Hype Bowl 2017: The Best And Worst Car Commercials Of Super Bowl LI (Video)

It’s that time of year again!  The “Hype Bowl” is back and once again I’m going to talk about my favorite and least favorite Super Bowl car commercials.  Though this time things are a bit different.  See, this year there were only about 9 car commercials total, and three of those were from the same OEM!  So, since there are not as many spots to choose from this year I am going to combine the best and worst into one post rather than two.  I am also going to introduce a few new categories to highlight some spots that may not have been the best or worst but still noteworthy.  Let’s get started!

Best Car Commercial: Hyundai USA “A Better Super Bowl”

Hyundai’s commercial earns the top spot for being both a technological achievement and also being extremely heart warming.  Believe it or not but Hyundai actually shot this commercial during the game and then quickly produced it in time to get it on air right after the game finished.  They are the first car company (maybe the first company period) to ever do something of this nature and they totally pulled it off.   Add the fact that they spent all of the time, effort, and money to produce this commercial and it was all about bringing American troops stationed abroad just a little closer to their families.  Good job Hyundai USA, you managed to win best car commercial without even having to show off a vehicle!

Worst Car Commercial: Lexus “Man And Machine”

Admittedly, calling this commercial the “worst” is harsh but it is only relative to the others.  On its own it is an “okay” commercial, but for the grand stage of the Super Bowl it just didn’t cut it in my opinion.  First of all the title “Man And Machine” for a car commercial seems like it has been done to death.  Also the concept of the spot was just a little too abstract for me.  I did love the shots of the new Lexus LC and LS but the guy dancing around just kind of distracted from what I wanted to look at: the cars.

Most Poignant Car Commercial: Audi USA “Daughter”

Like Hyundai, Audi decided to use their time to inspire rather than fill it with beauty shots of their latest model.  Women are in the middle of a fight right now for equal treatment, equal rights, and equal pay to their male counterparts and I think it was pretty cool of Audi to show their support.  I think no matter your politics you can agree if a man and woman are doing the same job and have equal experience, they should be paid equally.  I think this spot does a good job of illustrating that point.  There is also some pretty kick-ass soapbox driving in it!

Most Celebrity Cameos: Honda “Yearbooks”

Everyone’s gotta start somewhere.  This spot from Honda illustrates the humble beginnings of some of the biggest celebrities, athletes, and creators in the world.  If you are reading this before watching it I won’t spoil it here but there are some pretty cool cameos.  Fair warning, the CG used in this commercial can make some of the subjects look a little creepy.  If you can get past that, it is a pretty good commercial and even a bit inspiring.

Funniest Car Commercial: Kia “Hero’s Journey”

There isn’t much to say here.  Watching Melissa McCarthy endure cartoon-ish levels of misfortune is just damn funny!

Best Visuals: Alfa Romeo USA “Riding Dragons”, “Dear Predictable”, and “Mozzafiato”

This time I’m going to do this before the spots so you can just scroll down and watch.  Alfa Romeo USA gave us not one, but three awesome commercials featuring the Giulia!  Three commercials filled with sights and sounds of one of the most beautiful sedans ever produced!  You rock Alfa Romeo!