Let's be honest: Sure, a lot of people who watched Super Bowl 56 between the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday were probably there for the game itself. But many watched for what happened when there's no football being played at all — because they're sticking around for the ads!
Nervous you may have missed a sidesplitting moment or celeb cameo?
TODAY is here for you, ad-watching fans! We watched out for the greatest hits that took place.
Here's a selection of the best, most star-studded Super Bowl ads of 2022:
Toyota: 'The Joneses'
Are you keeping up with the Joneses? Tommy, Leslie, and Rashida, that is. Tommy Jones, Leslie Jones, and Rashida Jones all teamed up for another one of Toyota’s Super Bowl commercials. This time, Toyota took a more comedic take as the three Joneses began to race both on and off road in a tense race.
The trio were joined by a fourth member that didn’t quite fit the bill. At least, not until he said so. At the end of the minute long ad, Nick Jonas pulled up in his own truck before boldly declaring, “It’s keeping up with the Jonases now.”
FTX: Don’t Miss Out
Larry David has never been wrong about anything. Except for the wheel, forks, toilets, American independence, the right to vote, light bulbs, traveling to the moon, and the Walkman. With cryptocurrency though, he’s sure that it won’t be successful, even if he’s told that FTX will be a good way to get introduced to cryptocurrency.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” he said before assuring. “And I’m never wrong about this stuff. Never.”
NBC: Stars Agree, NBC Is America’s No. 1 Network
Who doesn’t love Ted Danson? We can think of four people who might not be his biggest fan: Mariska Hargitay, Terry Crews, Kelly Clarkson, and Christopher Meloni. During NBC’s Super Bowl ad, the commercial attributed Danson to the network’s success, which had Hargitay, Crews, Clarkson, and Meloni up in arms knowing their contributions across their respective programs.
Matters only got worse when Kenan Thompson appeared on screen next as another contributing factor for the network’s standing, causing Crews to exit the room and smash his bowl of popcorn.
Rocket Mortgage: Dream House with Anna Kendrick and Barbie
Anna Kendrick met her match in the highly anticipated Rocket Mortgage Super Bowl ad starring another pop culture icon: Barbie. The 1:15 long commercial examined how Barbie was able to land her dream house with the help, of course, of Rocket Mortgage. The commercial introduced characters like Better Offer Better, Cash Offer Carl, and House Flipper Skipper to throw a wrench in Barbie’s plans and “start a bidding war.” Luckily, in the end, Barbie gets her dream home before He-Man and Skeletor take the scene.
T-Mobile: Miley Cyrus Sings a Song for 5G Phones
Miley Cyrus and her godmother, Dolly Parton, are back at it again with another musical moment. This year as part of T-Mobile’s Super Bowl ad, Cyrus created a song (and full music video!) called “Do it for the Phones” that is equally catchy and informative as she belts out some of the phone provider’s capabilities.
Michelob ULTRA: Welcome to Superior Bowl
Athletes need time to unwind too! Michelob ULTRA gave fans a sneak peek into what some star athletes do when they’re away from their respective sports: bowling. Steve Buscemi serves up a beer and a pair of shoes while Peyton Manning, Alex Morgan, professional golfer Brooks Koepka, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, and NBA star Jimmy Butler find themselves blowing off some steam on the lanes and by the pool table.
And to top it all off, Serena Williams makes a grand entrance at the end, much to Manning's dismay.
Uber Eats: Uber Don’t Eats
Jennifer Coolidge, Gwyneth Paltrow, Trevor Noah, and Nicholas Braun all misunderstood the assignment when it came to their Uber Eats delivery and had trouble deciphering what was or wasn’t classified as food. In once scene, Braun chugs dish soap and in another, Paltrow takes a bite from Goop’s infamous vagina scented candle. It's an honest mistake, right?
BMW: Zeus & Hera
Everyone’s favorite Greek god Zeus found his new favorite car. Arnold Schwarzenegger takes on the role of Zeus as he navigates life post retiring from Mount Olympus to Palm Springs. Zeus is struggling on land and beginning to lose “his spark” until his wife, Hera–played by Salma Hayek–reinvigorates his life when she introduces him to his new car, the all electric BMW iX.
Toyota: Start Your Impossible
Toyota took a more heart-warming approach to their Super Bowl ad this year. The minute-long commercial followed the brotherly relationship of Canadian Paralympians Brian and Robin McKeever. When he was 19, Brian lost his eyesight to Stargardt macular degeneration, but that didn’t stop him from becoming Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian with 17 Paralympic medals.
Together, the brother duo competed int he 2002, 2006, and 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, with Robin serving as his brother’s guide.
Squarespace Sally's Seashells
"Euphoria" star Zendaya stars as a seashell seller named Sally who shell-shilling business booms, with a helping hand from Squarespace. Say that five times fast! Outkast rapper and actor André 3000 narrates the tongue-twisting spot.
Amazon's Big Game Commercial: Mind Reader
Is there a word for both eerie and hilarious at the same time? Amazon plays on the fears we have that their Echo is listening so hard to us that she can read our minds, and gives us some scary (and funny) moments between real-life marrieds Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson. Missed opportunity, though: There's no call-back to Johansson's role as a sentient AI from 2013's "Her."
Hellmann's: Mayo Tackles Food Waste
Family members also pair up in this Hellmann's ad, which features "Saturday Night Live's" Pete Davidson (who dodges a full-on tackle from former New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo), and his real-life mom Amy Davidson. Mom doesn't get a line, but Davidson ends up on the floor anyway, noting he's "very hittable."
AT&T Fiber: A Lot in Common
Demi Moore and Mila Kunis aren't related, but they do have a loved one in common: Ashton Kutcher. He's Moore's ex and Kunis' current husband, and the two share an awkward moment on an award stage in the AT&T commercial. But the best joke is this: Kutcher's name never even gets mentioned.
Planet Fitness: What's Gotten into Lindsay?
The pop culture references come fast and furious in this ad, which features Lindsay Lohan at a Planet Fitness gym literally glowing, but also showing up on an episode of "Jeopardy!" with Dennis Rodman, then with Danny Trejo as she blings up his ankle monitor, and finally striding by narrator William Shatner as she leaves her workout behind.
Kia: Robo-Dog
A little robot dog escapes his high-end electronics store and chases after the love of his life: A future owner, sure, but mainly the Kia car he spots outside the window one day. After some serious moves parkour-ing around town, he runs out of power ... and discovers the Kia can charge him up in more ways than one. And if that's not enough to rev your emotions, Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" as the soundtrack should do the trick.
Nissan Presents: Thrill Driver
"Schitt's Creek" fans, this cast-packed ad is for you! When Brie Larson tosses Eugene Levy the keys to her slick yellow 2023 Nissan Z, it utterly transforms the actor into an action star who buzzes past Catherine O'Hara and Marvel stars David Bautista and Danai Gurira. It's a cinematic thrill ride worthy of appearing on the big screen, which we discover at the end ... it was!
Lay's: Golden Memories
This ad shows just how versatile and enduring a potato chip can be, as showcased by Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen, who reflect back on all the ways the snack food has brought them together, saved them from harm, and even (in Rogen's case), helped him discover romance.
Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda: Land of Loud Flavors
In just one minute, we get a look at the Loud Flavors fantasyland in which Guy Fieri would rule, and it looks not just colorful but delicious. When two of his minions swipe a bucket of the Hard Soda and bring it back to their leader, he declares the drinks to contain the "Loudest Flavors Ever." Amid the jubilation in the street we get a shot of two people kissing (a la the famous VJ-Day smooch in Times Square) and a (presumed) antagonist wrecked by the news as he waves a spatula. There's got to be more to this story!
Budweiser: A Clydesdale’s Journey
It wouldn't really be Super Bowl time without the interspecies bromance of a Clydesdale and a dog! Budweiser has been trotting out the ongoing friendship between the animals while barely even showing the product for a few years now. This latest adventure shows the injured horse being watched over by his pal on the road to recovery and is yet another winner.
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