Super Bowl Commercials 2015: Video Clips, Highlights for Best Ads

Everybody will have a preferred style of Super Bowl ads, and there were plenty of genres to choose from on Sunday night. From the downright wacky to the "sending positive vibes your way" to the commercials extolling family values, advertisers pressed all of the emotional buttons they could find.

I'm always a sucker for funny, smart and clever commercials, however, so below I compiled my five favorite ads from Super Bowl Sunday that ticked off the above boxes. I don't need a corporate commercial to inspire me, but the least they could do is make me laugh.

Esurance

Truly, anything with Bryan Cranston is going to be great. Even more truly, anything that gives us more Heisenberg—OK, OK, "Almost Greg"—is a winner in my book. 

The concept of having Heisenberg playing the "almost" version of a pharmacist is really clever, and Cranston nails it, because of course he does. The moment he tries to hand over the patient's "prescription" was the perfect conclusion.

Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Stats was a fan:

Well done, Esurance.

Clash of Clans

The whole Taken reference and Liam Neeson getting revenge on this freemium game was good enough on its own, but the thought of an enraged Neeson waiting in line for his scone was just perfection. I like the idea of Neeson sitting down at a cafe, sipping on a soy latte and plotting the demise of his enemies. 

I like the idea of that a lot.

Snickers

Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi crushed in this commercial, which managed to squeeze in a reference to arguably the most famous moment in The Brady Bunch, when Marsha gets her nose broken by a football. Truthfully, if Snickers continued on this campaign and did a hungry version of every member of The Brady Bunch, I'd be all for it.

BMW

Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel deserve props for being good enough sports to make fun of themselves. They certainly aren't the first people to be confused by new technology, and they certainly won't be the last. Of course, most of us don't do it on live televison, but such is the plight of the famous.

Either way, this is a clever commercial. Good on you, Couric and Gumbel. 

Dodge

Maybe if we stopped ignoring and trivializing older Americans and actually listened to what they had to say, we'd get some pretty awesome advice like the folks in this Dodge commercial offered. Sure, not every older person is cruising around in a Dodge, but you get the idea. 

This was a clever way to celebrate a 100th birthday from the car company. Now go call your grandparents and tell them you think they are awesome. Because they are.