Every year on the first Sunday of February, millions of Americans tune in to watch the game of the year—and more importantly, its commercials, each one coming with a whopping $4 million price tag for a 30-second slot.
Scattered among the standard trailers for movies like Fast and Furious: Furious 7 and the infamously anticipated film Fifty Shades of Grey as well as various GoDaddy ads, a portion of the Super Bowl commercials of 2015 did not live up to the hilarious expectations of the crowds that they were presented to. Instead, some managed to get a much larger reaction, being called “depressing” and “uncomfortable to watch” by many spectators. Focusing heavily on problems that we as Americans are presented with on a daily basis rather than advertising products was common. Ads like Nationwide’s “Make Safe Happen” child safety campaign managed to spark nationwide controversy on the nature of its contents. The ad following a young boy through the obstacles of early childhood; it shows him telling about how he will never learn to do the things a normal kid would because he “died from an accident.”
Another sad approach that newer car models went for were the heart-wrenching effects of growing up. Nissan’s “With Dad” and Toyota Camry’s “My Bold Dad” centered on children relying on their fathers until they were big enough to rely on themselves. These hit home with every dad in the room, as well as the children who are in the same position and encountering the scary things that come with becoming an adult.
On the flip side, innocent and simple commercials like Loctite’s “Positive Feelings” focused on making the public laugh and focused on the entertainment factor. Nationwide seemed to redeem itself in presenting an alternative, lighthearted commercial featuring Mindy Kaling, in which the actress has come to the conclusion that the reason why everyone ignores her is that she must be invisible. Coca-Cola also went for a happy aura, presenting their “#MakeItHappy” commercial with the usual pomp and circumstance that one would usually find from the world-famous soda company.
All in all, the Super Bowl advertisements of 2015 were just like they always are, slightly over-exaggerated. The Super Bowl is essentially a national holiday that will be a part of American culture for years and years to come, so will its commercials.