By Ronan Dolan ‘20

Super Bowl Sunday is known as a day of football, food, and half-time shows. However, as the years have gone on, these three aspects of the day seem to be overshadowed by commercials.

These commercials bring out the most creative minds from all of the world’s largest corporations due to their hefty cost. The cost of a 30 second advertisement has reached a whopping $5.3 million, so these commercials are no joke.

This year boasted a wide array of wacky and fun commercials and these are my top 5 from Super Bowl Sunday.

5) Doritos Cool Ranch

Doritos decided to use the success of Lil Nas X’s successful hit “Old Town Road” to create an interesting spoof on a Western shootout.

Advertising Dorito’s popular Cool Ranch Doritos, the setting of the commercial is on a ranch smartly named The Cool Ranch.

The ad featured Sam Elliot as an old time gunslinger and Lil Nas X as a more modern stylized cowboy. However, no guns are pulled and, instead, the two break out in a dance battle.

Ultimately, Lil Nas X comes out victorious as the older gunslinger tips his hat to the young rapper.

https://www.google.com/search?q=doritos+cool+ranch&oq=doritos+coo+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.7346j0j0&client=ms-android-att-us&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpst

4) Amazon’s Alexa

Amazon approached famous talk-show host Ellen Degeneres to be the head-liner of their Super Bowl ad and had her ask the question, “What was life like before Alexa?”

The ad took viewers on a wild trip from a Dark Ages town, to the Oregon Trail, and even to an appearance in Nixon’s White House.

Usher, Ludacris, and Lil Jon’s popular 2004 song, “Yeah!” was used to cap off the commercial that depicted how people from the past got through life without Alexa.

3) Hulu and the Goat

The most controversial commercial came from Hulu this year, and it featured New England Patriots super star, Tom Brady.

In the ad, Brady starts off by talking about how all good things come to an end, seemingly setting himself up for an announcement of his retirement. However, Brady reveals that he is in a Hulu ad and the only thing coming to an end is the end of cable television.

The ad finishes with an insight into Brady’s football future, with Brady proclaiming, “I’m not going anywhere.”

2) Tide and Charlie Day

The award for most creative commercial goes to Tide and comedian Charlie Day this year. This commercial was special because it was not limited to one time slot.

The commercial starts off with Day getting a saucy handprint on his clean shirt. This causes him to think how much later he should clean his shirt.

This sets up Day for appearances all throughout the rest of the night. He meets the Bud Knight, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and he even makes an appearance on “The Masked Singer.”

1) Planters and Mr. Peanut

The number 1 spot could go to no other commercial other than Planters and the funeral of Mr. Peanut.

In the weeks leading up the Super Bowl, Mr. Peanut, famed mascot of Planters, died saving his friends, Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh, who were stuck on a literal cliff-hanger.

The commercial depicted Mr. Peanut’s funeral, with famous guests that included Mr. Clean and the Kool-Aid Man.

The event was solemn, enough to make the giant, sentient pitcher of Kool-Aid shed a tear for his fallen friend. However, this tear provided the water for a new plant to grow out of Mr. Peanut’s grave.

This new plant is what gave birth to Baby Nut, the peanut company’s brand new mascot. Though, I am still amazed that the name Baby Nut made it past the producers as an acceptable name for a mascot.