Super Bowl brings new slate of hilarious, heartfelt ads

As one of the most prominent events in American entertainment, the Super Bowl is a highlight for sports fans each year. With one’s favorite football teams, remarkable and vivacious entertainers and raucous fan energy, the yearly event captures the attention of millions all across the country. Despite the more obvious things to look forward to, one of the most highly anticipated aspects and widely-discussed topics is advertising. Whether hilarious or heartfelt, Super Bowl advertisements add to the spectacle of the nation’s favorite sports day.

The Mophie “All-Powerless” commercial might be one of the most comical and satirically accurate of the Super Bowl ads. This ad makes fun of the chaos and helplessness that people feel when their phone batteries die. A feeling that, the ad claims, even God understands. At the end of the ad, God even holds his own battery-drained phone. Clips of spontaneous combustion and an animal invasion exaggerate how chaotic the world becomes for some people when their phones die. A strong and well-produced ad, this media push connects well with our increasingly technology-dependent nation.

Everyone knows and loves funny-gal Mindy Kaling, and she definitely doesn’t disappoint in her Nationwide ad for Super Bowl Sunday. In her classic dry character, Mindy struts around New York, under the pretense that she is invisible. Between tanning naked in Central Park to the second most surprising Matt Damon appearance in media over the last year, Kaling keeps her flawlessly funny cool and delivers a quite a media “touchdown.”

Kim Kardashian makes an appearance with her T-Mobile commercial. Somewhat controversial, the ad involves Kardashian making fun of her self-obsessed nature. She advertises for the loss of data, saying that people could be using all the lost data to look at her selfies, outfits and makeup. Kardashian has had significant backlash for this ad, considering her position in the media as a self-obsessed fame monster. No matter how taboo her commercial is, however, it still has won her the attention she so desires from the public.

More celebrities make their football-day debut in the Super Bowl media world with the new BMW I3 ad. Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel poke fun at the idea of getting used to a bigger and newer concept. Flashbacks from their early days as journalists give a hint of comedy as they question whether or not the Internet will be a “big thing.” Who knows if that will happen with the BMW I3, but the company sure knows how to make a point.

Some of the beer commercials each year are the most outrageous and famous in history. This year, Bud Light brings in a classic ad that features bright lights, bars and popping bottle caps. Additionally, we cannot forget the heart-melting Budweiser ad — we all know that the company loves to use that beautiful puppy to make us “ooh and ah.” This year’s campaign is especially tear-inducing: the little puppy ends up lost and on a journey to reunite with his Clydesdale buddies. Dirty and wet, he is almost attacked by a wolf but is saved by his noble equestrian friends. Truly moving and uplifting, the ad looks to be a favorite of all favorites.

Another touching ad is the Dove Men+Care commercial. Grabbing hearts with the right touch of nostalgia, it emphasizes the importance of men and what it takes to be a dad. It is a real tear-jerker for any college student who misses their parents.

On a more serious and important note, No More released an ad addressing sexual assault and domestic violence. The ad sheds light onto an issue that hinders many families across the nation. The ad outlines a phone call to a 9-1-1 operator who figures out the hidden message in a woman’s seemingly calm call. It is an amazing representation of how issues of assault or violence often lurk behind doors and avenues one would never think to look at. This media push for the education in domestic violence and sexual assault is a positive step into the direction of eradicating the discomfort around reporting these crimes.

No matter which ad ends up being your favorite, there are ads for the whole family and every mood. Whether one wants to laugh at Kaling swiping a stranger’s cookie, cry over the importance of dads or enjoy both sentiments, Super Bowl commercials are some of the best moments of entertainment.