For those who don’t watch sports, the Super Bowl and its inescapable press are torturous. That being said, there is a saving grace to this event: the commercials. Due to its viewership, the Super Bowl is the marketing opportunity of the year. With companies paying $7,000,000 for 30-second ad spots, extensive preparation goes into making the investment worth it. Therefore, the commercial breaks of the Super Bowl are filled with star studded, elaborate, and costly advertisements. Because of the commitment that goes into these ads, it’s incredibly important to analyze the quality of these commercials, and ensure that they are meeting a high standard.

Dunkin’: 2/5 Falcons

A few weeks ago, Ben Affleck took over a Dunkin’ drive-thru in Medford. Although it originally stirred up confusion amongst Bostonians and the like, it was revealed that this ruse was staged for a Super Bowl commercial. In it, Affleck took to the drive-thru deck to surprise Dunkin’ goers (as well as Jennifer Lopez?). Affleck also sported a Boston accent in this commercial, which is unusual due to his Cambridge upbringing. This commercial showed that Affleck is truly overdoing it with the Boston shtick.

Tubi: 1/5 Falcon

This ad came in the form of a pop-up. Instilling fear in the viewer, the commercial mimicked the act of opening up Tubi and turning off the Super Bowl. The commercial clearly stood out, but at what cost?

Peacock: 2.5/5 Falcons

More so than Peacock itself, this commercial advertised the new show “Poker Face” starring Natasha Lyonne. In the commercial, Lyonne is at a bar watching commercials with another bar patron. This includes a commercial for Poker Face, which she praises. Although meta, this ad does disappoint considering that it does absolutely nothing for the viewer. 

Rakuten: 4/5 Falcons

About a week before the Super Bowl, I saw an advertisement for this Rakuten advertisement. Starring Alicia Silverstone herself, this commercial was a mimic of the 1995 film Clueless. Given its preemptive press, I knew hopes would be high for this ad. I tried to not let this talk get in the way of my enjoyment of the commercial, so that I could properly view it to the fullest capacity. Although it didn’t excite me personally, this commercial was well done, and it did what it needed to.

Sam Adams: 3/5 Falcons

Filled to the brim with Boston accents and delicacies, Sam Adams’ commercial took a similar approach to Dunkin’s. The commercial features a man toting a case of Sam Adams around Boston locations such as Fenway Park and a bar in Southie. In spite of its general irksomeness, Sam Adams successfully did the Boston act, and hopefully entertained some viewers.

Booking.com: 3.5/5 Falcons

In the most viewed Super Bowl ad this year, Melissa McCarthy sings about the variety of locations that she could stay at using Booking.com. The commercial contains wonderful cinematography and choreography, but beyond this, it’s unclear what led the commercial to amass 100 million views on Youtube.