TheSuper Bowlis an American pastime.
A celebration that unites the country.
And the Halftime show!
Image via Zanda Rice
Oh, and the commercials!
Oftentimes, it’s an opportunity for celebrities to appear in national ad spots.
Sometimes, it’s a company trying to make a name for themselves.
Image via Planters
When a commercial goes viral, you know you’ve done something right!
As long as you don’t put out a cringe-worthy ad!
No matter what it is, it’s earned a place on this list for all the wrong reasons.
Image via GoDaddy
10Planters
2020
A major part of a successful ad campaign is an iconic character.
Many national brands are known for their character, which is almost as synonymous with the brand itself.
When it comes to Planters, everyone knows Mr. Peanut!
Image via Pepsi
On hand at the funeral were Mr. Clean and the Kool-Aid Man, mourning their fictional friend.
It was really weird.
So, it seemed like a logical decision to include a puppy in the 2015 GoDaddy commercial.
Image via SoBe Water
Only the story that they portrayed was anything but cute and adorable.
There’s the twist.The lost puppy was, in turn, sold on the internet.Twisted, right?
In this commercial, the pop princess is transported through time to the tune of “Pepsi Generation.”
Image via Mountain Dew
Instead,Britney Spears was used as a prop and puppet, tossed in some terrible wigs and costumes.
Of course, the production value was high, it was just a waste of the pop princess.
In their 2008 ad spot, a red lizard steals a sip of Life Water from supermodelNaomi Campbell.
Image via General Motors/MJZ
Well, this then turns the tiny creature into a zombie.
So, what’s a zombie to do?
Well, the most zombie thing there is to do: dance to “Thriller!”
Image via FTX
Joined by a bunch of other lizards, the computer-generated creatures dance to theMichael Jacksonhit.
Of course, since you have Naomi Campbell on hand, she has to do the dance as well.
To the best of her ability.
Image via GoDaddy
The question truly remained, “but why?
No matter what, it was just a weird combination of things all at once.
And they certainly were!
Image via Nationwide
The drink was a combination of Mountain Dew, juice, and caffeine.
The question remains: which of the three is the puppy, the monkey, and the baby?
5General Motors
2007
Storytelling is often the way to go for a Super Bowl ad.
But telling the right story is key.
Even for a robot.
But have a little faith!
It was all a dream.
Still way too dark.
When the ad went live, it received much pushback,especially from suicide prevention groups.
The ad aired only once due to the flurry of complaints.
4FTX
2022
Not everything is going to age well.
Especially in the time of cryptocurrency.
And, to do so, they employed Larry David to be a part of fad.
But when he is presented with FTX, he says,“I don’t think so.
And I’m never wrong about this stuff.
But Larry David very much wants to be left out of that conversation.
Did they know what the website builder and domain name company did?
They just recognized the name for the outrageous commercials they would present each and every Super Bowl Sunday.
There has always been the stereotype of the geek longing to win the beautiful girl.
It’s been the source of many a Hollywood rom-com.
In this commercial, Israeli supermodelBar Refaeliis sat next to a curly-haired nerd namedWalter.
Against all odds,the pair are seen locking lips for a whopping ten seconds.It’s quite visual.
Nothing is left to the imagination.
One-third of the total air time is spent watching these two individuals make out.
Put that on the resume.
2PETA
Not all intended Super Bowl ads make it to the big game.
Such was the case for PETA’s 2016 scandalous video.
To put it lightly, this ad was very much NSFW.
Titled “Last Longer,” the video depicts side-by-side scenes.
In frame one is a woman having sex with a meat eater.
In frame two, a woman is having sex with a vegan.
Not sure that was what we all got out of the commercial Lisa!
1Nationwide
Businesses spend millions upon millions for that 30-second ad spot during the Super Bowl.
The uproar to the video was swift.
Most people don’t know that.
Nationwide ran an ad during the Super Bowl that started a fierce conversation.
The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance.
We knew the ad would spur a variety of reactions.
Nationwide has been working with experts for more than 60 years to make homes safer.
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