Top 10 Hilarious Parodies in Super Bowl Commercials

Mastercard

Mastercard launched their “Priceless” ad campaign during the 1997 World Series, creating a household slogan. Nearly a decade into the campaign, Mastercard was still coming up with clever scenarios for the enduring ads. One of the most inventive premiered during Super Bowl XL, recruiting Richard Dean Anderson to make a comeback as Angus MacGyver. The script doesn’t deviate from the usual formula with the narrator listing various items and how much they cost, leading to the “priceless” punchline. The inclusion of MacGyver adds another layer, though, emphasizing the importance of the little things and how they can amount to something far more priceless in the long run. Replicating the spirit of the show while maintaining the campaign’s identity, every element merges in a priceless fashion.

Honda

The past decade or so has seen several actors reprise film roles for Super Bowl commercials. It’s debatable when this trend started, but we’d argue that this “Ferris Bueller” sendup popularized the idea. Almost 25 years after ditching school, Matthew Broderick calls in sick to work for his own day off. While fans will appreciate callbacks to classic lines, scenes, and music cues, a few details are tweaked. Most notably, Broderick doesn’t drive a Ferrari… presumably because the last one got wrecked. Broderick also trades in the Chicago backdrop for L.A., running “errands” in a Honda CR-V. It might not be a trailer for a sequel, as some assumed when the teaser dropped, but it serves as a reminder of how fast life moves.

Jeep

Any Bill Murray fan knows that February 2 is Groundhog Day… or the day that ensnared Phil Connors in a time loop. In 2020, the Super Bowl and Groundhog Day aligned for the first time in 54 years. Even Murray - who hasn’t always been eager to reprise roles - saw this as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Before Murray even appears on screen, we can sense what Sonny & Cher playing at 6:00 AM means. Brian Doyle-Murray and Stephen Tobolowsky also return for this Jeep ad, kicking off with several references to the 1993 comedy. At the same time, the commercial provides room for Murray to ad-lib, elevating it above a nostalgic recreation. For an ad based on a movie about repeating the same day, it’s surprisingly fresh.

Mountain Dew

Bryan Cranston is no stranger to the Super Bowl, bringing back Walter White for Esurance and PopCorners commercials. Cranston might not have played Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” If Stephen King’s book was adapted today, though, casting Cranston would make too much sense. We’ll gladly settle for this Mountain Dew ad, which also casts Tracee Ellis Ross in the Wendy role. While Ross is appropriately terrified, Cranston’s performance is where parody, homage, and the real deal intersect. Cranston is having a ball, but we imagine he’d play Jack exactly like this be it in a movie or a commercial. Cranston brings a legitimate creep factor, although when he pops up as the Grady twins, we’re reminded that this is supposed to be funny.

Tourism Australia

Hollywood will reboot and revive any franchise these days. So, when Danny McBride appeared in a Super Bowl commercial as Crocodile Dundee’s son, we thought, “Yeah, that sounds on-brand.” Granted, we found it strange that we hadn’t heard about a fourth “Crocodile Dundee” movie up until this point. Also, last we checked, Paul Hogan’s character named his son Mikey, not “Brian.” Slowly but surely, the audience and McBride realize that something doesn’t add up. As Chris Hemsworth goes on about the wonders of Australia, it hits everybody that this isn’t a trailer, but a tourism commercial. Although it should’ve been obvious in retrospect, this parody is so well-crafted that you can’t fault us for interpreting it as an actual movie. Now that’s a fakeout!

Cadillac

Two years before filling in for Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, Timothée Chalamet put his spin on Edward Scissorhands. More specifically, Chalamet stars as Edgar Scissorhands, the son of Edward and Kim, once again played by Winona Ryder. Like his father, Edgar is presented with the dilemma of not being able to embrace what he loves most. Of course, in Edgar’s case, it isn’t a woman, but a car that he wishes to hold. Not even the inventor who gave Edward life could imagine a future with hands-free driver assistance. It may be a Cadillac commercial, but it’s almost eerie how well this ad matches the humor and even the heart of Tim Burton’s film, so much so that we’re willing to call this canon.

Bud Light

The “Portals” scene from “Avengers: Endgame” was such a zeitgeist moment that it was bound to be parodied. By 2021, you’d think that every joke would’ve been exhausted, but Bud Light caught us off guard. In a world where Bud Light has mysteriously vanished from store shelves, it’ll take several heroes to restore order. Bud Light has a history of memorable ads, although it wasn’t until this commercial that we realized just how many legends the brand has inspired. From Dr. Galazkiewicz to the “Real Men of Genius” singer, everybody other than Spuds MacKenzie is present. Sadly, the Bud Knight makes a Tony Stark-esque sacrifice. Ironically, this isn’t the first time that a mountain marked his downfall. At least a dragon didn’t finish him off.

Snickers

In 1955, a subway grate, a white dress, and a blonde bombshell created an iconic movie moment. It further cemented Marilyn Monroe as one of the most lovable screen presences in cinematic history. Behind the scenes, Monroe wasn’t always the easiest star to work with. We doubt that a Snickers would’ve been the solution to every problem, but the candy bar does manage to exorcize Monroe’s inner Willem Dafoe. Like previous entries in the “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign, the success of this commercial boils down to finding Monroe’s opposite. Snickers struck gold with Dafoe, and having Eugene Levy deliver the final zinger doesn’t hurt. Now that Dafoe has played Marilyn, maybe he should take on the Creature from the Black Lagoon next.

Volkswagen

At some point in childhood, we all tried using the Force. Some of us even dressed up as Darth Vader while doing so. This viral Volkswagen commercial captures the innocence of playtime while making it feel epic thanks to the musical accompaniment of John Williams’ score. The little Sith Lord is played by six-year-old Max Page, who at the time had yet to see a “Star Wars” movie. Although Page is hidden behind a mask, we can imagine the frustration on his face as he attempts to summon the Force. It appears futile until he directs his Midi-chlorians toward his father’s Volkswagen, which roars to life with the press of a button. As far as the boy knows, though, the Force is strong with him.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Not-So Clueless” (2023), Rakuten
Tech Changes, But Some Things Never Go Out of Style

“Jeep Jurassic” (2018), Jeep
Of All the Jurassic Park Survivors, Ian Malcolm Would Be the Most Likely to Go Commercial

“Cable Guy” (2022), Version
If Anyone Can Bring Cable Back, It’s Jim Carrey

“The Truth” (2014), Kia K900
Come On, If Laurence Fishburne Returned for This, You Could’ve Put Him in “Matrix Resurrections”

FedEx

“Cast Away” was the best free advertising that FedEx could’ve asked for, naturally inspiring a commercial three years later. Like Tom Hanks’ Chuck Noland, a fellow castaway fulfills his goal to deliver a mysterious package after escaping from a desert island. While the film chooses to keep the contents vague, it’s revealed here that our hero had the tools for survival and rescue all along. The FedEx worker attempts to stay composed, but on the inside, those five lost years are hitting him like a smarm of volleyballs. Where most parody commercials settle for hitting familiar beats, this one plays off the source material in inspired ways. “Cast Away” left us all asking what was in the package, and this provided the funniest answer possible.

What’s your favorite parody in a Super Bowl commercial? Let us know in the comments!