Super Bowl LVIII brought a cavalcade of commercials boasting plenty of star power, but only a select few ads managed to elicit some real laughs.
Whether they injected just the right amount of offbeat humor, featured well-placed visual effects or got celebrities to say funny things, they rose to the top of this year’s brand bowl.
Here are the best of the 2024 Super Bowl commercials, in no particular order, mixed in with a few more that get an A for effort.
On Pluto TV’s farm, they grow couch potatoes.
And these couch potatoes — people in big potato costumes, rooted to their couches and the soil below — each have their own TV.
Pluto thinks TV and movies should be easy, plentiful and free. A nation of couch potatoes gives its salute.
The Philadelphia Eagles — and Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens — take flight, literally, in YouTube TV’s ad for NFL Sunday Ticket.
Players assume avian stances, flap their wings and squawk in the commercial.
“Each year they must follow the path of migration, marking the season’s end,” a birdwatcher says.
There’s also brief appearance from Sean Evans, host of “Hot Ones,” eating some chicken wings.
“It’s the real deal, 100% ... electric,” Christopher Walken says of his car, the BMW i5 electric sedan.
A parking valet then decides to try his best Walken impression on the actor, who apparently must listen to these impressions all day from everyone, including the people at the coffee drive-thru and a waiter at a restaurant.
In the spot, titled “Talkin Like Walken,” Usher also makes a guest appearance, when the waiter says “Yeah.”
The theme of this spot for the Kawasaki Ridge: “business in the front, party in the back.”
Hence a series of mullets appear, not only on humans, but also a dog, bear, turtle and eagle.
Mullets are funny.
It writes itself, but it’s also good!
“I’m Michael Cera and I’m pleased to announce that this is my cream,” the actor says, holding a container of CeraVe.
“Can human skin truly be this moisturized?”
See the extended version of the ad that aired during the game below.
The “Twins” co-stars reunite so Danny can correct Arnold’s pronunciation of “neighbaa” in this spot for the insurance company.
The people making the commercial have been struggling with Schwarzenegger’s pronunciation of “neighbor,” so they recruit Jersey’s own DeVito to join him.
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” DeVito says in the finished commercial.
“You’re a backstabbah,” Schwazenegger, 76, tells DeVito at the commercial’s premiere.
“I am a backstabber,” says DeVito, 79, correcting him.
Beyoncé has a bunch of ideas for how to break the internet in this spot for Verizon.
Run for Beyoncé of the United States (BOTUS). Blast off in a rocket to host the first concert in space. And that’s not all.
Yet ultimately, none of these attempts succeed in breaking the internet, as Tony Hale informs Beyoncé (he’s her assistant).
So Beyoncé tells him to drop the new music — which she in fact did in real life, releasing two songs and announcing the date for her upcoming album, aka “Act II.”
Kate McKinnon’s cat becomes Mayo Cat in this ad for Hellmann’s.
The “talking” cat — “may-ow!” — becomes an instant celebrity and even starts dating her former “Saturday Night Live” co-star Pete Davidson.
Well, until we see the cover of People magazine:
“Mayo Cat Dumps Davidson!”
“You lasted longer than most,” McKinnon tells the cat.
“Sometimes it’s really hard to be your friend,” Matt Damon tells Ben Affleck.
They’ve just busted into a recording studio where Jennifer Lopez is recording.
Affleck has recruited (forced) Damon to join his new boy band, the DunKings, in this ad for Dunkin’.
He’s even got former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the keys. Why not show JLo, his wife, what they’re working with, Affleck figures, breaking out some dance moves and giving a taste of their musical stylings.
Jack Harlow told Affleck he didn’t think it was a good idea — Fat Joe, who is in the studio, looks scared. Sure enough, Lopez is mortified.
“Beauty fades, dumb is forever,” Judge Judy says in this commercial for the cosmetics company e.l.f.
The spot, which also stars “Suits” actors Gina Torres and Rick Hoffman, features the TV judge as Judge Beauty.
“You’re telling me you need to spend $92 on foundation?? Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
Meghan Trainor and stars of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” have supporting roles in the ad.
Treat yourself to the long version of this Paramount+ ad starring Patrick Stewart.
Stewart, star of “Star Trek: Picard,” appears on snowy Paramount Mountain with a group of celebrities and characters who fall under the Paramount umbrella, like Drew Barrymore.
Barrymore thinks it’s definitely not a good idea to throw Arnold from Nickelodeon’s “Hey Arnold” at a rocky summit so they can get a rope to the top.
Stewart is undeterred. The kid has a football-shaped head, after all. He tells Barrymore to shut her face.
“We throw the child!!”
The band Creed plays its 1999 song “Higher” just for the occasion.
Jennifer Aniston completely forgets who her “Friends” co-star David Schwimmer is in this spot for Uber Eats.
“Have we met?” she asks. “Gimme a hint?”
Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, forgets the Spice Girls. So does her husband, David Beckham.
“Remember when you used to be a Pepper Lady?” he asks her.
“Wasn’t it the Cinnamon Sisters?” she replies.
Heavily tattooed rapper and singer Jelly Roll forgets that he’s gotten any tattoos.
“Did someone doodle on my face??” he asks, horrified.
Usher even forgets he’s performing at the Super Bowl.
“I hope I get to play a halftime show someday, man,” he says backstage at the show.
Jersey’s own Zach Braff returns with Donald Faison for another musical T-Mobile commercial.
This time their co-star is Jason Momoa and the theme is “Flashdance.”
Look for a quick cameo from the star of the movie, Jennifer Beals, who sprays Momoa with water from above to channel the feel of her character’s chair dance from the film.
“I pity the fool who has to touch his shoes to put ‘em on!!”
The legend Mr. T stars with Tony Romo in Skechers’ commercial for the brand’s Hands Free Slip-ins.
Because there’s never been a “T” in Skechers ... until now.
“Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega may be the big name in this Doritos ad, but her two grandmothers in the commercial — Dina and Mita, played by Olivia Negron and Patricia Mauceri — are bonafide action stars.
The women are so intent on securing a bag of Doritos Dinamita rolled chips that when “Top Gun: Maverick” actor Danny Ramirez grabs the last bag, they follow him, and they’re not afraid to fight him for it.
“To act is to deceive,” two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins says. “And to deceive, one must forget oneself.”
He proceeds to pull on a costume to become Wrex the Dragon, the mascot for Wrexham AFC, in this ad for Stōk Cold Brew, the stadium sponsor of the Welsh soccer team.
“Ironically it is the cold brew that births the fire-breathing dragon,” Hopkins says.
The team is owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as seen in the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”
See more Super Bowl commercials here.
Stories by Amy Kuperinsky
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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup.
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