Ad Report Card

See the Super Bowl Ads—Before the Super Bowl

Spots from Mercedes, Speed Stick, Toyota, and other brands that released their commercials online before the game.

You used to have to wait for Super Bowl Sunday to see the Super Bowl ads—and many viewers still tune in to see which celebrity will be endorsing which product in an innovative and outrageous way that just might justify the millions of dollars companies spend on 30-second spots. These days, however, advertisers are increasingly debuting advertisements well before the big game, which makes the products and commercials topics for discussion long before kickoff.

Our ad critic, Seth Stevenson, prefers to view the ads within the context of Super Bowl evening, so he’ll be weighing in with his reviews first thing Monday morning. Until then, check out some of the spots that have debuted early and either air your thoughts in the comments section or email them to seth@sethstevenson.com—he’ll factor your reactions into his post.

Beck’s Sapphire
“Serenade”
A computer-animated fish lovingly sings a cover of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” to a bottle of Beck’s Sapphire.

Pepsi Next
“Party”
Parents come home to a party being hosted by their teenage son and join in after sampling the product.

Taco Bell
“Viva Young”
A group of senior citizens indulge in a boisterous night of clubbing set to a Spanish rendition of “We Are Young” by fun.

Toyota
“Wish Granted”
Kaley Cuoco is a genie who grants a family multiple wishes after bringing home their new Toyota RAV4.

Hyundai
“Stuck”
A couple driving on the highway is stuck behind various obstacles including an overloaded moving vehicle, a trailer transporting horses, and a semi hauling hazardous waste before speedily passing ahead to the front.

All State
“Mayhem: Apple”
The charismatic “Mayhem” stars as the forbidden fruit and is bitten by both Adam and Eve before wreaking havoc on history.

Axe Apollo
“Lifeguard”
A lifeguard comes to the rescue of a struggling swimmer, punching a shark before carrying her to the shore. She comes to and leaves him for an astronaut—touting an Axe promotion that will send lucky Axe purchasers to space.

Go Daddy
“Your Big Idea.CO”
Danica Patrick has a cameo in an ad featuring a series of wives encouraging their husbands to put their “big ideas” online first.

Speed Stick
“Unattended Laundry”
A man at a laundromat removes a woman’s garments from the dryer, dropping a pair of her panties only to be caught by the woman.

Mercedes Benz
“Soul”
A satanic Willem Dafoe propositions a man to sell his soul in exchange for everything he could ever want, which includes being on the arm of Kate Upton, dancing with Usher, and owning a Mercedes CLA-class.