Every year, the big game comes around. But everyone knows the actual competition lies in who can pull off the biggest and best stunt in their gameday ads. Of course, always highly anticipated are the TV and movie trailers that make their debuts. And we saw plenty of that, including a cheerfully-scored but ominous trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a new look at Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and an epic tease for Fast X. But alongside these entries, plenty of actual commercials came to play hard. And some Super Bowl ads even pinged our nerdy radar.
From a Breaking Bad reunion to a drive through some of our favorite Netflix properties to… giant bunnies, Super Bowl 2023 had some amazing commercials to nerd out to.
2023’s Best Nerdy Super Bowl Ads
Breaking Bad Reunion for PopCorners Super Bowl Ad
What can we say? Commercials sometimes bring us the things we truly need in life. This year’s major attraction came from PopCorners, and it gave us a glimpse into an alternate Breaking Bad reality where Walt and Jesse are baking snacks instead of meth. It’s maybe the most cheerful we get to see the duo ever. PopCorners, we salute you. This is one nerdy Super Bowl ad we’ll watch again and again.
Ant-Man Won’t Drink and Shrink in Heineken and Marvel Ad
Listen, if there’s one valuable lesson you should take away from the Super Bowl, it’s that you shouldn’t drink and shrink. And you definitely shouldn’t consume a full-size beer at ant size. Or give any alcohol to the ants. All of that can get very messy. But it does sound like an interesting parody movie.
We didn’t get to see any other new glimpses of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which releases in theaters on February 17. But we did cackle at this clever commercial combination. Heineken wouldn’t immediately jump out to us as a Marvel Studios collaborator of choice. But hey, the multiverse is expanding.
Infinite Adam Drivers Appear in Sci-Fi Squarespace Ad
This Squarespace ad stars Adam Driver… and Adam Driver… and many more Adam Drivers. It’s definitely one Super Bowl commercial that actually feels like a movie trailer. It has a perfectly eerie sci-fi setting, a star in the lead role, and many existential questions for us to address. This nerdy Super Bowl ad even has a title, The Singularity.
The bottom line is that we have an Adam Driver that makes Adam Drivers. So we’re ready to see more.
Paramount+ Brings Stallone Face (But More Importantly, Captain Pike Face)
We love a good meta-verse filled with all kinds of characters from different fictional worlds. We love it, especially when it means we get to see more of Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. In this nerdy Super Bowl ad for Paramount+, Dora The Explorer, Captain Pike, Ensign Mariner, Lieutenant Dangle, and Beavis and Butt-Head all come together to appreciate Stallone Face… A Sylvester Stallone-shaped mountain.
There’s a lot of Stallone happening in this commercial, and that’s great. But we’re really living for Christopher Pike’s reaction shots. Relatable (and handsome).
Will Ferrell Becomes Dustin on Stranger Things for GM and Netflix Spot
Erica is not impressed by Will Ferrell’s impersonation of Stranger Things‘ Dustin in this Super Bowl spot for GM and Netflix. We don’t mind that so much, but we’re not super sure about including Squid Game in the mix. Otherwise, watching Will Ferrell drive through Netflix’s many fictional worlds, among them Bridgerton and Army of the Dead, is a fun conceit.
Plus, we’re always happy to see more of Erica Sinclair.
Tubi’s Giant Bunnies Drag You Into a Whole New (West)World
Recently, a lot of controversies surrounded Westworld. The show, which was at one time HBO’s crown jewel, was unceremoniously canceled and removed from HBO Max. But now, its new streaming home, the free, ad-supported channel Tubi, wants to show it some support. It wants you to watch it. And it will literally drag you if it needs to… using giant bunnies.
We know Winnie the Pooh is getting a horror movie adaptation soon, and we can’t help but feel like these giant critters would be the perfect versions of Rabbit.
T-Mobile Unleashes a Mini Scrubs Reunion Plus John Travolta Grease Parody
This wasn’t exactly a Scrubs reunion, nor was it precisely a Grease parody, but it did have elements of both. Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and John Travolta came together for this cheerful Frankenstein of an ad. We aren’t exactly sure what the connection is between all these moving parts and also T-Mobile internet. But sometimes, the wackiness is the point when it comes to Super Bowl ads.
Ben Stiller Walks Us Through “Acting” in Pepsi Super Bowl Ad
Pepsi commercials are always a bit of a journey, and this one for the Super Bowl is no exception. Ben Stiller takes us on a stroll through some of the movies’ best genres. We get a little rom-com, a little sci-fi video game adaptation, a little cute droid in space, and a whole bunch of other fun glimpses at the different types of films we love. It’s real, but it’s not real; it’s just acting. Pepsi, of course, is really good. Or is it…? It’s a question to consider, but we’re still stuck on the cute space bot.
Cher and Amber Return in Clueless Reunion for Rakuten
Clueless is a movie that never goes out of style. It also has never gotten a sequel or spinoff. But one thing it now has is a Super Bowl ad. Cher and Amber come together again for another debate. And this time, we’re all winning. Nostalgia rules our hearts, and so does this nerdy Super Bowl ad.
Disney Celebrates 100 Years of Wonder
Sometimes, you just have to take a victory lap. In addition to its many other trailers and ads, Disney dropped a Super Bowl commercial celebrating itself. Star Wars, Marvel, and our animated favs all come together to celebrate the wonder of Disney.
The Last Blockbuster Brings Back VHS Rentals
Blockbuster didn’t exactly deliver an ad. But it did promise you that you could rent one… On VHS, even. The last Blockbuster standing wants you to get old school, very old school. After the Super Bowl, you can only watch their ad if you rent it on VHS. That’s true commitment.
