Shockingly, the halftime show was impressive. It wasn’t the best the NFL and Pepsi has ever seen in their time but the performance rose against the negative expectations. There were pyrotechnics, beaming lights and even a feature of an iconic “Spongebob” scene. Prior to Travis Scott’s performance of “Sicko Mode” there was a short clip from the episode of “Spongebob” where they perform at the bubble bowl, which is a clip that was petitioned for months ago on social media.
The main act, Maroon 5, brought some interesting aspects to the performance. They sang all of their classics including “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved,” as well as newer songs such as “Sugar” and “Girls Like You.” Oddly enough, as the show went on Adam Levine ended up shirtless and surrounded by a lot of fire.
Big Boi made a feature but honestly didn’t bring much to the halftime show, besides someone else singing with Levine.
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest days of the year for brands all over the country as they try to get as many eyes as possible on their advertisements. This day is known for funny, touching and sometimes even controversial commercials. During this particular Super Bowl, companies decided to go the comedic route.
Serena Williams represented the girl’s choice dating app Bumble with inspiring words of wisdom to women. At the end of the commercial Williams said, “Don’t wait to be given power because here’s what they won’t tell you, we already have it.” Following her powerful quote, the audience saw the slogan “Women, the ball is in your court.”
Toyota showcased a female football player Toni Harris, who is one of the first female football players to be on a college football roster with a position other than kicker. Harris’ position is free safety at East Los Angeles College in California. Toyota’s commercial talked about Harris’ experience with doubt from others, obviously comparing it to the doubts of the Toyota cars. The commercial ended with Harris saying, “I’ve never been a big fan of assumptions” and the announcer tuned in with “and neither have we.”
Pepsi, who sponsored the halftime show, had faces of comedy and pop culture in their newest commercial. The commercial featured Rappers Lil Jon, Cardi B and “The Office” star Steve Carell. For those who have not seen the commercial it opens up with someone ordering and the waiter saying “is a Pepsi okay?” which leads to Carrell to exclaim that Pepsi is more than okay. Subsequently, the viewers saw Cardi B and Lil Jon say the word “okay” in their signature way.
Coca Cola’s commercial was less humorous and more loving. The slogan was “ A Coke is a Coke, no matter who you are,” which promoted a message of love and acceptance among customers. The commercial had cartoon people ranging from all different social statuses and beliefs who shared kindness over a bottle of Coke.
Olay also showcased their advertisement in a comedic light. The woman was being stalked by a killer and her phone’s Face ID wouldn’t unlock due to her glowing skin, to which the killer said, “You could be a movie star, your skin is glowing!” The commercial ended with a hashtag that read “#KillerSkin.”
As expected, the Super Bowl showcased many beer commercials. Budweiser is always a showstopper, with its pull at the animal lovers’ heartstrings. This year the company not only produced a commercial with Clydesdales and a cute dalmatian but promoted their green viewpoint. The commercial was informing consumers about their use of wind power. Budweiser said, “Now brewed with wind power, for a future for tomorrow.”
Madison Appleby is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at madison.appleby@uconn.edu.