Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us for another year, and that means another slew of new car commercials you get to spend your day watching.
So far, this year’s pickings are slimmer than 2014: BMW, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota are the six automakers who have confirmed TV spots. Curiously, a number of other automakers are sitting out this year’s game, such as Audi and Volkswagen. We can’t say we aren’t disappointed because those two automakers had some quite popular ads over the last few years — Darth Vader, anyone?
Without further ado, here’s a look at four of the six automakers running TV spots this coming Sunday when the New England Patriots square off against the Seattle Seahawks.
BMW i3 — Newfangled Idea
It’s hard to believe more than 20 years ago, the internet was still a foreign concept and it would never catch on. BMW’s ad shows just that — in a clip of NBC’s Today show, journalists Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel seem perplexed at the sight of an “@” sign. It then cuts to Couric and Gumbel having that same conversation — except their seemingly perplexed at the new i3. “What is i3?” asks Couric. BMW i3 is car.
Kia — The Perfect Getaway
After having Laurence Fishburne reprise his role as Morpheus last year, Kia drafted Pierce Brosnan for its Super Bowl spot this time around. It’s strange not seeing him behind the wheel of an Aston Martin (or a BMW, for that matter), but the ad features Brosnan talking to his agent about an upcoming movie — he’s driving up a snowy mountain pass in a 2016 Sorento, and rather than facing snipers, missiles and explosions, he’s met with an owl, a moose and “fireworks” when he reaches his destination. And no, the Kia Sorento doesn’t have any concealed weaponry or gadgets.
Mercedes-Benz — Fable
This year, Mercedes-Benz is playing on the old Tortoise and the Hare fable, but there’s a twist. Mr. Tortoise still wins, but rather than “slow and steady wins the race”, he and the Mercedes-AMG GT advocate speed, turbochargers and 503 horsepower. That’s almost a universal guarantee to winning a race against a cocksure hare.
Toyota — To Be a Dad
Toyota is fielding two ads this year. The first features a handful of NFL players and their kids, talking about what fatherhood means to them and what growing up with their dads was like
The second stars Olympian and dancer Amy Purdy training with one of Muhammad Ali’s speeches as the soundtrack, all pitching the 2016 Camry. It’s an effective way to get inspired in just one minute.
Bonus: Budweiser — Lost Dog
Okay, we’ll admit this one isn’t a car. However, that doesn’t mean Budweiser’s commercial, fearing an adorable Golden Retreiver puppy and a Clydesdale horse, won’t melt your heart.
