A Budweiser commercial in which a puppy and a horse develop a special relationship earned the top grade in the Michigan State University Department of Advertising and Public Relations’ list of best commercials aired during this year’s Super Bowl.
This marked the 17th consecutive year the MSU faculty have rated the Super Bowl commercials.
Taking second place was a Doritos commercial that featured a young cowboy riding a dog like a horse.
"It's too bad many viewers didn't stay until the end of a bad game, because some of the final ads that aired were the best in the Super Bowl,” said advertising instructor Robert Kolt.
Third through 10th places for ads included:
- Volkswagen, in which engineers earned their wings.
- Microsoft, that featured life-changing technology.
- Heinz ketchup, in which people sang “If you’re happy and you know it.”
- Kia that featured a “Matrix” theme.
- Budweiser, featuring a returning-home soldier.
- Coca Cola, in which “America the Beautiful” is sung in different languages.
- M&Ms, in which an unsuspecting piece of candy is in a car trunk.
- Dannon yogurt featuring a reunion of the stars from “Full House.”
Using a five-point grading scale, the 34 voting faculty members rated each commercial based on creativity, production and overall quality.