The Super Bowl is so much more than a game of football, which is good news to those of us who may or may not exactly be experts on the subject of sports (hypothetically speaking, of course). While some of us watched to cheer on our fave team, others might have merely tuned in for the Lady Gaga halftime show (or rumored Beyonce appearance!), and others still just hoped to get a few good snacks out of the occasion. But we can all come together in agreement that the televised game is practically the only time we get psyched up to watch commercials, and this year’s crop proved no exception. These coveted time slots were filled by brands who took the opportunity to touch upon current topics (the wage gap, immigration and Deflategate among them), whether it be to have us cracking up or crying into our bowl of hot wings. Here are some of the best ads that ran during this year’s game.
Buick
Supermodel Miranda Kerr made a cute cameo in Buick’s ad, in which a kid playing pee wee football transforms into Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton—stiff-arming and epic passing included.
T-Mobile
Funny lady Kristen Schall indulged in a 50 Shades spoof for the wireless carrier—complete with a data overage “punishment” device.
Audi
The luxury automaker gave us all the feels with this spot that promotes gender equality through the lens of a father.
Squarespace
An angry John Malkovich never gets old, which is why we love this spot in which the actor gets all Malkovich-y about someone stealing his domain name.
Budweiser
This ad—actually created before President Trump’s controversial immigration ban—was a timely reminder of how many foreigners came to our country to follow a dream, including the beer brand’s cofounder, Adolphus Busch.
Skittles
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the candy company did a hilarious take on the good ol’ romantic gesture of throwing pebbles—or in this case, Skittles—at your crush’s window. This suitor, however, should have chosen something less delicious to toss.
Coca-Cola
We know we weren’t the only ones who cried watching this re-aired commercial from 2014, which offers a montage of many different kind of Americans—including those of different races and religious faiths—while a rendition of “America the Beautiful” (in different languages) plays.
Avocados from Mexico
A not-so-secret society let a few things slip—like the fact that there are only 49 shades of gray, they got a “fall guy” for that deflated football and Bigfoot isn’t real—in this silly spot, which also leaks the health benefits of avocados.
GoDaddy
You probably weren’t expecting the Internet to look like this dude depicted in the web hosting company’s ad: “I’m wiry!” he says, with an @ tattooed on his abdomen just before partaking in the ice bucket challenge.
Stranger Things
The much-anticipated second season of Netflix’s cult TV show Stranger Things’ trailer whipped fans into a frenzy.
T Mobile
The domination of unexpected pair Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg continues.
Tiffany & Co.
The megawatt Super Bowl halftime performer became the face of the luxury jewelry brand’s HardWear collection, revealing her secret to unparalleled creativity. “I always want to be challenging the status quo,” she said in the ad.
