Super Bowl LIV — that’s the 2020 Super Bowl to you and I — is over, as the Kansas City Chiefs scored a surprising, come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. But who are we kidding? You weren’t watching for the big game, or to count Patrick Mahomes’ passing yardage. You came for the commercials.
And this year, technology companies delivered in spades — in some cases, well before the coin was tossed or the first flag was saluted. These days, companies that wait until Super Bowl Sunday to unveil their Super Bowl commercials are, frankly, late to the game. That’s why plenty of commercials and even teasers for full-length spots flooded the web in the weeks leading up to the Big Game.
So now that you’ve hunkered down in front of your flatscreen — perhaps even that new 4K HDR TV you landed just in time for the gridiron action — let’s recap the game’s true highlights. Here are the best Super Bowl commercials of 2020.
Smaht Pahk — Hyundai
Featuring Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch, and Big Papi himself, David Ortiz, Hyundai had some fun with the traditional Boston accent in this hilarious bit. The company’s 2020 Hyundai Sonata features Remote Smart Parking Assist or, as the three Massachusetts natives and the New England sports legend call it, “smaht pahk.”
Groundhog Day — Jeep
Jeep knocked the nostalgia factor out of the park with this re-creation of 1993’s Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray returning to the role of Phil Connors. The one catch? Murray finds a brand-new Jeep Gladiator waiting for him, and embarks on adventure after adventure with an adorable groundhog. The timeless humor of Murray, paired with a cute and cuddly groundhog? That’s the perfect combo for a great Super Bowl spot, if you ask us.
Whassup Again — Budweiser/Uber
It seems like everyone’s doing sequels or remakes these days, and Budweiser is no exception, as it teamed up with Uber to get in on the fun. Budweiser’s classic commercial gets a modern update, with an entire house full of smart home devices taking center stage. (See our list of the best Super Bowl spots of all time for a refresh.)
Be the One — Microsoft
Microsoft’s commercial for this year’s Super Bowl goes the inspirational route, telling the story of San Francisco 49ers Offensive Assistant Coach Katie Sowers, the first woman in NFL history to coach in the Super Bowl. A montage of Sowers’ life, spliced with her on the field coaching 49ers players, makes for a heartfelt look into an important moment in the history of the sport.
Loretta — Google
Aw man, we weren’t ready for the kind of emotion this commercial from Google brought to the table. As an elderly man interacts with Google Assistant to bring up memories of his late wife, Loretta, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Monologue — Doritos
Bring in Doritos, more specifically Sam Elliott and Lil Nas X, for some comedic relief. There’s something purely awesome about Sam Elliot giving a monologue made up of Old Town Road lyrics in the signature thunderous tone that only he can deliver. The standoff-turned-dance off between the two stars in Doritos’ other Super Bowl spot is just as fun.
Super Bowl Now, Laundry Later — Tide
It starts with Schitt’s Creek’s Emily Hampshire accidentally staining It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Charlie Day’s white shirt, with Hampshire telling him to wash it later. Cut to Day showing up in several other ads during the Super Bowl, including feax Bud Light commercials and Wonder Woman 1984 spots, as he searches for the true meaning of “later” in another strong series of Super Bowl ads from Tide.
Before Alexa — Amazon
Amazon’s laugh-filled commercial stars Ellen Degeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, at least briefly. The pair wonder out loud what people did before Alexa, and the commercial proceeds to show you. The juxtaposition of actual Alexa commands and medieval alternatives, as well as a cameo by one Richard Nixon, is just what we’ve come to expect from the witty minds over at Amazon’s marketing department.
Lucky Dog — WeatherTech
Cute animals are always a good bet for Super Bowl commercials. Enter Scout, a golden retriever from last year’s spot who battled – and beat (!) – cancer in order to make a return to the big screen this year. WeatherTech has an extended video on Scout that’s undoubtedly worth the watch.
All People Are Tax People — TurboTax
It’s something of a difficult task to paint doing your taxes as a fun way to pass the time. TurboTax takes its best shot, though, with a song literally about filing taxes set to what the young people these days would call a “dope” beat. Oh, and there’s a hilarious dance to accompany the song, which can only be described as rhythmic knee-buckling.
Inside Post’s Brain — Bud Light
Bud Light teams up with Post Malone in this ad promoting the beer company’s entrance into the world of hard seltzers. Malone, whose love of Bud Light is famous, comes across the new seltzers in a convenience store. In an Inside Out-esque scene, we get a look inside Malone’s mind as the identically tattooed operators of his brain fight over the controls, causing Posty to tear apart the store.
Comfortable — Rocket Mortgage
The concept? Bring Jason Momoa in for a commercial centered around the comforts of home. The execution? Momoa getting home and kicking off his shoes, then pulling off his muscles, followed by his six-pack, and finally removing a wig to reveal a balding, scrawny version of the action star. An additional shot of Momoa struggling to bench the bar with real-life wife Lisa Bonet gives the spot an even funnier vibe.
Tom Brady’s Big Announcement — Hulu
Full disclosure. For a second there, we were slightly fooled by this team-up between Hulu and Tom Brady. Could the game’s greatest quarterback be announcing his retirement during the Super Bowl? Or is he building up to a Hulu ad in disguise? It’s obvious now that it was always going to be the latter. But for a second there, we believed.
