UPDATE 02/03/14: Updated to include all automotive Super Bowl commercials.
The Super Bowl is now over. Even though the Broncos were crushed by the Seahawks, the commercials at least provided some entertainment in between the embarrassment that occurred. This year’s commercials bring different anatomy in each, and all were unique in their own way.
Some are basic in design, like Chevrolet’s Romance or CarMax’s Slow Clap, others bring a lot of computer generated mastery (both Audi and VW’s are CGI-intensive). What is special about this year’s commercials is that they all are targeting a completely different audience and playing with entirely different emotions. This makes each one interesting in its own right. Check them out below and be sure to tell us your favorites in the comments!
Audi A3 “Doberhuahua”
The Doberhuahua is a cute, fearsome dog that is a crossbreed between a Doberman and a Chihuahua. For those wanting the ultimate compromise in puppy, the Doberhuahua checks all the appropriate boxes. Throughout the commercial, we see what terror actually occurs when these two breeds are mated together. Everything from being an obnoxious purse dog to a vicious attack dog at a dog show, the Doberhuahua is clearly a bad idea.
READ: 5 Sports Cars with Less Horsepower than the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG
Audi believe that many small cars are a compromise. Their new A3 (and hopefully S3 and RS3 Stateside) is a vehicle without compromise. The luxury small car segment is heating up, with the CLA from Mercedes-Benz and the 2-Series from BMW. Audi are betting that with a bit of Super Bowl magic, they can put their tiniest car on the top.
CarMax “Slow Clap”
CarMax is one of the largest used-vehicle marketplaces in the United States. Their approach is different to a traditional dealership, and their selection is massive. Typically, they pay higher on trade ins, and their salespeople are on a flat commission structure, meaning they have no reason to price gouge. While having a cult following, their Super Bowl ad is clearly designed to help make them even more mainstream. The Slow Clap commercial features a gentleman who just purchased a vehicle from CarMax, and as he drives home everyone is giving him a slow clap to congratulate him on his purchase.
Clearly, the commercial is trying to show that purchasing a vehicle from CarMax is just as exciting and rewarding as purchasing a new car. Interested in seeing a puppy version of this commercial? You can right here!
Chevrolet “Life”
Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 is World Cancer Day. To raise awareness, this Silverado ad brings the feels as a gentleman and his wife (who either has cancer or has recently survived it) are driving across the ranch. They hold hands. It is more powerful to watch than explain, and we applaud Chevrolet’s efforts for this year’s World Cancer Day.
Chevrolet “Romance”
Chevrolet is on a kick lately showing a man and his truck. Targeting the blue collar farmers and tradesmen, the latest line of commercials are designed to show the Silverado as trustworthy, reliable, and strong. Adding a bit of humor to the commercial for the Super Bowl, the Silverado is hauling a steer to a cattle farm where he will be able to mate.
In the background on arrival is Hot Chocolate’s You Sexy Thing. The commercial stays true to the current line of Silverado ads, but does add the bit of humor that is almost required for a Super Bowl ad.
Chrysler 200 “American Import”
For this year’s Super Bowl ad for the Chrysler 200, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brought out Bob Dylan to make their commercial. Apart from actually being able to understand what Bob Dylan is saying, the commercial features him talking at length about American pride and how that cannot be imported. A variation of their Imported from Detroit campaign featuring Eminem, Dylan touts that American automobiles are the best in the world.
READ: Five Classic Super Bowl Ads
“Let Germany brew your beer. Let Switzerland make your watch,” Dylan states. Hopefully Shinola doesn’t get too angry at that watch statement. We understand his point. Have the best country for each product make each product. While some may argue that Americans do not make the best cars, we believe the commercial sends a powerful message for the new 200.
Ford “Nearly Double”
Rob Riggle and James Franco star in a commercial touting that the Ford Fusion Hybrid has nearly double the amount of fuel economy than the average car. The commercial is two-in-one, the first feature Riggle talking about the Fusion Hybrid and the fuel economy. Then he states they are going to “make history” by showing another commercial immediately afterwards, with double the awesomeness and double the length.
The second commercial features a computer-generated cornucopia of effects, from fireworks to jet fighters. There is even a tiger. James Franco claims he is Rob Riggle (assuming he’s double the awesomeness of Riggle), and basically re-creates the first commercial to a factor of 11. There was a great deal of hype regarding this commercial, and while high on production value we are not actually sure on execution.
Honda “Hugfest”
Bruce Willis, who is not in this commercial to blow stuff up, is in this commercial to talk about car safety. He encourages people watching to look around, and give the person next to them a hug. While many people look at crash test ratings before purchasing a car, Willis emphasizes that car safety is even more important, because the people in the car are real. They are not crash test dummies.
Fred Armisen is also in this commercial, giving Bruce Willis a big hug and squeezes really, really tight. Bruce tells him it is okay to let go, but he shakes his head no. The commercial, while hitting home with a serious topic, still manages to make us smile.
Hyundai Elantra “Nice”
Johnny Galecki from The Big Bang Theory stars in this commercial that has him, and a cute woman, both driving Hyundai Elantras. At a traffic light, he tells her “nice ride.” She retorts with a “nice try,” and drives away. Galecki speeds up to catch up with her and then points out features like nice handling and nice playlist. Each time he tries to complement the woman’s car, she shoots him down. Towards the end, the commercial gets ridiculous with Galecki driving off the road and jumping through several rings of fire. Just watch, it’ll make more sense. Maybe.
Hyundai Genesis “Dad’s Sixth Sense”
Parents often develop a sixth sense to keep their children safe and out of trouble. Really, it is a surprise that some of us actually survive to adulthood! In that regard, the Hyundai commercial shows a father who is constantly saving his son from serious mishaps. He even pushes him out of the way and takes a bat to the groin for him.
As the son is learning to drive in the new 2015 Genesis, he ends up looking at a girl walking down the street and doesn’t notice a vehicle backing out in front of him. However, the car does and performs an emergency stop without the father (who is in the vehicle) intervening.
Clearly targeting the safety heart strings of many parents, this ad should be a success in helping sell that the new Hyundai Genesis is a luxury car to look at for the everyday person interested in the utmost safety.
Jaguar “British Villains ‘Rendezvous'”
Have you ever gone to the movies and noticed that all the bad guys in the movies are often played by Brits? Jaguar has noticed. Their Super Bowl commercial points out what it takes to be a proper British baddie, from having a stiff upper lip to driving a Jaguar. Also, throughout the commercial there is the new Jaguar F-Type R sounding absolutely incredible.
READ: 2014 Jaguar F-Type S: A Quick Spin
Ah, being a British bad guy in a movie and driving around in a Jaguar. “It’s good to be bad,” they claim. It is. It is indeed.
Jeep “Restless”
Jeep is incredibly proud of their Toledo, Ohio built Cherokee. And they should be, as it is quite a nice vehicle to off-road and stays true to the Jeep heritage. In this commercial, Jeep is targeting the outdoor-loving individual who refuses to sit still. It is for the restless people who need to constantly be in motion, doing things, in order to survive and be happy.
READ: Our Jeep Cherokee Test Drive Surprises and Delights
Of the three commercials from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, this Jeep ad is probably the most subtle, but most home-hitting one of the bunch. Interesting, when we talk to people the conversation is not about the Jeep’s front-end anymore. It has grown on many, and we believe this commercial will pull at the heart strings of the restless.
Kia K900 “The Truth”
“The world of luxury has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.”
Morpheus, from The Matrix, is the valet at a restaurant as a couple leaves to pick up their car. After stating, “we just want to get our car,” the couple is given a choice. Take the blue key, and go back to the luxury they know, or take the red key and never look at luxury the same again.
Up pulls a Kia K900, and both the man and woman are impressed with the car. Morpheus, who appears in the back, says that that is what luxury looks like. Then he states, “this is what luxury sounds like.” He then breaks into opera singing, destroying traffic lights and other cars. While interesting for geeks, we are unsure if it’ll move metal, But it was an entertaining commercial nonetheless.
Maserati Ghibli “Strike”
Maserati recently announced a less-expensive car, called the Ghibli. Now part of Fiat Chrysler Automotive, the Maserati ad was the first of three from the new conglomerate that aired during the Super Bowl. While FCA is a large group, Maserati sales are not. The Ghibli is designed to strike at the established luxury sports cars from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz in the $70,000 price range. The goal of the, which features storytelling about how Maserati isn’t the biggest, but they waited for the best time to strike, is to show people there are other options when purchasing a luxury car.
READ: Chrysler Now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Italian sports car noises are great in commercials, and definitely make us lust for a Maserati. We aren’t sure if it’s the type of ad to be shown at the Super Bowl, but we did enjoy watching it.
smart electric drive “Offroading”
The commercial from Smart begins with a ForTwo Electric attempting to off-road. It tries to climb a hill and just throws dirt. It bottoms out on some rocks and gets stuck. Smart’s point? It is silly to off-road a city car, so why would people drive in the city with a big, off-road SUV? Logical.
One thing this commercial does well is it actually shows a lease price. For $139/month a Smart Electric Drive can be leased to make city driving better.
Volkswagen “Wings”
Hitting 100,000 miles in any vehicle is a legitimate big deal. With modern cars and great reliability this is happening more and more, but it is still something to celebrate. When a father and daughter hit 100,000 miles together in their VW, the father claims that whenever a VW hits 100,000, a German engineer gets its wings.
The shot then shifts to a VW plant with giant wings randomly popping out of the backs of engineers. While some bits are just a bit over-the-top, some of them are pretty funny. There is an engineer who is in the wind tunnel when he gets his wings, causing him to blow away. There are also two engineers in the men’s room and one has bigger wings than the other.
“Next you’ll tell me at 200,000 miles rainbows shoot out their butt,” proclaims the daughter. The final scene is an engineer starting to turn a rainbow color. Clearly targeting VW reliability, they claim they have more vehicles on the road with over 100,000 than any other auto maker.