OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- Snack and candy brands fell back on the tried-and-true tropes for their 2016 Super Bowl ads.
Probably the most anticipated ads after the beer and soda ads, the snack and candy commercials share the beverage commercials' immediate-consumption angle, so they are usually reaching the right audience; therefore, they are often out to simply entertain. This group of ads mostly succeeds on that front.
- Click here to view Steve Holtz’s take on the Super Bowl 50 beverage ads. And click here to view our take on the game's food ads.
Take a dip into these snack & candy ads:
Doritos
Doritos kicked off the snack commercials in the first quarter with an ultrasound mishap caused by a dad's insensitivity and a hungry baby in the womb.
Points for not going any further with the ending.
Fumble for falling back on the old dim-witted husband and witchy pregnant wife cliché. Sports fans might not get the irony.
Did it make us want to try the product? No.
Mars
Mars continued its long-running celebrity transformation campaign with this first-quarter ad.
Points, for picking Willem Dafoe (rhymes with Monroe) as just the right cranky guy.
Fumble. Although the concept offers a good sight gag, the bit has run its course, and Levy's "Scorsese" steals the show.
Did it make us want to try the product? Not enough.
Skittles
In the second quarter, Skittles rocked an art-imitates-life vignette with rocker Steven Tyler.
Points for Tyler having fun with his own image, literally and figuratively.
Fumble, for just paying lip service to the product with no real payoff for the brand.
Did it make us want to try the product? No, but it does make me want to listen to more Aerosmith.
Butterfinger
Butterfinger went "bolder than bold" in the third quarter with a skydiving bull rider bit.
Points for the unexpected appearance of mom.
Fumble (fumbull?), for channeling Slim Pickens riding the bomb in Dr. Strangelove. It creates the wrong image in this film buff's head, but I may not be the target audience here.
Did it make us want to try the product? No.
Doritos
Doritos, bookmarking the game's snack and candy ads, goes to the dogs--again--in its third-quarter spot.
Points for the dogs' acting chops. They're naturals that don't come off as performing animals. There's no scene chewing until the end, which makes it all work. The humans aren't bad either.
Fumble but recovery for the concept, since dogs are become a bit of a cliché, even for the brand. (Although the Super Bowl ads are a dog-and-pony show.)
Did it make us want to try the product? Yes, especially to see if dogs really do like Doritos.
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