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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Winning, losing Super Bowl ads

The Snickers candy bar commercial, based on the “Brady Bunch” television series, features actor Danny Trejo, star of “Machete,” playing Marcia. (Associated Press)
Mae Anderson Associated Press

NEW YORK – If you’re talking about Super Bowl ads with co-workers, you’re not alone.

Advertisers tried to win over Americans during the game – some tried serious themes, while others went with humor. With 30-second ads costing $4.5 million for the chance to market their brand to 110 million-plus Americans, advertisers were making a big bet. And just like the game, there were winners and losers:

Winners

BUDWEISER

Sticking to its winning formula of puppies and Clydesdales, brewer Anheuser-Busch’s ad shows a Labrador puppy chasing after the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales that are being moved to a new stable. The tune, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” performed by Sleeping at Last, plays in the background.

CHEVROLET

The automaker was a surprise hit before the kickoff with a spot that appeared to be a live game feed that suddenly turned to static and then a blank screen. It turns out it was a gimmick to highlight the fact that the Chevrolet Colorado has 4G LTE Wi-Fi, so viewers could stream the game in the car if they needed to.

ESURANCE

Two Esurance ads showed actress Lindsay Lohan being a “sorta” mom and Bryan Cranston as “Breaking Bad” character Walter White being a “sorta” pharmacist to show when it comes to car insurance, “sorta” doesn’t cut it.

FIAT CHRYSLER

Chrysler scored with three spots. For an ad promoting Fiat’s 2016 Fiat 500X crossover, Chrysler used humor, showing an older Italian couple getting frisky in the bedroom. When the man’s “blue pill” goes flying out the window, it lands in the gas tank of a Fiat, causing nearby women to give the car a second glance. A voiceover says the new Fiat is “bigger, more powerful and ready for action.”

MCDONALD’S

McDonald’s ad surrounds a promotion in which it will randomly select customers to pay for their orders with acts of love, like a high-five or a call to a relative. The promotion starts Monday and runs through Feb. 14.

NATIONWIDE

“Mindy Project” star Mindy Kaling walks around New York believing she is invisible and doing scandalous acts, including sitting naked in Central Park and going through a car wash. Then she tries to kiss Matt Damon but he can see her. The idea is Nationwide doesn’t treat you like you’re invisible.

SNICKERS

The 30-second ad re-creates the famous “Brady Bunch” episode in which the oldest daughter, Marcia, gets hit in the nose with a football. “Machete” star Danny Trejo plays Marcia in the ad and actor Steve Buscemi plays Jan, her sister.