2024 Super Bowl: an ad lover's holiday

I do not have a single interest in football. Not one. I'm not even sure if I could be bribed into watching football. There isn't a bone in my body that has the desire to pick up the remote, go to LIVE TV, and sit through the, excuse my French, absolute dogsh*t commercials that air just to watch a game that plays the last 10 seconds at most in between 15-minute breaks. I have to sit at a TV for four hours in that same loop? I think I'll pass.

However, there is one exception: the Super Bowl. The ad lover's holiday. I'm not religious, but damn, the super bowl ads make me feel like going to church. Just the thought of Super Bowl ads makes my body shiver with joy. I can see it now. My feet levitate off the ground as my eyes are blinded by the blue light glory that is beautiful and innovative advertisement.

Naturally, you've gathered that I'll be sharing my thoughts on this year's Super Bowl ads. The "god that's good," the "room for improvement," the most emotional, and everything in between. As a student in advertising, my opinion is the best opinion. With all my 2 years of experience, I probably know more than the average bear, not to toot my own horn.

So, without further ado, here are my hot takes.

The ads that made Ju go "god that's good":

1. Michael CeraVe

2. I did not know who Tim or Eric were, but I sure do now. The cleverness and humor of Michael Cera acting as the creator of CeraVe is outstanding. I mean, it makes so much sense with his last name. Such a "DUH" moment! The public stunts in the months before the commercial's airing are part of what made it so good. The stunts worked so well with Cera's persona. I can't get enough. As always, great job, Ogilvy.

3. Verizon's Can't B Broken

4. The storytelling! The ingenuity! BeyoncAI and BarBey… are you kidding me?? Incredible copy. I love how involved Tony Hale was. I laughed as he cried during the saxophone scene. What made the spot all the better was that Beyoncé dropped music after the commercial. Well done, Verizon.

The ads with "room for improvement":

1. Dunkin's Dunkings

2. I know, I know, this is quite the hot take, but I gotta put it out there. This spot didn't wow me. While I found it funny, I felt Affleck's "stunt" that he pulled in Lopez's studio could have been stronger. It felt more like an ad for Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Matt Damon's relationship.

3. Dove's "It's a Hard-Knock Life"

4. I was really looking forward to seeing Dove's ad, but ultimately felt left with needing more. The spot didn't feel original and gave me the impression that it was thrown together. While the message was powerful and connected girlhood to the Broadway musical Annie, they seemed to miss the spot just a smidge.

The ads that made Ju tear up:

1. NFL's Born to Play

2. What starts as sweet and lighthearted childlike joy connecting to football takes a turn to tell the more profound truth about football's global presence. The ad made me feel moved and educated… and even a little inspired by the action that comes with true passion. 72andSunny knew what they were doing with this one.

Ju's dream Super Bowl ad:

• A take on Travis Kelce x Taylor Swift's relationship

This is something I thought of before watching this year's Super Bowl. I'm not entirely sure what brand would've been most successful in connecting their product/service and the relationship between Swift and Kelce. Still, I really wanted to see it happen. Not only would it have been relevant, but the controversy behind the deeper reason for their relationship would've resulted in a stir in conversation. Something to keep in mind…

Clear 2024 Super Bowl trends:

• Celebrity fixation: I'm not sure if I saw enough celebrities this year…

• Comedic approach: There was a particular approach of self-aware humor sprinkled throughout the ads, and with that many celebrity appearances, it was definitely the way to go.

I'd love to hear what your "god that's good" ad was! Please challenge me- I want to hear your thoughts and learn. So shoot!