Super Bowl 2023 commercials fumbled on the surprise factor

These even make the Budweiser frogs look good                   [View on web]( A Ben Affleck spotted in his natural habitat. | YouTube/Dunkin' Welcome to Eater’s Weekend Special, an inside look at what our staff was buzzing about this week It’s a week after the Rihanna Bowl, and [iconic pregnancy announcements aside](, the whole thing feels like a blur. I ate some quesadillas at home; I decried the absolutely boring final five or so minutes of the game itself. I also — with the exception of two that involved puppies — cannot remember a single Super Bowl commercial that aired during the game. It didn’t used to be this way. As Eater’s Greg Morabito [put it in 2017](, Super Bowl commercials were among our original memes, quick blips designed to elicit an emotional response, then live on in the next week’s water cooler conversations and maybe, just maybe, forever: Think [McDonald’s and Michael Jordan](, [Britney and Pepsi](, even those [dumb Budweiser frogs](. Ranking Super Bowl commercials was [once a beloved Monday-morning exercise](. But scanning through [a full list now]( only vaguely jogs my memory: Oh right, tons of celebrities collected a brand paycheck, Cher Horowitz still looks great in plaid, but mostly, this aired during the Super Bowl? Part of this apathy has to do with brands attempting to meme the commercials before they even air. Photos of [Ben Affleck working at a Boston-area]( Dunkin’ Donuts — and the fan-made memes that followed — were far, [far more amusing]( than the commercial itself. (So was the idea of Jennifer Lopez hanging out at a Dunkin’.) Martha Stewart posting this [out-of-context Instagram photo]( of her getting a Snoop Dogg tattoo was always clearly for an ad, but it revealed the only good joke in [the resulting Super Bowl commercial]( for Skechers shoes. Even the “bad” commercials — a Breaking Bad reunion on behalf of PopCorners chips, which compared the snack to meth? — were bad because they were lazy, barely written and overly reliant on celebrity cameos. But mostly, when brands release commercials early, drop hints on social media, and effectively chase virality before the big game, we’re left with the opposite of excitement. Nothing feels like a surprise. The highlight of Affleck’s Dunkin’ commercial, in fact, is the man picking up his drive-thru order who deadpans a “no” when asked if he recognizes the Oscar winner standing before him. In contrast to everyone else’s shocked gasps and jaw-drops of delight, his reaction is unexpected, and even slightly rude. Just like a good Super Bowl commercial should be. — Erin DeJesus Further reading: - If you want a memorable Super Bowl commercial, please [relive Denny’s bizarre Nannerpuss ad from 2009](. - Anyone who lived through the mid-’90s remembers Wendy the Snapple Lady. Here’s how Wendy Kaufman, a Snapple employee, became [a brand ambassador-turned-pop culture icon](. - Okay I do love how Kraft [went weird and clever with this ad](, which went up in Philadelphia the day after the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss. If you like this email, please forward it to a friend. If you aren't signed up for this newsletter, you can [do so right here](.   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=today). View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.