ARTICLES

By Lori Hall

Co-Founder and Head of Creative at Pop’N Creative |popncreative.com

February 12, 2024

Authenticity, Inclusivity and Pop Culture Moments As Important as Diverse Casting: A Look at the Best Super Bowl Commercials That Represented Well

As the co-founder of a multicultural marketing agency, I tell my clients it’s about more than just diverse casting. Multicultural audiences are looking for diversity in entertainment content and in ads, for sure. But they also appreciate inclusivity in all forms, authenticity and a good pop culture moment.  Here are three Super Bowl ads that got it right.

BEST POP CULTURE MOMENT: DUNKIN’ The DunKings

Talk about being for the culture! This ad was brilliant and diverse by being pop culture forward instead of trying to stick one person of every ethnicity in the ad like so many other advertisers did. It opens with Ben Affleck talking to "Lovin' on Me" rapper Jack Harlow trying to get advice on whether to perform for Jennifer Lopez. Of course, Jack Harlow discourages Ben, rightfully so, but Ben said she came to HIS work last year so now he's got to show up to HER work to show her his skills (a reference to the 2023 Dunkin ad where J.Lo rolls up on Ben). The ad then goes back to J. Lo in the studio, with Fat Joe (win!), annoyed that her boyfriend is trying to show out and we love it. Ben bursts through the door with his DunKings band homies and proceeds to audition for his embarrassed superstar wife. "Touchdown Tommy" aka Tom Brady plays the wingman and Matt Damon is over it all and feels dumb for playing along with his Bostonian best friend. 

I howled when Ben Affleck started rapping as the lead of the DunKings boy band. Although he's usually looking somber when drinking Dunkin in real life, he was all kinds of outlandish as the not-so-great front man, performing in front of his wife, and we loved it. Jennifer was beautiful and on point with saying "we talked about this!" in an ever-so-lovingly and discouraging tone. But when Matt Damon showed up as a band member -- we died! We LOVE a good Matt-Ben moment! They threw it back to Good Will Hunting with "How you like them....doughnuts?" and Matt apologized for the corny as hell reference. Hilarious! Then, when Matt and Ben walked away defeated at the end and Matt said "Remember when I said I'd do anything for you? This is anything." We've all had that friend moment! Brilliant. This ad killed it during SuperBowl because everything felt so cute, corny, and authentic to our obsession with pop culture. 

BEST TEARJERKER: GOOGLE PIXEL 8

Google always comes with the best ads that transcend race and culture and just get to the heart of humanity -- every. single. time. The Google Pixel ad was truly immersive by making the audience feel what it might feel like to be a low-vision or vision-impaired person trying to capture photos of life's most beautiful moments. The ad went from blurry images to clear with the help of the Google Pixel audibly calling out when the person or people were in frame. It showed a couple living their best life moments together, from simple dates to running a marathon and celebrating together to capturing the birth of their newborn baby at the end. When Google Pixel said "2 faces in frame"....then "3 faces in frame" at the end, meaning it was the couple with their newborn, no one could escape feeling real tears. Yes, it featured an interracial couple which is obviously diverse, but it wasn't the point and it didn't feel disingenuous. It was organically beautiful and inclusive. What more can we ask for? Thank you, Google Pixel.

BEST BEY USE: VERIZON

Ok, WHO in the world expected Beyonce to be in a Super Bowl ad -- NO ONE! But, Verizon did it! In typical Bey fashion, she's up for any challenge that comes her way. Her challenge this time is to break Verizon's 5G internet. She goes through a myriad of scenes trying her damndest and after every moment, she asks her sidekick, “Did I break it yet?” And every time, the answer is "not yet!" From pop culture references of her dressing up as BarBey (can we make THIS movie, Barbie?) to her running for Beyonce of the United States (BOTUS), she gave us the impeccable costume changes that she's known for while trying to win this self-created challenge. At the end, she references it's time to drop a surprise album -- and that's when we knew: a new album was definitely on the way. It was the ultimate girl power ad. We're always here for a good Bey moment!