unConventional picks favorite Super Bowl commercials – what’s yours?

While experts predict at least 100 million viewers, and maybe more, will tune in Sunday as the Los Angeles Rams battle the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, those numbers will surely include casual observers that check in just for the halftime show.

Then there’s another segment that’s interested in the broadcast for an entirely different reason: Super Bowl commercials. The ads have become big budget affairs, many starring celebrities, that either aim to tickle the funny bone, pull at the heartstrings, or address social concerns.

Not content to let advertisers and Madison Avenue have all of the fun, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) – home to Super Bowl LIII and myriad ancillary events – released its own Super Bowl commercial this week, which you can view below.

Like many popular Super Bowl commercials, ours also features a four-legged, furry friend, the Authority’s first-ever K9 cop, Kaia.

Meanwhile, channeling the spirit of CBS’s “Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2019” special that aired Tuesday night, members of the GWCCA’s Marketing and Communications team rounded up their favorite Super Sunday ads of all time.


Commercial: “Puppy Love”

Advertiser: Anheuser-Busch

Debut: Super Bowl XLVIII, Feb. 2, 2014

Anheuser-Busch and Super Bowl ads are synonymous. What’s not to love? That adorable puppy and those Clydesdales definitely made my heart happy…and best of all, they followed up in 2015 with a sequel (“Lost Dog”). To this day, when I watch this spot it gives me the warm fuzzies.


Commercial: “Cat Herders”

Advertiser: EDS (Electronic Data Systems)

Debut: Super Bowl XXXIV, Jan. 30, 2000

This commercial took the term “herding cats” – i.e. trying to manage unmanageable situations – literally, creating a world where rough-and-tumble cowboys attempt to round up felines on the range, and discuss the difficulties in a serious tone, which of course makes it humorous. As a former cat-owner, and now father of young children, I can definitely relate.


Commercial: “Lost Dog”

Advertiser: Anheuser-Busch

Debut: Super Bowl XLIX, Feb. 1, 2015

Beer, dogs, and Clydesdales. Does it get any better? I think not. Add in a great cover of The Proclaimers’ hit “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by Sleeping At Last and you have perfection.


Commercial: “Back to the Start”

Advertiser: Chipotle

Debut: Super Bowl XLVI, Feb. 5, 2012


I love when brands use their platform to go beyond selling and promote a good cause. In this ad, Chipotle tells a story of commercial meat production and how the company is going “back to the start” by supporting the same types of sustainable food practices that were used in the pre-industrial era.


Commercial: “Alexa Loses Her Voice”

Advertiser: Amazon

Debut: Super Bowl XLII, Feb.4, 2018

This commercial was funny and creative. Alexa lost her voice during this ad and was replaced by several unqualified celebrities such as Chef Gordon Ramsey, Cardi B, and more. Although it was known for being a hilarious commercial, it also showcased a deeper message, which was how much individuals now rely on Amazon’s Alexa to guide their lives.


Commercial: “Brotherhood”

Advertiser: Anheuser-Busch

Debut: Super Bowl XLVII, Feb. 3, 2013

I love this commercial because it shows the strong friendship between a man and his horse. It was great to see that the horse still remembered him three years later. I’m a sucker for the Clydesdale commercials, but this one is my favorite.


Tell us your favorite Super Bowl commercial in the comment section below.