Super Bowl 50: The ads

US – LS:N Global picks our top three ad campaigns from Super Bowl 50, an event where the half-time break almost overshadowed the game.

With millions of dollars earning just a few seconds of airtime, marketers are as closely scrutinised as the players during Superbowl Season.

Many played it safe, but some brands used the opportunity to make a bold statement. Budweiser, the US’s best-selling beer brand, took aim at craft and imported brews, and celebrated its scale and market dominance.

Not Backing Down by agency Anomaly presents Budweiser as a perfect example of a Backlash Brand by embracing friction and telling it like it is. The campaign brings to attention the things the Budweiser brand is not – small, imported and for everyone.

Website-builders Squarespace hosted live commentary of the game from comedians Key & Peele, tapping into the growing popularity of fancasts. For Real Talk, the comedy duo created zany characters and offered an alternative to the usual sporting clichés.

Our third and final favourite is T-mobile’s corporate retelling of rapper Drake’s Hotline Bling music video. In a departure from the usual boasting around a provider’s comparatively better service, the Anti-authentic Restricted Bling ad features a trio of lawyers mocking their fictional company’s shortcomings.