Bill Murray revisits his role in Groundhog Day in Jeep ad. Photo / YouTube/Jeep
Bill Murray revisits his role in Groundhog Day in Jeep ad. Photo / YouTube/Jeep
For some Americans, the Super Bowl commercials are more exciting than the actual Super Bowl. Many of the most memorable pieces of televised advertising have taken place during half time of the annual event.
A cluster of the world's biggest names feature in the 2020 Super Bowl LIV commercials, including Daniel Craig, Usain Bolt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ellen DeGeneres, and so many more.
The cost of a Super Bowl commercial isn't cheap, with the reported cost of a 30-second spot during this year's broadcast ranging from $7.4 million to $8.3 million.
Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston recreates the famous scene from The Shining, where Jack Nicholson breaks through a door and stares through the gap at his terrified wife. But instead of killing his partner, Cranston offers a refreshing Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. The 60-second commercial closes with a few iconic shots Stanley Kubrick fans will instantly recognise.
HYUNDAI
Hyundai's commercial for the new Sonata "Remote Smart Parking Assist" feature includes some big names in Hollywood, including Avengers star Chris Evans, The Office actor John Krasinski and Saturday Night Live actor Rachel Dratch. The threesome put on ridiculous New York accents in what could be confused with a scene from Seinfeld.
HEINEKEN
In this two-minute Heineken commercial, actor Daniel Craig is consistently identified as James Bond while on holiday, much to his irritation. He must be the only person on the planet who doesn't want to play 007.
OLAY
Skin-care company Olay pledges to donate one US dollar to non-for-profit organisation Girls Who Code every time users tweet them with the hashtag #MakeSpaceForWomen. This 30-second commercial features an all-female ensemble including comedian Lily Singh, award-winning actor Taraji P. Henson and retired astronaut Nicole Stott.
SODASTREAM
Sparkling water company SodaStream released a humorous one-minute advertisement, featuring a group of astronauts discovering water on Mars for the first time, only for one to accidentally drink the sample after adding bubbles. Television star Bill Nye makes a cameo appearance in the environmentally-focused commercial.
One of the most famous Super Bowl commercials in history is the Budweiser "whassup" ad, and it's made a revival in 2020 — somewhat. During the Canadian Budweiser ad, a group of household appliances recreate the iconic beer commercial in an uncomfortable blend of Toy Story and Black Mirror.
Meanwhile, the US Budweiser commercial celebrates the "typical" American, a clever interpretation of how many people perceive Budweiser to be a "typical" American beer.
AMAZON
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi ponder over what life was like before Amazon's Alexa — a strange question considering the technology is still fairly new — and the 90-second commercial flashes back to life in the Middle Ages and Victorian era. There's also a dragon for some reason.
PORSCHE
Filled with revving engines, a cinematic car chase and a twist ending, Porsche's commercial for the Taycan is more a Fast & Furious clip than anything else.
Microsoft's 60-second commercial celebrates the career of Katie Sowers, the first women to coach in the Super Bowl, empowering other women to pursue a career in football.
GOOGLE
Google's heartwarming 90-second commercial follows an elderly man suffering Alzheimer's, struggling to remember aspects of his marriage. His Google devices help recreate the precious memories so they're never forgotten.
DORITOS
One of the biggest songs of 2019 was "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X. The American music sensation, along with actor Sam Elliot and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, feature in this one-minute commercial for Doritos set in a classic Old Western town.
If you enjoy a bad dad joke, you'll love this 15-second Cheetos commercial featuring MC Hammer, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of his iconic single "Can't Touch This".
MICHELOB ULTRA
Talk-show host Jimmy Fallon and WWE legend John Cena star in this 60-second commercial for Michelob Ultra, a low-carb beer. The fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, makes a cameo appearance in the fast-paced ad.
PRINGLES
Rick and Morty is one of the most critically-acclaimed television shows of the past five years. The animaters from Adult Swim teamed up with Pringles to create a 30-second commercial set in the Rick and Morty universe, in what will surely be a Super Bowl highlight for the sci fi geeks.
The marketing team at Walmart must have sat down and asked, "How many movie references can we fit into a two minute commercial?" The answer is quite a few. Characters from Lego Movie, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Men in Black and countless other cult classics feature in this ad for the American grocery store chain.
SQUARESPACE
In what is arguably the weakest Super Bowl commercial of 2020, Stranger Things actor Winona Ryder travels to the snowy town Winona to create a website on Squarespace. Yeah, it's as boring as it sounds.
