National Football League

A look back at the 10 best commercials from Super Bowl 50

Published Feb. 1, 2017 10:03 a.m. ET

Zack Pierce

Super Bowl LI (on FOX) is nearly upon us, which means everyone's favorite game within the game — the commercials — is nearly here as well. Before this year's crop of funny, sad and bizarre ads hits your TV sets, take a look back at our favorite of last year's offerings.

Mountain Dew: Puppy Monkey Baby

We admitted last year that this one is historically weird, but like, in a good way? Maybe? Mountain Dew unleashed this Frankenstein-ish creation on us to advertise their Kickstart drink, which also purports to feature "three awesome things combined." Whatever you think of it, it's undoubtedly memorable.

Honda: Queen Sheep

Sheep singing Queen. Queen sung by sheep. I rest my case.

Avocados From Mexico: Future Aliens

The Doomsday Clock inched a little closer to midnight this year, so lucky us, we might actually be closer to realizing this futuristic fantasy in which artifacts of a presumably long-gone human civilization — an unsolvable puzzle (a Rubik's Cube), a torture device (airline seats), and Scott Baio (as himself) — are preserved in a kind of alien spaceship museum.

Bud Light: The Bud Light Party

By now, this series of spots from Bud has run its course, but last February, America was just gearing up for the feel-good election cycle of the century when Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen tried to rally the nation behind their very relatable beer-based campaign platform.

Buick: She Odell'd It

We were over a full season removed from this catch by the time this commercial aired. And we're still talking about it today. The re-creation from the bouquet-hungry wedding attendee is spot-on.

Verizon: Steve Harvey's Mistake

In December before Super Bowl 50, Steve Harvey gave us one of the all-time uncomfortable moments when he announced the wrong winner of the Miss Universe pageant on live TV. Just two months later, here he was making fun of himself about it.

Amazon Echo: Baldwin vs. Marino

Amazon packed the stars in for a pretty funny tete-a-tete between the world's most famous actor without an Oscar and the NFL's best quarterback without a Super Bowl.

Kia: Walken Closet

How did it take us so many Super Bowls to come up with this brilliant idea? Christopher Walken, in a closet, with a polka dot sock over his right hand, bullying some poor sap into being more interesting by driving a Kia (naturally). It practically writes itself.

Budweiser: #GiveADamn with Helen Mirren

"If you drive drunk, you — simply put — are a short-sighted, utterly useless, oxygen-wasting human form of pollution." Helen Mirren has a way with words.

Audi: The Commander

This is the only entry on the list that didn’t spark a laugh — yes, even a ruthless Helen Mirren brought a chuckle — but it tells quite a story in very short order. When David Bowie’s "Starman" kicks in — a nice tribute to the singer who had died just a month earlier — it earned its way onto this list.