Super Bowl 52 was a memorable one because of the Philadelphia Eagles won their first NFL Championship.
For car enthusiasts, things were almost as exciting, as major automakers came out with stirring commercials. While some missed the mark, like Ram’s Super Bowl ad that featured Martin Luther King Jr., others were much more memorable.
There were a lot of car ads to choose from, but we were able to narrow the list of choices down to five commercials that we thoroughly enjoyed. Here are our top five commercials from the big game.
#5. Toyota: “Good Odds”
Toyota’s come such a long way. The automaker used to make fun-to-drive vehicles like the Supra and MR2, but has moved towards making boring machines that aren’t nearly as fun to drive.
Still, Toyota has its place in the market. The Japanese brand continues to make bullet-proof vehicles that hold their value extremely well. We, though, still miss the times when a Toyota-branded car made you feel something.
While Toyota’s cars may not be that exciting, the brand’s “Good Odds” commercial hit us with the feels. The ad shows the journey of Lauren Woolstencroft, an eight time Paralympic gold medalist that was born without feet. The one-minute ad is an incredible story about perseverance. If only Toyota could make cars that are as full of emotion as the ad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sefscV3GvWM
#4. Hyundai: “Ref to the Rescue”
The majority of commercials during the Super Bowl have a purpose. Companies want to show that their product is trendy, strong, or worthy of looking into. Hyundai wanted to do all of the above with the new Kona, but took a step back and had a little fun.
The Kona is a funky-look subcompact crossover, so it only makes sense that Hyundai would go off the beaten track with an ad for the vehicle. The commercial sees a referee who’s trying to speed up a soccer game with some unusual tactics. The ad starts off a little slowly, but quickly picks up and has some moments that will put a smile on anyone’s face.
We aren’t the biggest fans of crossovers, but the Kona looks so odd that we can’t help but applaud Hyundai for doing something different. After seeing the ad, we’re starting to warm up to the vehicle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OblwxqKPyLg
#3. Jeep: “Jeep Jurassic”
I still remember the first time I watched “Jurassic Park” and saw the YJ-series Wrangler Saharas. I’ve never been a huge fan of Jeeps or SUVs, but those SUVs with the Jurassic Park liveries were just astounding.
So when Jeep recreated the infamous scene where a T-Rex is chasing the new Wrangler JL and Jeff Goldblum, I knew it was going to be good.
Jeep subtly managed to find a way to highlight the SUV’s features and include the upcoming release of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Dinosaurs, off-roading SUVs, and Goldblum – that’s a recipe made in heaven.
#2. Kia: “Steven Tyler Big Game Ad”
The Kia Stinger is a new direction for the South Korean automaker and for the sporty sedan segment as a whole. The only downside to the Stinger is the badge on the front and the back of the sedan. Kia, though, has an uphill battle on its hands to market the vehicle properly or else it’ll just blend in with other performance-oriented sedans.
Well, the automaker did just that with the ad featuring Steven Tyler. In a unique take, the ad sees an aged and haggard Tyler enter the Stinger and drive backwards.
Apparently, he somehow travels back in time to the good ol’ days when he’s youthful. For good measure, Emerson Fittipaldi’s also on the track. The soundtrack in the background is “Dream On,” because of course it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YVbVXOjJv4
While the ad was good enough to peak everyone’s interest towards the Stinger, Kia also went out of its way to create a reverse version of the commercial. The commercial is essentially the same ad, but has Tyler going from young to old. Hey, we can’t get enough of the new Stinger, so seeing a creepy Tyler is fine with us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5N7ub_Tyj0
#1. Jeep: “Anti-Manifesto”
The majority of commercials, even the ones that made our top five list, were clever ways for automakers to promote their product. Some automakers did this by hiring celebrities or going down the humorous route. Jeep’s “Anti-Manifesto” commercial, though, says good riddance to all of this and opts for something a little more clear.
The ad sees the new Wrangler JL trek through a lake and then traverse over a waterfall. Seriously, if you haven’t watched the video, take 40 seconds to do so. It’s straightforward and provides a clear message – the new Wrangler is still one badass off-roader.
It’s a great ad that gets Jeep’s point across. More automakers should gravitate towards something simple like this, because it works. It’s a big middle finger to brands that pour millions of dollars into showing how fancy their SUV is and we absolutely love it.