The Super Bowl is the one time of the year when people actually watch the commercials rather than fast forward through them…or they just watch it on YouTube immediately after the game. Either way, companies bring their advertising dollars and “A game” to the field to try to score with the largest national audience in history.

So who really brought their “A-game” and who wasted their money? Continue on to see M/C/C’s staff picks and thoughts on this year’s commercial at the big game.

With almost the entire staff calling it out as their favorite and/or best example of good marketing during this year’s game, Google seemed to take away the top prize as best advertiser. Even with only one ad running, the company generated a lot of pre-game hype for their commercial and then delivered with an extraordinary ad that was incredibly simple, yet compelling.
“From a creative aspect, I typically don’t advocate focusing on a company’s product for an entire ad. But Google managed to make its product the storyteller of on unseen couple’s introduction, courtship, marriage and first born all in under 60 seconds. Who would’ve thought search results could be so endearing?” – Todd Brashear, VP creative

“Google managed to one-up Apple in TV ads. Who would have ever thought that could/would happen. They took Apple’s proven formula of simplicity and gave it purpose. It was a great example of  ingenuity and creativity without losing sight of the company’s message or the company’s pocketbook (not that Google really has to worry about that).” – Nathan Rome, director of public relations
“We live in a world where we’re bombarded with so much advertising and so many messages and images at record speeds that it sometimes feels like a dirt storm. Google’s strategic absence of unnecessary color or pizzazz stands out and leaves the target feeling crisp and clean.” – Jennifer Reeves, media relations representative

“It was simple, made “search” interesting and showed how practical and useful Google can be in multiple cases.” – Anna Peter, PR intern

Coming in a distant second was Snicker’s highly talked about Betty White commercial. While people were definitely talking about the spot before and after it aired, many at M/C/C are still questioning whether or not the commercial will pay off for Snicker’s in the long run.

“The great thing about this commercial was that even without sound, the concept wasn’t lost on the viewer. Millions of people in sports bars, crowded partys and tailgates could appreciate the humor of a Golden Girl getting tackled without hearing the trash-talking humor. The tagline at the end, “You’re not you when you’re hungry,” was deliciously fitting.” – Phillip Barnhard, content manager

“The Snickers ad was definitely funny and it made me remember it, but I question who the commercial actually helped: Snickers or Betty White. Even if you look at the headlines or conversations following the commercial, it all centers on Betty White not Snickers. You could have put pretty much any other product in there and it would have had the same effect/reaction.” – Nathan Rome, director of public relations

In third, we had Denny’s chicken series of commercials. While a lot of the hype was generated due to the fact that Denny’s was giving away a free breakfast for everyone, the commercials still struck a chord with much of America. In a very clear departure from its previous advertising attempts, Denny’s screaming chickens had viewers looking at the company in a new light.

“In addition to just being hilarious, the Denny’s ad did a great job at targeting that late night/college crowd with its “Adult Swim” art style.” – Hillary Boulden, senior art director

“Denny’s needed to branch out from that stale public mindset they had developed over the past few years and I think they hit a homerun with this series. These ads breathed new life into the company and our perceptions of it.” – Mike Crawford, president

“While I liked the commercials, I was blown away with the complete marketing package they did around the chicken concept. If you haven’t checked out the Facebook page with all the videos from “Brian the Intern” then head their now. I think they are funnier/more impactful than the ads they ran during the Super Bowl.” – Nathan Rome, director of public relations