That was some game, huh? And if you weren’t too busy alternating between paralyzed pillow-gripping and near cardiac arrest, perhaps you noticed that there were a few ads sprinkled in amongst the passes, hits, and [blessed] interceptions.
Alongside the ads about fatherhood and puppies, we were gratified to see many of the spots pointing to a truth we here at Rocket Farm have been embracing for a while: Mobile is here to stay. Super Bowl ads are not known for their edginess; they are traditionally aimed at the most median consumer marketers can conceive. So to see cell providers, online games, and mobile devices play such a seamless and prominent role in this year’s spots makes it pretty clear that mobile isn’t going anywhere.
Here are our seven favorites:
7. Wix.com – Favre and Carve
Sure, this one’s about websites in general, but the product shots throughout the spot make it clear that Wix.com knows it needs to make sites that look great on devices of many shapes and sizes.
6. Nationwide – Invisible Mindy Kaling
It’s not until the punchline – involving an awkward encounter with Matt Damon – that this fanciful ad touches on mobile, but Mindy’s insistence on grabbing a selfie with the actor highlights the thorough integration of multi-function phones into everyday lives.
5. Coca Cola – Make It Happy
Coke probably doesn’t actually have the power to end online bullying, but this ad makes it clear that our phones and tablets hold an intimate, emotionally connected place in our lives. (McDonald’s pushed this button as well.)
4. Mophie – All Powerless
It sure feels like the end of the world when my phone runs out of power; this ad imagines – in quirky and creative detail – the global effects that would ensue if God’s phone needed charging, positioning smartphones as necessities rather than optional luxuries.
3. T-Mobile – Save the Data
We assume you are doing more with your data than perusing Kim K.’s sartorial choices, but the most famous Kardashian’s self-satirical spot does get at the reality of modern phone use: Data reigns supreme and talk time is of secondary (or perhaps even tertiary) concern.
2. Clash of Clans – Revenge
Mobile gaming hits the big time, and Liam Neeson turns in a performance that falls just on the right side of the line between funny and downright frightening.
1. Doritos – When Pigs Fly
What did this ad have to do with mobile? Nothing. And we’re not saying that this whimsical spot by Doritos was inspired by a certain pioneering, mobile-oriented Rocket Pig we all know and love. But we’re not denying it either…
