Super Bowl Ads 2016: Funniest and Most Emotional Commercials Shown

Peyton Manning got his Lombardi Trophy, Von Miller earned a blank check in free agency and Coldplay got to dance with Beyonce and Bruno Mars, but the real winners of the 2016 Super Bowl were, of course, the commercials.

From funny to sad to animals to appearances by some of the biggest actors and artists in the world, the advertising industry didn't spare any expense in capturing the minds of the globe.

Including about $5 million per spot, according to Claire Groden of Fortune. Not that anyone would argue it wasn't totally worth it.

Seriously, most companies went big and won big. In the humor department, T-Mobile bested all others. The company busted out Steve Harvey and toyed with his recent hiccup in the Miss Universe pageant:

In another much-discussed ad, Drake made some, well, additions to his song "Hotline Bling":

T-Mobile wasn't the only company to bust out major names in the hopes of entertaining viewers and building brand awareness.

Hyundai hit it out of the park with an ad featuring Kevin Hart:

According to USA Today, Hyundai's effort placed first in its Ad Meter competition, which measures about 60 commercials during the big game, according to Chris Woodyard: 

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For 28 consecutive years, USA TODAY’s Ad Meter has stood as one of the nation's most closely watched gauges of advertising success. This year, nearly 20,000 preregistered panelists from across the country weighed in. All the big game ads, as well as breakdowns on the voter demographics, are at admeter.usatoday.com.

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Other commercials didn't take home such a prestigious award but still gained plenty of buzz for hilarious events.

For example, Heinz Ketchup busted out a somewhat odd stampede in the aptly titled "Wiener Stampede," which featured adorable dogs:

Avocados from Mexico wasn't far behind in the hilarity department in featuring a group of aliens making the rounds and analyzing the silliest recent human trends:

As most probably knew quite well going into the big game, beer companies would have a heavy presence in the ordeal.

They did, with Shock Top coming relatively out of nowhere with a funny ad:

To wrap things up in the funny department, Doritos—king of that area for quite some time now—hit another one out of the park with an ad featuring, well, just watch it:

For the people who wanted a more emotional approach from advertisers, those in charge of gobbling up the ad space and crafting an almost Hollywood-esque viewing experience certainly delivered.

Audi used a David Bowie classic to get emotional about its new sedan, pulling at the heartstrings as a retired astronaut takes a ride with his son to rediscover the rocket-esque feeling of his career:

Anheuser-Busch (owners of Shock Top) also took a serious step back and used an emotional approach to remind viewers of the dangers of drinking and driving:

ESPN's Darren Rovell revealed that the message apparently hit home, with the commercial featuring Helen Mirren gaining the most online views:

The No More anti-violence campaign used the event to provide lessons on domestic violence. Colgate took the opportunity to stress the importance of water preservation.

From the funny to the serious, this was quite the different year for Super Bowl ads. Gone were risky flashes of sexuality to shock and keep attention. In their place were funny approaches, inspirational moments and responsible public messages to raise awareness about various issues. 

Tasked with capturing a global audience and promoting a product or an important cause at a costlier expense than ever, the advertisements mentioned here will undoubtedly live on for a long time in the minds of many who saw them—and even longer on social media.

Call it mission accomplished after a Super Bowl with a little bit of everything for everyone.