though the NFL Playoffs were largely filled with boring, non-competitive games, the most nightmarish image of the postseason was Humpty Dumpty smashed on the ground after falling off a wall, egg yolk dripping from his mouth like blood. (Don’t try to ruin runny egg yolks for those of us who like them for breakfast!)
TurboTax produced a follow-up for the Super Bowl, which saw Humpty in the hospital after his great fall. And maybe it would’ve been amusing until we saw that egg yolk oozing from his lips again. Gross. How many people are going to opt for Jon Hamm and H&R Block, simply because their ads are far less disturbing?
https://youtu.be/i5i-p1miRNw
Bai: Christopher Walken and Justin Timberlake
Putting this one on the “worst” list is probably a bit harsh. Many of us love Christopher Walken, and him reciting the lyrics to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” was amusing. There was an extra payoff when he turned to his left and the camera revealed Justin Timberlake. Was the “Bai Bai Bai” pun worth the long swim? Oh, probably. And that song is always catchy. But the ad sure didn’t have much to say about Bai’s antioxidant infused drink. Will you even go looking for it now?
https://youtu.be/HvU2CdzPQf8
Budweiser: Ghost Spuds
Another appeal to nostalgia that reached much further back than the days when Christopher Walken and Justin Timberlake made cool videos and ads. Spuds Mackenzie is a big part of Budweiser’s advertising past, so bringing him back probably seemed like a good idea. But why not use Spuds as the endearing mascot he was before, rather than hanging that poor dog up to look like a ghost? And did Spuds talk in the previous ads? So why is he now talking from the nether world? But maybe the theme of not missing out on being with friends, especially on Super Bowl Sunday, is one we can take to heart.
https://youtu.be/aYeXldMEpV8
