The Best and Worst Super Bowl LVII Ads

A still from Rakuten's Super Bowl spot featuring Alicia Silverstone Credit -

More than 100 million viewers are expected to tune in to Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 12 to see three things: the face-off between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, Rihanna’s return to the stage with her halftime performance, and the buzzy, big-budget commercials between the main events. It’s no secret that the most watched U.S. television program, airing on Fox, features the most expensive ads of the year, with advertisers shelling out upwards of $7 million for a 30 second slot. Total ad revenue for pre- and post-game commercials for last year’s event was over $630 million.

Year after year, advertisers continue up the ante to create the most memorable, star-studded campaigns. In recent years, to get fans engaged before the Super Bowl, they’ve begun rolling out their campaigns in the weeks leading up to the event.

Here’s a roundup of the most noteworthy commercials, as well as some of the misses, that have launched in advance of the big game.

Best (So Far): Heineken

It’s an unlikely choice for a beer commercial to feature a non-alcoholic product, but Heineken makes it work. The Dutch beer company’s Super Bowl commercial celebrates sobriety with their Heineken 0.0 beer, which contains 0% alcohol. With the help of Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man character, ahead of Marvel’s Feb. 17 release of Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania, Rudd is seen in the commercial defending his alcohol-free Heineken choice to his close ant comrade. Rudd shoots up from his desk to “get back to work,” as Heineken reminds viewers that they too can conquer the work day with a Heineken 0.0. The video on YouTube already has nearly 30 million views.

Worst (So Far): Avocados from Mexico

Actor Anna Faris portrays a nude Eve in what appears to be the Garden of Eden in Avocados from Mexico’s commercial teaser. A narrator dramatically announces, “Since time began there has been one fruit with the ability to change the world. One fruit that can alter history with one small bite.” One would guess he’s referencing an apple as the forbidden fruit, but instead Faris appears, opening an avocado. A nude Faris-as-Eve in a very blonde wig isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of avocados from Mexico.

Most Unexpected Collaboration: Work-Day

System software company Workday’s commercial preview features British rocker Ozzy Osborne in an unlikely setting: a corporate office. Even in a professional button-down and tie, Osborne is still undeniably a heavy metal icon in his signature black eyeliner as he offers his colleagues in-office piercings. Not bad for Workday’s first Super Bowl ad.

Most Relatable: Pringles

Mega pop stars are just like us—at least when it comes to eating Pringles. The chip brand’s ad teaser showcases singer Meghan Trainor with a struggle we know all too well: getting those last pringle chips from the bottle’s narrow can, and then getting your hand all but stuck inside. Gen-Z will feel even more seen as Trainor simultaneously makes a TikTok on her propped phone, with one of the platform’s most inescapable music trends of recent months, her “Made You Look” song.

Funniest: Busch Beer

American lager Busch Beer’s commercial is set against a mountainous backdrop. Their guide to survival in the cold includes food, Busch Light beer, and shelter. As they demonstrate the latter, Sarah McLachlan’s “In The Arms of an Angel” begins playing—a song best known for ASPCA commercials that feature McLachlan pleading for donations on behalf of helpless animals. In Busch Beer’s video, McLachlan herself comes out of a tent with a similar plea: “For just dollars a day you can help helpless animals find shelter.” She’s quickly interrupted by a man holding a beer can with a cheeky response: “Wrong shelter, Sarah.”

Most Interactive: FanDuel

FanDuel, an online gambling company, has quite literally kicked off their “Kick of Destiny” campaign with a commercial featuring Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ retired tight end Rob Gronkowski preparing for his Super Bowl return with coaching from one of the NFL’s greatest kickers, Adam Vinatieri. But this ad goes beyond its preview, a parody of classic movie training montages—Gronkowski will try to kick a field goal during FanDuel’s live commercial on Super Bowl Sunday. If he’s successful, fans who placed bets of $5 or more will earn a portion of a $10 million jackpot.

Most Suspenseful: Downy

Most Super Bowl preview ads are quick to showcase their celebrity partnerships, but not Downy. Their teaser for Downy Unstopables, an in-wash scent booster that claims to keep your clothes fresh for over 12 weeks, doesn’t reveal much. The celebrity in the preview covers their head with a sweatshirt stating, “I’m going to sniff this thing until the Super Bowl to see if it’s true. But until then, I’m totally hiding my identity.” (Fans are speculating that it’s actor Danny McBride).

Most Nostalgic (Movies): Rakuten

Rakuten, an application that gives users cash back on purchases, released its preview ad featuring Alicia Silverstone back in her iconic Clueless yellow plaid Cher get-up. As she walks through a classroom much like the one where she made a memorable case for the U.S. government to welcome more refugees, Silverstone references her iconic movie slang: “Don’t bug, your girl is back.”

Most Nostalgic (Music): Uber One

Uber One, a membership for exclusive deals on Uber and Uber Eats, partnered with rapper Sean Combs, better known as Diddy, to bring out some major music throwbacks. The commercial begins with Diddy sitting in his Combs Global office as the Uber One team requests that he produce a jingle for their product. Diddy has a better idea: parodying throwback songs like Joe Stone’s “The Party (This Is How We Do It)” and replacing the lyrics with infomercial-style lines about Uber One. He even taps artists like Kelis for her 2003 hit “Milkshake,” Haddaway for his 1993 dance-pop song “What Is Love” and music duo Ylvis for their 2013 viral song “What Does the Fox Say?.”

Biggest Stunt: M&M’s

Just last month, M&M’s announced that they’d be taking “an indefinite pause from the spokescandies” in response to the criticism they received after making progressive changes to their cartoon characters—particularly from right-wing commentators like Tucker Carlson. As the move set off yet another frenzy in the Culture Wars, the company announced that comedian Maya Rudolph would be the brand’s new spokesperson. Since then, they’ve released commercial previews with Rudolph jokingly renaming the famous chocolates “ma&ya’s,” but she likely won’t be alone for the official Sunday ad. M&Ms has since confirmed that the pause will be brief, as the spokescandies are making a return in their commercial Sunday night.