Best: “Viva Young” from Taco Bell
It’s a case of grandpas gone wild when a man breaks out of his retirement home and celebrates the night like he’s 20 again. He and his friends break into someone’s pool, go crazy at a nightclub, get tattooed and end the night with some delicious Taco Bell. The elderly actors were incredibly hilarious, and the ad was a wonderful mix of humor and general insanity. The Spanish cover of “We Are Young” by fun.was the perfect touch to a great 60 seconds. Without a doubt, this commercial won the night.
Worst: “Perfect Match” from Go Daddy
Go Daddy is a company known for its controversial, racy Super Bowl commercials, some of which have been banned from even airing in the first place. Unfortunately, this one featuring a disturbing close up of a sloppy, awkward kiss between model Bar Refaeli and a red-faced tech guy with a patchy mustache made the cut. At best, you felt uncomfortable. At worst, you completely lost your appetite for any more wings and pizza.
Funniest: “Love Ballad” from M&M’S
The Red M&M will do anything for “Glee” star Naya Rivera’s love — paint her toenails, wear a wig or anything else she wants. Yet he won’t put up with being garnished with whipped cream or thrown in the oven on top of a giant cookie. The serenading power ballad and slapstick humor was just unexpected and silly enough to coax a laugh out of even the most stoic commercial viewer.
Cheesiest: “PSY Crackin’ Gangnam Style” from Wonderful Pistachios
This nutty commercial proved that the catchy viral hit isn’t going away anytime soon. The refrain of “Hey, crack your nuts now,” and female dancers dressed as giant pistachios made for a parody that’s almost as ridiculous as the original music video for the Korean pop chart topper. Fans of the song (if they still exist) may have gotten a kick out of it, while others just rolled their eyes at the cheesy ad and called PSY a sell-out.
Craziest: “Goat 4 Sale” from Doritos
Doritos often goes for the shock factor, and they certainly delivered when they aired a commercial about a chip-eating goat who goes insane after eating what looked like a year’s supply of Doritos. After squealing in a way that’s too human for comfort, the goat destroys his owner’s house before going after the man himself. It leaves you confused, alarmed and just a bit entertained, which is something we’ve come to expect from Doritos.
Best Celebrity Cameo: Amy Poehler for Best Buy
While celebrity endorsements often feel cheap and overused, comedy superstar Amy Poehler made it work in her commercial for Best Buy as she dashed around the store asking questions about the products riddled with funny quips and one-liners. From prompting the male employee to unbutton his shirt for an impromptu photo shoot, to asking if an e-reader will read “Fifty Shades of Grey” to her in a sexy voice, Poehler was her always-charming self in one of the best cameos of the night.
Cutest: “Space Babies” from Kia Sorento
The age-old question “Where do babies come from?” inspired the dad in this commercial to spin the tale of a planet called Babylandia. With babies dressed in astronaut suits and a plethora of animated baby penguins, pigs and elephants, viewers may have been wishing for more beer commercials in order to detox from this adorable Kia ad. Some might say it was too cute for the Super Bowl, but can the world ever have enough baby animals parachuting from space?
