Super Bowl Commercials 2013: Ads That Stole the Show on Super Sunday

By most accounts, Super Sunday fell well short of the advertising bonanza fans have come to expect from sponsors.

Thirty seconds of air time cost advertisers $4 million this year, and with leaked ad spots and teasers available for weeks prior to the game, fans were right to have lofty expectations.

While Super Sunday lacked that one outrageous commercial that got everyone talking, there will still some pretty terrific ad spots. We’ll take a look at some commercials that stole the spotlight.

1. Ram Trucks: “Farmer”

Without question, Ram Trucks’ “Farmer” commercial was as good as we saw on Sunday. While other advertisers were failing with the tired humor viewers have come to expect year in and year out, Ram put out an ad spot that made people think.

Paul Harvey’s folksy poem over the still frames of farmers and tractors and small farm animals was a touching tribute the American farmer, and it was also a pretty ingenious way to sell trucks.

When humor and sex appeal begin to miss the mark, it’s important for advertisers to find a way to switch gears and cut through the clutter. Ram did just that in bringing us a very memorable Super Bowl commercial.

2. Samsung: “The Next Big Thing”

The Seth Rogen/Paul Rudd comedy duo is perfect for just about anything, and Samsung did well to bring the two together for this commercial.

If you’re not a fan of either funny man, you probably didn’t care for this ad spot. Maybe Bob Odenkirk is more your speed, and he was pretty terrific in the commercial as well.

Considering “The Next Big Thing” was a two-minute spot, Samsung had to drop a pretty penny to bring it to Super Bowl viewers, but it seems to have hit its mark.

3. Tide: “Miracle Stain”

Married men and women, sports fans and laundry aficionados everywhere had to enjoy this commercial.

The Tide ad spot wasn’t leaked prior to the game, and it seems those particular commercials were the ones that were most appealing this year. Or maybe it was just the fact that the commercial was topical. I’m sure more than a few households were divided in their loyalties for the big game.

In any case, we can all relate in some way to this commercial. Tide managed to combine humor and sports to bring viewers one of the best commercials of the year.

4. Budweiser: “The Clydesdales: Brotherhood”

Budweiser leaked this ad spot in the weeks leading up to Super Sunday, and it still managed to find its place amongst the best commercials of the year.

The Clydesdales commercials have been a staple of Budweiser’s Super Bowl marketing for years. Some commercials are subtly humorous and others are touching—this one blended the right amount of both.

Depending on your taste in music, Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide” was either a nice touch or a terrible choice for this commercial. I think it was a good fit.

It wasn’t for everyone, but it seems people really liked Budweiser’s latest version of their always popular Clydesdales commercials.

5. Best Buy: “Asking Amy”

No list would be complete without the hysterical Amy Poehler.

Best Buy leaked a teaser of this ad spot leading up the game, and the full version certainly delivered the funny.

When it comes to buying electronics, we all have questions from time to time. I think Best Buy employees are thankful Poehler isn’t the one asking them for us.