Final year, 16 car commercials ran throughout the Super Bowl. This year, as of a couple of days ago, only 9 had been scheduled. Traditional heavy hitters like Ford and Audi decided not to participate for a quantity of causes, ranging from sturdy sales (2014 was a fantastic year for vehicle sales, and January volume was up 13 percent versus a year ago) to the truth that there aren’t a lot of new, mainstream product introductions proper now. And then there was the extremely high price: The peak cost for a spot in Super Bowl XLIX was $ 150,000 per second—that money pays for a lot of digital advertisements and assorted social-media initiatives. But then something happened (drastic rate slashing, maybe?) and the floodgates opened. In the finish, nearly as numerous auto spots ran in the course of this year’s game as final year. To maximize the buzz, a lot of of the originally planned ads have been released online at least a week ago. In truth, we’ve reviewed a number of them currently, but right here are our final assessments of the group, listed alphabetically inside our categories of the Greatest, the Worst, and the WTF.
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BMW: “Newfangled Idea”
If BMW desires us to think that the i3 is the largest game changer since the web, this engaging, tongue-in-cheek piece of messaging gets the job accomplished. Alternatively of going all critical with Teutonic technobabble, the agency (kirshenbaum bond senecal + partners) used Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel’s self-effacing humor and a effectively-identified YouTube clip to win some hearts and minds and develop interest and awareness. But they shouldn’t have ended it with that awkward twerking reference, which was creepy to say the least. Complete AD Evaluation | BMW i3 COVERAGE
Dodge: “Born Dodge”
This is hands down the ideal vehicle industrial of this year’s Super Bowl. Not only does it match nicely with the well-known Dodge Brothers campaign, it manages to elevate the whole spirit of the brand to an enviable spot: With age comes wisdom, and if you are fortunate adequate to reach 25 (as Dodge and most of the individuals in this industrial have), you have learned some life lessons worth listening to. These people are passionate, compelling, and downright cool, and what they have to say is smart indeed: “Live for now, since life is excellent . . . there are miracles all about you . . . inform it like it is . . . don’t bitch … keep the pedal to the metal . . . live quick . . . and never, ever overlook exactly where you came from.” Still not convinced old folks rule? Check out the dude’s hand gesture as he peels out in the Challenger in the last frame. Wonderful stuff. DODGE CHALLENGER COVERAGE
Fiat: “Blue Pill”
If Fiat’s cars had been as superb as its commercials (most of them, anyway), nobody would get yet another Mini. This a single sets a higher-water mark for making use of an analogy to make its point: Soon after “ingesting” some Viagra, the new Fiat 500X is “bigger, more powerful, and prepared for action.” What double entendre didn’t you comprehend? And even though this spot could have been shot in the U.S. to save a few bucks, the over-the-best on-location execution is nicely worth the investment, as it reinforces the brand’s heritage and provides permission for the spot’s risqué message. Complimenti, signori. FIAT 500X COVERAGE
Kia: “Perfect Getaway”
Pierce Brosnan, dramatic areas, on-point camera work, and exceptional direction make this industrial feel like a tiny Bond movie in its own correct. In truth, I find it tough to not like, even though virtually any other AWD SUV could have been substituted for the Sorento. But, hey, that could be mentioned for half the vehicle commercials out there, and it can not pretty be held against Kia. And when the Sorento is shown, it appears classy and up to the process at hand. To the extent that a Super Bowl commercial’s “success” is based on likability—and we know it is—this 1 deserves high marks. Complete AD Overview | KIA SORENTO COVERAGE
Lexus: “Let’s Play”
You show me a auto guy who does not get a kick out of this industrial and I’ll show you a vehicle guy who’s lying about getting a auto guy. It’s like Lexus shrunk Ken Block and stuck him in a radio-controlled RC350 and gave him courage pills. The actual “driving” was completed by the hooners at Drift 44, who have (as the kids used to say) mad capabilities. I watched the spot about a dozen occasions and could have watched it some much more, but I had to get this report filed. Will it sell 1:1-scale RC350s? Who knows. But it positive will get the auto some consideration. LEXUS RC COVERAGE
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NASCAR: “Gut Check”
For numerous fans, NASCAR isn’t just about automobile racing—it’s a very good excuse to sprawl in front of the Tv set all Sunday afternoon and consume beer, meat, and sundry snacks, and who embodies that philosophy better than Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman? NASCAR thinks he makes a fantastic spokesman for the series, and we agree. In addition to Offerman’s considerable acting expertise and bodacious nasal hedge, the spot makes use of clever copy, funny visuals, thumpin’ music, and bangin’ racing footage to entertain and delight, all to make us embrace that most American of mechanized sporting pastimes, NASfreakin’CAR! (Fascinating note: The version that aired deleted the—ahem—controversial gluten reference in favor of mashing together the 2 cuts embedded above.) Full AD Overview
Nissan: “With Dad”
Toyota can talk all it wants to about getting bold, but this oddball Nissan industrial goes way out on a limb by depicting a quite significantly absentee father in a campaign that claims to be about fostering father/kid relationships. Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” has a clear message: If you’re not around when your children are growing up, they won’t be there for you when you get old. But in spite of the reality that the father in this industrial puts racing ahead of fathering does not maintain it from having a content ending. The point is . . . if you are into racing, like most of us are, this spot serves, for much better or worse, to justify our passion. How numerous weekends did I spend at track days over the years when I could have been playing soccer (or other activities) with my youngsters? If I’m getting sincere, a lot. And as with the Nissan Dad, it all worked out in the finish. (Even even though I never ever drove at Le Mans!) So I believe it boils down to this: If Nissan wants to woo hands-on weekend warriors, this is a compelling industrial. The business just has to be ready to deal with the flack it’s currently getting for this “it’s all about me” execution. And, oh yeah, the all-new 2016 Maxima and LMP race car that debuted during the spot appear pretty interesting. NISSAN MAXIMA COVERAGE
Toyota: “How Excellent I Am”
As a teenager, Amy Purdy suffered a case of meningitis that resulted in extreme organ damage and the loss of both legs under the knee, but that didn’t stop her from winning a bronze medal in snowboarding at the Sochi Paralympics. She’s also a model, effective businesswoman, motivational speaker, and competitive ballroom dancer. And then there’s the Muhammad Ali voiceover. He brashly set the bar higher and cleared it with authority. Collectively, they’re a dream group that oozes self-confidence and boldness, and Toyota is counting on that rubbing off on the new Camry. To the “my automobile reflects my values” purchaser (of which there are millions), it’s bound to have a good impact. Complete AD Review | TOYOTA CAMRY COVERAGE
Honda: “Synchronized Parking”
In Palm Beach, Florida, you can see the Coralytes synchronized swimmers fairly considerably any day of the week. But a fleet of vehicles performing an act of synchronized parking? For that, you require to watch this Honda industrial. It appears that now each and every and every Honda in the lineup comes with a rearview parking camera—which are being mandated by NHTSA in all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds by Could 2018—as regular gear, and this commercial shows them all parking at the identical time. I’m sure some viewers identified this exciting. HONDA LINEUP COVERAGE
Lexus: “Make Some Noise”
Lexus describes this hackneyed industrial thusly: “Introducing the first-ever NX Turbo and hybrid from Lexus. ‘Make Some Noise’ takes a bold, youthful step using NX-generated sound and music video influences to develop a commercial like no other in the automotive category.” Give me a break—this spot is about as old hat as they come. A soundtrack made from the product’s noises? I don’;t forget when Pringles potato chips did that 30 years ago. Kit Kat did it in 2011, and Delta faucets did it in 2013. And cars racing around in a parking garage? The list of these commercials is endless. But, yes, this may well be the 1st automobile spot that shamelessly borrows from Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” video, so it’s got that going for it. The NX itself is virtually impossible to see until the finish shot, and the turbo/hybrid news is completely buried. But I’ll grant Lexus this: The industrial is cool. A cool waste of millions of dollars. LEXUS NX COVERAGE
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Mazda: “Penn & Teller”
This campaign genuinely annoys me. It utilizes famous innovators like Thomas Edison, Mia Hamm, and the guy who invented the digital camera to recommend that they had one thing to do with Skyactiv technology when, in reality, even the name Skyactiv has nothing to do with Skyactiv technology. And now they bring in Penn & Teller, 2 well-known magicians, who use an invisible saw that cuts a CX-5 in half to reveal “a refined interior with the performance you’d never ever count on in a CUV.” Truly? At $ 150,000 a second? MAZDA CX-5 COVERAGE
Toyota: “My Bold Dad”
So what is it with all the Dad-centric commercials this year? Nissan has a bunch of “With Dad” commercials each on air (see above) and online, Dove’s “Men + Care Makes Males Stronger” is all about fathers and their kids, and this Toyota Camry industrial proclaims that “Being a dad is far more than getting a father it is a choice to get hurt rather than hurt, to be bold rather than be scared. It is a selection that says you will be there to show them correct from incorrect.” No argument from me about the underlying sentiment, but what does becoming a father have to do with soap or automobiles? For the record, this industrial created my wife cry. I liked the Nissan racing spot far more. Tomorrow, I’ll ask my children what they thought. TOYOTA CAMRY COVERAGE
Mercedes-AMG: “Fable”
If there’s a worse way to introduce the AMG GT S, I can not imagine what that would be. The fable, though well-recognized, is fully irrelevant. Who is the hare supposed to represent? All other competitive higher-horsepower cars? Other, much more potent AMG offerings? And why use animated animals recruited from a kid’s bedtime story? Just to set up the pathetic final line? On the plus side, the reside action shots do show that the automobile itself looks (and sounds) quite damned cool, but why would Mercedes want to trade off extremely costly Super Bowl product footage in favor of a fake possum that says “Wow?” And why would they want to even recommend that AMG owners will do anything (i.e., cheat) to win? I comprehend that the commercial is component of a larger social-media initiative, but certainly a inventive theme that’s more relevant to severe AMG buyers could have been utilised alternatively. Full AD Assessment | MERCEDES-AMG GT S COVERAGE
Jeep: “Beautiful Lands”
In 1956, Woody Guthrie wrote a song about how America “was made for you and me.” Fifty-9 years later, Jeep is utilizing that song as an anthem to sell Renegade crossovers. So far so excellent (assuming the estate signed off on the deal), but why, halfway through the industrial, do the areas shift from the Grand Canyon, California beaches, Manhattan Island, and the Rockies to Japan, the Fantastic Wall of China, Scotland, Australia, and what appears to be Syria? I, um, do not get it. Are we supposed to hop in our Renegades and drive to these places? Are they trying to tell us that America is great but not all that excellent? Are we supposed to rent Jeeps when we travel? Tell our buddies in faraway areas to buy Renegades simply because these Jeeps are created for us and them? A muddled message to be positive. JEEP RENEGADE COVERAGE
Award-winning ad man–cum–auto journalist Don Klein knows a excellent (or undesirable) auto commercial when he sees one particular this is his space to tell you what he thinks of the latest spots. The ad’s rating is depicted on a scale of a single (terrible) to 5 (transcendent), but every person has an opinion when it comes to advertising, so hit Backfires beneath and tell us what you consider, too. And be confident to study much more of Don’s marketing critiques here.
Super Bowl XLIX Automobile Commercials Rated: The Best, the Worst, and the WTF
Truth be told, this production-seeking car in this 90-second spot positive looks a lot like Nissan’s Sport Sedan Concept that we very first laid eyes on at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. At the time, Nissan was adamant that we shouldn’t refer to the notion as the Maxima. Cheeky, Nissan. Go ahead, examine our Detroit images to the vehicle you see above. Even a person as blind as an NFL referee could see the resemblance.
