From the silly to the powerful.
The 2017 Super Bowl took place Sunday night, and to say that it was a rollercoaster of emotion would definitely be an understatement. From Lady Gaga's powerful halftime performance to the nail-biting overtime at the end of the game, it was surely a Super Bowl that will go down in sports history.
Naturally, one of the most exciting part of any Super Bowl is the commercials. Each year, companies go all out with their ads, in part because they know that tens of millions of people will be watching. In the past, we knew we could count on certain brands for cleverness and humor, but this year, there was definitely a shift in trend toward powerful political statements. There was still a healthy dose of funny ads and commercials for upcoming TV shows and movies, but mixed in were TV spots that put forth a compelling message in times that sorely need us to be talking about these issues. Because of the political climate, particularly surrounding President Donald Trump's divisive campaign and equally concerning behavior since coming into office, many companies used tonight as a moment to stand up for what's right.
We've rounded up 11 of the greatest commercials of the evening, from those highly anticipated trailers to ads that made us stop and think.
Airbnb's short clip, titled #weaccept, was inclusive, featuring people of a range of identities as these important words flashed across the screen: "No matter who you are, where you're from, who you love, or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept." An important reminder for 2017, and always.
The Handmaid's Tale debuted a chilling trailer for the Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel. Starring Elisabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, and Alexis Bledel, it's set to be a harrowing look at an alternate reality that is undoubtedly unsettling. We're bracing ourselves for the April debut accordingly.
Justin took the torch from Kim Kardashian and Drake, whose past Super Bowl commercials were anything but tragic. In a snazzy tux and glasses we'd like to borrow, Justin taught us some key dance moves to perform in the end zone, while watching the game, and when we get an A on that history test.
Watching Cookie Lyon walk through hallways dressed to the nines with a baseball bat on her shoulder while Haddaway's "What Is Love" plays in the background? A visual we always needed. The next season of Empire is set to be more dramatic than ever, and if they're already channeling Lemonade and Hot Sauce, waiting is going to be even more torturous than we thought.
In addition to their new spot, Coca-Cola bought time to run its commercial from 2014, which features an inclusive cast of people singing "America the Beautiful" in a variety of languages. It takes new resonance today, as some people may be feeling particularly fearful or marginalized right now simply because of their identities. It's a powerful moment, to be sure, but is also bittersweet that the message still needs to be reinforced. And though a common criticism of ads like this claim that companies are capitalizing on very real lives, Coca-Cola's messaging has stayed consistent with their commercial, which they've used several times over the past few years.
In this black-and-white commercial, we first see Lady Gaga blowing on a harmonica. The camera zooms in on her wrist, showing us a classic Tiffany's bracelet. Mother Monster talks about the special moments of looking into Tiffany's windows, and growing up knowing that "Tiffany's is the best." She also talks about her career, saying, "I always want to be challenging the status quo. I love to change. It makes me feel alive." Gaga's ad for Tiffany's is a reminder that it's important to always be true to yourself, no matter what others may think.
The commercial for Stranger Things season 2 brought us a creepy look into the upcoming season, as well as the release date (finally). We got to see our favorite characters, from Mike to Eleven, and there was even a hint at the next installment's monster. The best part? We finally know when season 2 is coming: Halloween. So. Far. Away.
Skittles gave us a good laugh this year with a commercial that began with a teenage boy attempting to get a girl's attention by throwing candies at her window. It's like Romeo and Juliet, but with sugar. (Sign us up, TBH.) But instead of hitting her window, the Skittles go into her bedroom, and we see her entire family ready to catch the candies in their mouths. Talk about courtship gone wrong.
The eighth film in the Fast film saga, The Fate of the Furious, will be racing into theaters soon. The trailer for the first film in the franchise without actor Paul Walker feels bittersweet in light of the loss of its everyman lead. The Rock, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, and Tyrese are back, and they have more cars, more outlandish premises, and sequences that are every bit larger than life. We'll be there with popcorn and tissues for whenever Paul's character Brian O'Conner is mentioned.
In what was likely one of the most divisive commercials of the night, 84 Lumber showed a sobering clip that Fox deemed "too political" to run in its entirety. In it, a mother and her daughter made the arduous journey from Mexico to the U.S.A. on foot, only to come face-to-face with Donald Trump's infamous border wall. Yet instead of turning back, the two find a door, further emphasizing America's history as a land of opportunity.