Our Favourite Pop Culture Super Bowl Commercials Of 2023

We don’t usually tune in to silly American football and sports, but we do check out the awesome spectacle and marketing bits around it.

We’ve covered the new Flash, Transformers, and Super Mario Bros trailers/promos, but what about the rest? Here are our top picks that seem to follow a nostalgia cash-grabbing theme.

Sylvester Stallone’s Cliffhanging (Paramount)

Paramount’s Mountain of Entertainment stream ad showcases characters from a bunch of shows under the streaming service -from Beavis & Butthead to Star Trek- watching Sylvester Stallone (Rocky, Rambo) climb on a mountain that’s basically his face.

Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston Reunite (PopCorners)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMlemd6U24Y

I guess Breaking Bad is filed under “retro”. Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, and Raymond Cruz reprise their Breaking Bad roles but replace “meth” with “corn chips”.

Batman v Superman’s Bruce Wayne Does Drive-Thru (Dunkin Donuts)

Ben Affleck doing a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial where he does drive-thru. Doesn’t beat Al Pachino’s stint in the donut company though.

Steve Martin & Ben Stiller’s Acting Or Real? (Pepsi)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adtWc_MvyzI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok38Xuc5UTE

Are actor endorsements to be believed or it’s just acting? The fact that there’s a Steve Martin masterclass acting class just proves that Pepsi is on to something here.

Actual Rock Stars Taking Back The Name (Workday)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ID-1mzRAew

Business people throw the term “rock star” a lot; Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, and K.I.S.S. Paul Stanley prove them wrong in this ad.

Alicia Silverstone Goes Back To Being Clueless (Rakuten)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_yGq_4xCKQ

Didn’t think Rakuten would go so far with their ad campaigns as of late. Alicia Silverstone goes back to her iconic role as 90s character Cher Horowitz in this online shopping ad.

Netflix Movies & Will Ferrell (GM)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jymEz9xkPQ

This commercial throws in Netflix shows like Squid Game and Bridgerton while Will Ferrell peddles electric vehicles from GM?

Caddyshack Homage With Serena Williams and Brian Cox (ULTRA)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDGwwVki13Q

No gopher though. But the Ultra beer that caused the rumble was the logical substitute.

Star Wars’ Adam Driver Times Infinite (SquareSpace)

We’re always down for a good scifi ad that’s kinda like Apple’s 1984 commercial. This one might be 2023’s finest.