The Big Game, Big Ads: A Look at the Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2024
Written by: Emma Sergei
Every year, the Super Bowl brings together millions of viewers not just for the game, but also for the highly anticipated star-studded commercials. This year was no exception, with brands pulling out all the stops to create memorable and impactful ads. Let’s walk through a recap of my top 5 favorite ads this year.
Many big events this year are capitalizing on the Suits fandom that has resparked ignite with the show being put on Netflix, the Super Bowl is no exception. There were two big ads that featured stars from the show, including E.L.F. with Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, and Sarah Rafferty, and T-Mobile with Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht. The E.L.F. commercial topped last years with Jennier Coolige by showcasing Judge Judy ruling over a case of “Louis Litt” putting “Jessica Pearson” on trial for using expensive makeup while “Donna Paulsen” takes notes in the back. This particular commercial was successful as it used big stars to mimic the show's typical courthouse scenes. The T-Mobile commercial on the other hand used the pair's whitty back and forth commentary to be successful as it shows them and other big name stars auditioning to get T-Mobile magenta status.
Another successful campaign this year was CeraVe’s commercial with Michael Cera. The ad was set up in a way that depicted Michael Cera pitching a commercial to the CeraVe dermatologist board saying that he is the perfect crossover opportunity for them. The commercial was humorous and satire as the idea that Michael Cera created CeraVe has been all over TikTok for a few weeks now, which was the perfect setup for this ad.
My personal favorite Super Bowl commercial of the year was Dunkin’s DunKings. As a Bostonian, to see Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, and more all in a commercial for Dunkin, nothing gets better than that. Last year’s commercial showed Affleck’s working in a Dunkin drive thru and Jennifer Lopez showing up and asking if this is what he does when he says he’s going to work. The idea this year was to build off of that and have Affleck come into Lopez’s work with all his friends and make a song. The ad ends with Lopez kicking them out and commentary from Affleck and Damon about how Damon said he’d do anything for Affleck but this is anything, Affleck snaps back with “chill they’re naming a drink after us.” The ad has captured the hearts of many in the Northeast as it features Boston born actors, Dunkin, and Tom Brady while remaining humorous.
Lastly, Verizon blew the roof off the building with their commercial starring Beyonce. The ad that was centered around Beyonce’s quote “I break the internet, top two and I ain't No. 2” shows her trying to break Verizon’s unbreakable network. The scenes play through her having a lemonade stand, releasing a saxophone album, starring in BarBey, running for BOTUS (Beyonce of the United States), and performing in space. All this wraps up by saying she hasn’t broken the internet or Verizon yet but then she says “release the new music” and actually drops a new song. This ad became a huge hit as first off, Verizon having Beyonce in an ad is crazy, but also the fact that this was a lead up to her dropping a new country song.
Overall, this year's Super Bowl commercials were a mix of humor, star power, and storytelling. Each ad stood out in its own way, leaving a lasting impression on viewers and solidifying the Super Bowl as not just a sporting event, but also a major moment for advertising creativity.