Nerds Gummy Clusters
In CNN’s coverage of New Year’s Eve last month, a boozy Andy Cohen began ranting about former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, calling him “chaotic” and “horrible” while his distressed friend and co-anchor Anderson Cooper tried to shut him up. If only there were this much excitement in the Nerds Gummy Clusters spot, where Cohen’s wingman isn’t Cooper, but a two-story-tall anthropomorphic gummy named… Gummy. Tooting the message that Nerds Gummy Clusters are now larger, Gummy himself morphs in size, an event significant enough to require Cohen to shepherd the creature through a wardrobe change and a red-carpet debut. The message is straightforward enough, but what’s really oversized here is the use of CGI, along with adding advertising to the advertising: Cohen pops candy into his mouth three separate times.
Bud Light
One would think that a hacienda wedding in the Los Padres National Forest, with a guest list that includes Peyton Manning, would have single-malt scotch and cabernet sauvignon on offer. But this party’s a kegger. It’s also apparently a party with just one keg, since every guest chases after the thing when it rolls off the mesa. The slo-mo sequence of people falling ass-over-head in pursuit of an aluminum tank is amusing in a slapstick kind of way — but not enough to take up half the ad. The odds are good that vocalist Post Malone and comedian Shane Gillis could deliver memorable lines, but they’re barely given anything to say. (Notable, however, is Manning holding a pint glass clearly labeled BUD LIGHT, which Gillis looks at and asks: “Ooooo, what’s that?”) Sure, it’s standard brewski (and broski) humor, but Anheuser-Busch, which gave us the Budweiser Frogs, can do better than this.
Poppi
With prebiotics, 5 grams of sugar and flavors like ginger lime, Poppi is aiming straight for the health-conscious hearts of Gen-Z. In last year’s Super Bowl spot, it struck dead on. Viewers felt the pain of indecision as a young woman in a diner, assailed by peer pressure and a sassy waitress, chooses Poppi. This year, that simple, relatable message gave way to… well, it’s hard to say. We’re in a classroom. As an undergrad cracks open her Poppi, the tubby math professor loses his clothes and turns into electro-pop idol Charli XCX, clad in microshorts. Rachel Sennott drops in too — with a flamethrower, but that’s after a BMX boy rips through while another brah barfs sparkle confetti. The overarching theme is “vibes.” Maybe it’s just a generational thing. Maybe it’s actually an ad for psychedelic-assisted therapy. Hard to say.
