Super Bowl 2018 Recap: Half-Time Show & The Best Commercials

Congratulations to the Eagles on winning the 2018 Super Bowl!

But now, for the main event… You know, the real reason why we all tuned in: the performances and those amazing commercials! Companies spend millions of dollars to get that prime real estate on television, so they’re always expected to go full out with their advertisements. Some of them rose to the occasion, while others faltered. Without further ado, here’s a recap of the performances, followed by the best ads from the Super Bowl.

P!nk sings the National Anthem

I have always loved and admired P!nk for her voice and her personality. People weren’t too keen on her outfit, but I thought it was perfect for the occasion, and perfect for her. She was in full form, and you can tell why she is a three-time Grammy winner! Did you know she performed while suffering from the flu? I mean, JEEZ. She is legendary, hitting those high notes and holding her breath for long bursts of time. This was a great way to kick off the show.

Justin Timberlake’s Half-time Show

I’m not the biggest JT fan around, but overall it was a semi-decent performance – he did well by getting the crowd into it, especially with those selfies he took in the stands. However we expect a little more from Justin. He did his regular upbeat pop classics you all know the words to which was just OK however, the tribute to Prince was a nice touch.

Commercial time – here we go!

Tide – “It’s a Tide Ad”

This was easily the best ad of the night. David Harbour was hilarious here, and as someone who has never seen Stranger Things, I was shocked at how much I admired the man. Charm, charisma, and total commitment. I pretty much laughed at every beat of this, especially the ending with Isiah Mustafa showing up for that Old Spice name drop we know and love. Fun, fun, fun. This is what commercials should be.

ETRADE – “This is Getting Old”

Meh. I thought this one was just okay. Although it is funny to see 85-year-olds drop sick beats in the club… Also glad to see the elderly get some spotlight in an ad but I thought the jingle could’ve been a little more catchy.

Amazon’s Alexa – “Alexa Loses Her Voice”

Definitely feeling mixed on this one, too. The celebrity cameos filling in for Alexa were pretty comical, especially Gordon Ramsay insulting a man who can’t seem to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Cardi B showing up twice seemed a bit suspicious, and Rebel Wilson was doing the, well, Rebel Wilson thing. If you’re a fan of anyone here then you’ll get a good laugh. But the best part of the ad? Anthony Hopkins showing up at the end to do a Hannibal/Westworld bit, of course! That was fantastic!

Doritos – “SPITFIRE & ICECOLD”

You like Game of Thrones? Good, because this isn’t the only ad tonight with some obvious ties to the show. Peter Dinklage shows up to mouth along to some speedy rap lyrics. It’s…interesting? I guess. Morgan Freeman mouthing along to Missy Elliot was much more hilarious to watch, for me.

Jeep – “Jeep Jurassic”

Yeah, yeah. We’ve all seen Jurassic Park. We all know Jeff Goldblum is a national treasure. So this was basically an ad for the sequel to the reboot that everyone is excited for. Right? Suuure.

Squarespace – “Make It with Keanu Reeves”

Speaking of national treasures, Keanu Reeves certainly qualifies as one, no? His brooding expression and soothing yet monotoned voice booms through your speakers as he wonders if he should start a motorcycle-making company. These are the real problems people deal with.

Rocket Mortage

This one doesn’t even have a catchy title associated with it! But it does have Keegan Michael-Key. He’s the best part of this otherwise mediocre ad for and insurance brand. He’s witty and comical and has great timing. But we already knew that, didn’t we? That guy at the beginning also looked a bit like Andy Samberg. That was nice.

M&Ms – “Do You Wanna Eat Me?”

Now this one is another classic! I love M&Ms, and I ESPECIALLY love Danny Devito. What I love the most is Danny Devito going around asking random strangers if they want to eat him. His pure and utter delight when no one does is amazing. And if you’re wondering how he survived getting hit by a truck – he’s Danny Devito. His character on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has survived literally everything. Just don’t question it. Enjoy the chocolate.

Bud Light – “The Bud Knight”

This one is a beer commercial essentially masquerading as a Game of Thrones parody. Some crusaders can’t see the fight from way back in the field. The Bud Knight is the one true knight to u-knight them all (please laugh). I did get a kick out of him making a joke from the big beam in the sky trope that has been done to death in superhero properties. That was great.

Pepsi – “This is the Pepsi”

A nice, clean ad. References and celebrity cameos in abundance, but it didn’t really feel cheap. This was a striking ad, easy to look at, and well narrated. Solid.

Did we miss any of the big ones? Please feel free to share them and discuss with us @viewthevibe on Twitter!