For NFL fans, the Super Bowl can be a total coin-flip of a viewing experience, depending on how one feels about the teams involved. For non-fans, it’s all about the commercials and the halftime show spectacles (or it’s all about going out places knowing how many people are home watching). As it’s gone in years past, many of those commercials that air can be some of the funniest ads of the year, thanks in large part to how pricy and star-studded they are.
Everyone’s mileage will vary for what amounts to the funniest of all, but here are my choices for the 10 funniest Super Bowl LVII commercials, with the caveat that I’m also going with the full versions of the ads that can be found online, and not always just the limited spots that aired on TV. Many of which have already been online for days, which can be annoying, but that’s entertainment-fueled capitalism in 2023! Now enjoy funny expensive things!
Doritos: Jack Harlow Goes All Triangles
Jack Harlow's star continues rising at a fast pace, from his explosive music career to making a name for himself on the big screen in the upcoming White Men Can't Jump remake. But he may have already reached a comedic high mark with his Doritos Super Bowl commercial, which envisions a future where he dedicates all of his creativity toward triangles in all forms. You know what's not getting enough attention these days? Shapes!
Planters: The Full Mr. Peanut Roast
The Planters ad that aired during the game couldn't possibly hold a candle to the full Roast of once-dead-and-then-reborn Mr. Peanut, which lasts for nearly twelve minutes of surpringly funny jokes from roast master Jeff Ross and comics such as Natasha Leggero, Atsuko Okatsuka, Frank Castillo, Yamaneika Saunders, David Lucas, and Sarah Tiana. Leggero possibly has the best joke of the whole shebang with her very first observation, but there were more than enough "look how old and weird-looking this peanut man is" barbs and insults to appease fans of puns and insult comedy alike. Roasts for mascots and other fictional characters should become a big trend in 2023.
Pepsi: Ben Stiller's Endless Acting Skills
Ben Stiller and Steve Martin paired up for some ad-teasing fun ahead of the reveals of their respective commercials promoting Pepsi Zero Sugar, but I found Stiller's film genre-aping efforts to be the more amusing of the two. Though I can hardly stand here and say that Martin's was worse. Because I'm sitting. (Wokka wokka.) Sure, the return of Derek Zoolander didn't exactly hurt or anything.
M&Ms: Maya Rudolph Ruins (And Kidnaps) Candy
Rarely does a Super Bowl ad cause an internet kerfuffle before it's even revealed to be a Super Bowl ad, but so it went when M&Ms revealed Maya Rudolph would be "replacing" its animated spokescandies. Thankfully, the actual result has been as weird and wonderfully gross as one might have expected from Rudolph being involved. Pre-game ads teased the inclusion of clams into the candy, culminating in the 30-second commercial that fully introduced the new clam-centric flavor takeover, all while the Red M&M was revealed as being held hostage. I love the idea of an ongoing mystery mixed in with the chocolate seafood combo.
Rakuten: Clueless Return For Alicia Silverstone
Everybody loves Clueless and Alicia Silverstone’s Cher, and it’s always a big plus to have them back in our lives. Even if it involves Rakuten, something that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to naturally connect to Amy Heckerling’s influential comedy classic. But hey, whatever gets Silverstone back in “Whatever” mode alongside former co-star Elisa Donovan, as well as designer Christian Sirianao, who recreated her fab yellow look for the ad. Perhaps it wasn't the funniest in terms of the number of gut-busting lines or anything, but it still earned a spot here.
General Motors: Will Ferrell Goes Netflix
It's weird for an ad to just blatantly promote product placement on such a grand scale, but props to General Motors for putting Will Ferrell at the heart of it. It's a fun ride for the SNL vet to send up some of the streaming service's biggest hits, from Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead to Love Is Blind to Queer Eye to Bridgerton. But we sha'n't (or shalln't) lie: the real highlight was Priah Ferguson reprising the role of Stranger Things' Erica.
Uber One: Diddy Don't Do Jingles
This was a smorgasbord of throwback fun for anyone bopping along to pop radio from the '90s through the 2000s, with Diddy and Uber One enlisting the talents of - and I use the term in the most polite of tones - "one hit wonder" superstars to spoof their moneymakers, such as Montell Jordan ("This Is How We Do It"), Donna Lewis ("I Love You Always Forever"), Kelis ("Milkshake"), Ylvis ("The Fox") and Haddaway ("What Is Love"). Kelis gets the win for best alt-version.
Pringles: More Cylinder-Shaped Trauma
The Pringles ad that aired during the Super Bowl's second quarter was like 75% on point with the alternate version online, but it's the last bit that makes it completely worth it, as it ends on such a wonderfully dark and haunting note. That poor kid and his chip-related traumas.
Google Pixel 7: Justice For "This Guy Loves To Fart" Guy And More
One of the bigger phone camera innovations of recent years, the Google Pixel 7 allows for erasing unwanted details in pics. Which allowed for a pretty brilliant Super Bowl ad filled with surprise appearances from Amy Schumer (completely alone and without any exes), NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, rapper Doja Cat, and the dude from the "This Guy Loves to Fart" meme. Spoilers: he doesn't anymore. At least that's what he says.
T-Mobile: John Travolta Getting Grease-y With Zach Braff And Donald Faison
Say what one will about Paramount+'s upcoming prequel series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, but I think just as much effort should be put into John Travolta quasi-reprising the role of Danny Zuko and fronting a full on shot-for-shot Grease remake, in the sense Gun Van Sant's Psycho. Clearly, Zach Braff and Donald Faison would also be included somewhere, but they'd just be the icing on this summer lovin' cake.
Honorable Mentions: Pete Davidson And More
I can't be the only person who spent too much time thinking about what Hellmann's was trying to tell us with its Super Bowl ad, right? I get what it meant on the surface, but are we supposed to believe that Pete Davidson imagined Jon Hamm and Brie Larson having a self-realizing conversation within his fridge before having a party that they attended? If so, I think that makes it funny, although it may not be worth all the effort. Here were some other amusing commercials that didn't quite make the cut.
Here are some others that were worthy of chuckles and chortles.
- The E*Trade Baby Wedding
- Bud Light's Dance Sesh with Miles and Keleigh Teller
- Bradley Cooper's Mom roasting him for T-Mobile
- Dave Grohl honoring Canada for Crown Royal
- Workday's Rock Star ad with Ozzy Osbourne and more music legends
- Avacados From Mexico's Nude Eden with Anna Faris
Get ready to watch a bunch of these ads and more airing throughout the rest of the year, probably during XFL games, leading into USFL games, which will then cap off with the return of NFL football. It's all football, all the time. Plus funny commercials.
