2023 Super Bowl Commercials: The Winning & Losing Strategies

The reports are in, and Super Bowl 2023 was one of the most watched events of all time. However, most can attribute that not to the popularity of the NFL...but to the star-studded commercials and half-time performances. Companies go all out to get their brand not only in front of this massive audience but going viral on Twitter, stitched on TikTok, and a driver of conversation at work the next day.

But not every commercial was a winner! We're running through some of our favorites and why it was a solid strategy for them.

Strategy #2: Nostalgia

That wistful appreciation of the past was a common theme this year, with many references and music from the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Jeep’s “Electric Boogie” won with this strategy by using the 'Electric Slide' song to highlight the adventures Jeep can take you on in their new EVs. 

If you were a fan of Breaking Bad, then this Popcorners’ “Breaking Good” commercial probably hooked you. It felt like a scene from the show and immediately transported us back into the desert. We especially love how they worked in the lines for Tuco to demand a seventh flavor, really highlighting the product.

Last but not least, T-Mobile’s “New Year. New Neighbor” combined John Travolta with new lyrics to "Summer Nights" but with the cast of Scrubs. A weird combination, but it worked with the cross-generational audience.

Strategy #3: Be Yourself

The coffee shop battle between Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks has been interesting over the past few years. But this Dunkin’ Drive Thru Starting Ben Affleck commercial is really building on a brand persona that only a true Bostontonian could give you. The accents, the selfies, and the wife that crashed your day at work all help further cement the idea that Dunkin' Donuts is uniquely and unapologetically themselves. 

M&M’s seems to be in a weird place right now, and it shows. Since they've abandoned their classic M&M’s colored candy characters, it feels like they've lost their identity. Their Super Bowl commercial promoting clam flavored M&Ms had us shaking our heads and thinking, WTF?

Strategy #4: Sell the Benefits

Sometimes selling the benefits could be more exciting, but Google Pixel pulled it off nicely with their #FixedonPixel ads. It highlights real problems that almost every person has experienced. An ugly sign is in the background, or someone photobombs an otherwise lovely photo. But the moment has passed, and you want to cherish that moment. You can fix it with the Google Pixel! The photo came out blurry. You can fix it with Google Pixel! 

New to Super Bowl commercials, beauty brand, e.l.f. (eyes lips face) took an exaggerated approach to sell the grippy qualities of the e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Primer with everything literally sticking to Jennifer Coolidge. The commercial was simply titled “Sticky,” and it was cute, fun, and truly sold the benefit!

Other Things We Noticed

Tubi made all of us panic, thinking someone sat on the remote, a real-life experience that has happened to us all. But by the time people realized it was a commercial, it left a bad taste in people's mouths and didn't create any appeal to watch Tubi in the future. As we like to say to our clients, “When you confuse, you lose.” So even though it went viral, it didn’t help build brand equity or promote their streaming services positively.

Other noticeable trends in commercials this year. There were no crypto ads which was a significant change from last year. There were 6+ movie trailers in its place, making us think movie theaters will have a big comeback this year. We also saw some celebrity/franchise dumping in commercials for Paramount, Disney, and Netflix; hoping you find something in the ad to relate to. In our opinion, it wasn't a flop, but it wasn't a great strategy.

Overall, our team thought the Super Bowl was an entertaining one! With a close football game, a ground-breaking halftime show, and some new commercials, it’s no wonder this was one of the most-watched shows of all time!