In between the big game and a quick dash for another plate of buffalo chicken dip, did you miss some of this year’s Super Bowl commercials? Here’s a look at five commercials that did the good work of brand promotion while also lifting up causes that matter to the overall well being of the human race. Well done, advertisers!
“Making Your Health a Priority Is Real Love” Hologic Super Bowl Ad
Routine cancer screenings saw a steep decline in April 2020—an 87% drop for breast cancer and 84% for cervical cancer—according to the CDC. These skipped screenings particularly impacted women of racial and ethnic minorities with low incomes at the start of the COVID pandemic. While these statistics began to recover to their normal levels in the months following April 2020, awareness about early screening and taking care of women’s bodies is still critical. The delay of routine screenings “may lead to delayed diagnoses, poor health consequences, and an increase in cancer disparities among women already experiencing health inequities.”
Mary J. Blige lent her voice to this important cause in Hologic’s Super Bowl ad.
Hellmann’s: Mayo Tackles Food Waste Super Bowl Ad
In this hilarious ad, Jerod Mayo, a football coach and former linebacker, takes down food waste with alternative recipes—grilled cheese, potato salad, frittatas… and more—so you can keep food out of landfills.
Of all the things we throw away, food takes up the most space inside US landfills. Americans throw away more food than any other country in the world—nearly 40 million tons—every year! There are solid and practical steps we can take to reduce all of this waste. Often food is thrown out because we misunderstand “use by” and “best if used by” language – the first means “the few products that are highly perishable and/or have food safety concern over time,” but “best if used by” describes quality “where the product may not taste or perform as expected but is safe to consume.” All these years I’ve teased my mother-in-law about keeping expired spices and canned vegetables on her shelf with “best if used by” language, and it turns out she could have kept using that cumin from 1970! *green face*
Other tactics to curb our food waste include learning how to compost, freezing food for consumption later, meal planning, and sharing our leftovers with others. These and other tactics can help us—and Jerod Mayo—tackle food waste.
Wallbox: Embrace Electricity Super Bowl Ad
It seemed to me like there were a gazillion ads promoting fully electric vehicles, so rather than call out one particular brand and show my bias, this little ad for those who have already embraced the electric vehicle movement made me laugh and worry for this poor electrocuted guy.
As electric cars become more affordable and charging stations more available across the country, it’s worth considering the environmental and economical impact of going electric. According to Energy.gov, an electric vehicle (EV) costs $1 in energy to travel the same distance as a gallon of gas (currently landing around $3 a gallon). They’re energy efficient, have lower maintenance costs, and have a smaller impact on the environment. Will you be embracing electricity and driving an EV soon?
“Stuff”: Expedia’s Made to Travel Super Bowl Ad
“Do you think any of us will look back on our lives and regret the things we didn’t buy, or the places we didn’t go?” So ends Expedia’s “Stuff” ad, which acknowledges how much we love stuff, but also how it needs to take its proper place in our ranking of priorities. Seeing things and going places is near and dear to my heart, because this world is huge, and amazing, and wondrous, and if you can get to the places you want to go, you should do it! God created this beautiful place for us, and it’s ours to protect, preserve, recover, and restore. Let’s celebrate its beauty and its gifts to us. Thanks, Expedia, for reinforcing my need to put away some pennies towards our summer national parks trip instead of ordering one more thing off Amazon.
“The New Frontier” Salesforce Super Bowl Ad
There’s tree planting and trust building and space making, and it’s all happening right here on this earth. In this inspirational and uplifting, world-touring commercial, Matthew McConaughey and Salesforce invite businesses to invest in this planet by joining #TeamEarth. It’s a concept known in some circles as Flourishing Enterprise, an effort to bring together people, planet, and profit, so that none lose and we all win. #TeamEarth is made up of “companies and people who believe that business is about more than profit for a few — business needs to be accountable to every person and the planet we share.” Learn more about how Salesforce is encouraging others to step up and see how you can join #TeamEarth.
What other companies got your attention with their feel-good ads that spur on goodness in the world? Post them in the comments on Instagram @rootandvinenews.
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