Millions of Americans tuned in to CBS last night hoping to watch a Super Bowl (and the 2019 Super Bowl commercials) that was hyped as an inevitably great matchup of two of the NFL’s most high-powered offenses, the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots. We were also promised a gripping saga of youthful vigor – 33-year-old wunderkind coach Sean McVay and 24-year-old SoCal quarterback Jared – versus sage wisdom – 66-year-old curmudgeon-savant Bill Belichick and 41-year-old ageless underdog Tom Brady.
We didn’t get it.
The Patriots’ 13-3 victory in Super Bowl LIII was the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history, and the total lack of entertainment value showed in the game’s 44.9 overnight rating, the lowest in a decade.
But at least the 2019 Super Bowl commercials gave us a reason to keep watching, right?!
According to a completely unscientific poll of Cyphers Agency employees ranging in age from 24 to 54, maybe…
Overall, we collectively gave the night’s ads – the categories of which are displayed below – an overall rating of 4.6 (out of 10), with scores ranging from 1 to 8. They did keep us more entertained than the game, however, which earned just a 3.75 average.
Some of our favorites included:
The NFL 100th Anniversary ad, which featured more than 50 NFL legends and current players turning a banquet into a gridiron brouhaha – and, amazingly, was produced in the very short window of time between 72andSunny winning the business on December 5 and the big game.
Audi Presents: Cashew, promoting a new era of electric cars that is “more thrilling than you can imagine (in this life or the next.”
Bud Light’s Special Delivery, promoting the light beer’s lack of corn syrup through an epic (and controversial) journey to the land of Miller Lite and Coors Light.
T-Mobile’s Dad?! ad, featuring a father trying to make some eggplant parm and a daughter who can’t change him but can change her carrier.
And our least favorite included:
Burger King’s Eat Like Andy blast from the past, perhaps because we (and probably a lot of other viewers) either didn’t know it was Andy Warhol or didn’t care.
Doritos’ Flamin’ Hot Nacho ad, featuring Chance the Rapper remixing The Backstreet Boys’ classic song, “I want it that way.”
All in all it was, as always, a night of winners and losers – here’s to next year!
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