The best and worst Super Bowl 2022 commercials
The best, the worst and the meh....
The Super Bowl 2022 has come and gone with its usual mix of spectacle, sporting prowess and the debut of some very expensive adverts but the good news is that this year's even is just around the corner. We have everything you need to know to watch Super Bowl 2023 as well.
Unlike in 2021, where the number of actual supporters in the stadium was outnumbered by the number of Covid-sponsored cardboard cut-outs, things had a much more normal feel this year with a capacity crowd packed into the SoFi Stadium and billions more watching on at home.
But was that reflected in the adverts? And, given each 30-second commercial cost a whopping $7 million, did anybody get adequate bang for all those bucks?
We've rounded up the best and the worst of them below for you...
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Trailer
Let's start with the biggie, shall we? We got a first look at Amazon's lavish and hugely expensive new take on Lord Of The Rings. At just over a minute long, it doesn't give much away on characters or plot, but given it'll have cost $14 million just to show it, you can see why they've kept things brief.
What is clearly on show is the size and scale of the show and it's certainly got us excited for September 2, which is when it arrives on Amazon Prime.
Uber Don't Eats
Uber have certainly harnessed some star power to show off the fact that they're branching out into non-food items for their delivery service.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Jennifer Coolidge, Trevor Noah, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Nicholas Braun all line up to try some decidedly not-so-tasty items. We see Paltrow getting stuck into one of her Goop candles, Cousin Greg enjoying some washing up liquid and Noah chowing down on a lightbulb.
We're sure they've all been handsomely compensated, but we're also curious as to see what was actually in that candle...
Nope - Super Bowl Teaser
Everyone got the first chance to look at Jordan Peele's much-anticipated new horror, which reunites him with Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya.
Suitably creepy, suitably bizarre and very intriguing indeed.
Nope will in theaters in July and you can watch the full trailer and read our full report here.
Squarespace's Sally's Seashells
Branching out from the stings at the beginning and end of what felt like every podcast in existence, the web builders have recruited Zendaya and Outkast's Andre 3000 for their new campaign.
A play on the classic tongue-twister, this is quite charming, even if it's impossible to say...
Goodbye Cable
Jim Carrey famously picked up a $20 million dollar paycheck for his role as Ernie "Chip" Douglas in 1996 dark comedy The Cable Guy, but it's unlikely he earned quite as much to reprise the role for this Verizon commercial.
It's a bit hammy, but there are some nice call-backs to the original film and a good turn from Blockers' star Geraldine Viswanathan, who does a nice line in looking bemused...
Dr. EV-il
Another classic comedy gets a 2022 reskin with Mike Myers, Seth Green, Rob Lowe and Mindy Sterling all returning to the roles they made famous in Austin Powers.
Myers is in Doctor Evil mode, rather than the hairy horndog, and this time he's trying to save the world.
Having bought General Motors, the evil tycoon now agrees to save the planet from climate change before trying to take it over. Which is nice of him...
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight
We get another brief glimpse at Moon Knight, Oscar Isaac's sleep-challenged Steven Grant as he prepares to launch his new series on Disney+ on March 30th.
It's a short, but action-packed teaser with plenty to get excited about.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Super Bowl TV spot
A shortened version of the Doctor Strange sequel trailer that dropped at the same time online, because, you know, these things cost lots of money.
You can read a full breakdown here.
Thrill Ride
Now this is good fun. Three of Marvel's finest, Brie Larson, Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista teaming up with Schitt's Creek pair Catherine O'Hara.
We see Levy trying out Nissan's new Z, a car so fast, it gives the American Pie star a makeover complete with sunglasses; long, flowing hair; knuckle tattoos; five o’clock shadow and a black leather jacket.
He's still Eugene Levy though, as we soon discover...
Sleep With John Legend
John Legend in some lovely silk pyjamas telling us all about his sleepcast. Why not?
Lay’s Golden Memories
Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen come together to show off their happiest memories, all of which happen to have taken place while they were eating crisps. We'd say that wasn't relatable, but, let's be honest, it definitely is...
FTX BITCOIN x Larry David
What we have now is a series we're calling 'Various Celebrities Flogging Crypto for Obscene Amounts of Cash'.
First up is Larry David...
Fortune Favours the Brave
And here's Matt Damon, this one is a bit flashier...
The New Frontier
Moving slightly away from Cryptocurrency, but still firmly rooted in the back-end of the web. This is Salesforce and they've found the budget to pretend to send Matthew McConaughey to space...
Zac Efron Gig-ifies Fishing
This is a bit calmer, it's Zac Efron advertising AT&T and enjoying some chill time and a spot of VR fishing, alongside...another Zac Efron. A hairier Zac Efron...
Amazon’s Big Game Commercial: Mind Reader
Scarlett Johansson and her funnyman husband Colin Jost headline Amazon's effort, which asks the question, 'Would it be bad if Alexa could read your mind?'
Spoiler: yes it would.
Zeus & Hera
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek done tunics as they play Greek Gods Zeus and Hera for BMW.
We follow the pair as they retire from Mount Olympus to Palm Springs, but sadly they aren't settling down. That is, until that brand new BMW turns up...
Snoop Dogg & Martha Stewart | BIC EZ Reach Lighters
Finally, we've got old pairs Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, who team up to show off Biz's new lighter. We can't think of what Snoop might need a lighter for, maybe he likes camping...
Tom Goodwyn was formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor. He's now a freelancer writing about TV shows, documentaries and movies across streaming services, theaters and beyond. Based in East London, he loves nothing more than spending all day in a movie theater, well, he did before he had two small children…