I’ll be honest: I willingly succumb to the emotional pull of Super Bowl commercials. There’s something oddly satisfying about getting a little misty-eyed during the big game. However, this year’s ads took things to a whole new level of sentimentality.
Watching the Super Bowl feels a lot like that moment during the holidays when your parents, amid a joyous snowball fight or a delightful dinner filled with laughter and good cheer, suddenly decide it’s time for a “serious talk.” Cue the sound of a balloon deflating. Here comes the awkward discussion about wills, do-not-resuscitate directives, and the keys to the safety deposit box. It doesn’t matter that you’re all getting along splendidly—this is one of the rare occasions when everyone is together, and they need to air out those serious topics, and they need to do it right now.
My partner and I had been looking forward to enjoying the game with our 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, but we quickly remembered that advertisers see this as an opportunity to reach a massive audience all gathered in one place, trying to have a good time. Enter the heavy-handed “buy-our-insurance-or-your-children-will-face-horrendous-fates” campaigns.
If there was a central theme this year, it was undoubtedly centered around parenting and family—a surefire way to tug at the heartstrings. By halftime, the commercials had built up into a massive snowball of failed fatherhood narratives, kids in dire situations, or dads who are somehow hailed as heroes for simply showing they care. In fact, a friend tweeted during halftime that “#sadfather” perfectly summed up the evening’s vibe.
On the positive side, some crucial issues were brought to light for a massive audience—domestic violence, girls’ self-esteem, and other important social messages. It’s hard to argue against the necessity of these discussions. But Nissan, really? Is it within your scope to comment on the state of American fatherhood? And Nationwide, are you seriously selling insurance based on the fear that my child might die? What on earth?!
So much for bonding as a family. By the end of the first quarter, we sent the kids off to watch America’s Funniest Videos on the iPad. While it’s never a bad idea to spark conversations about challenging topics—those deeply entrenched cultural issues that require change—when a car manufacturer tries to mix consumerism with social progress, it feels like a complete misfire. Sometimes, I just want to return to that previously scheduled snowball fight.
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In summary, this year’s Super Bowl commercials may have aimed to connect with families, but they often missed the mark, leaving many of us longing for lighter moments instead of heavy discussions.
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