Super Bowl XLIX is now in the history books with an exciting, close game resulting in the New England Patriots’ victory. Also victorious were the NBC execs and shareholders who brought in a tremendous amount of ad revenue. Here is our review of the evening (mostly in chronological order):

• How does Idina Menzel do it? Great sound and she coordinated it with the Flyover…awesome!
• The Chevy Colorado fakeout ad where it looked the like the TV went on the fritz had us going for a second. Good one!
• Although we “sorta” liked the Esurance celebrity components (Lindsay Lohan, Bryan Cranston), we didn’t quite get the “sorta” branding. Were we having to think too hard, even though our brain was congealed with seven layer dip?
• Kimsdatastash (TMobile) about saving the data was mildly amusing, but we kept thinking the hashtag would be #kimsubiquitoustush.
• Speaking of butts, one of our daughters (we won’t name names) was following the Super Bowl,along with buzzfeed‘s list of the best butts in the Super Bowl. Bragging rights go to the Seahawks’ Earl Thomas III (#29). It truly is noteworthy.
• Big fumble on the part of Nationwide insurance. They had a great ad with Mindy Kaling and Matt Damon (Am I invisible?) but they brought down the party with a strange ad about childhood accidents. Not only did most people think the ad in poor taste (and what is it actually selling?), but family members of those who had died from an accident were actually offended. The Twittersphere blew up right after the ad aired, overwhelmingly negatively. Hmmm.
• We loved the BMW I3 with a throwback of Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric talking about the nascent internet back in the day and driving together and grappling with the technology of the BMW.
• Avocados from Mexico was an unexpected treat with the depiction of the first ever draft of animals to various countries.
• A whole host of commercials were the heartstring tugging kind. Maybe we were feeling giddy from the snow day coming up the next day, but we weren’t particularly cynical about these, but we also thought they were, to use a so “last year” term: meh: So “meh” to Budweiser’s Buddy and the Clydesdales, although the dog is cute, “meh” to Dove’s ad about Daddy’s, “meh” to the Nissan ads (actually we thought these were actually maudlin, double “meh”), “meh” to Coca-Cola.
• Moving on to Always’ #likeagirl campaign. This ad has already been making the youtube circuits for so long, that all of us who buy feminine hygiene products had already seen it multiple times, and every girls’ PE teacher and coach had already seen it. I guess the fathers of boys saw it now too. It’s pretty good, but so 2014 at this point.
• Half time show really should not be a source of complaint. Katy Perry left nothing on the table, except why didn’t we get more of Lenny Kravitz? Bringing back Missy Eliot was awesome, and the fireworks with Katy suspended were pretty cool. If you have to suffer through pop music, at least let it be a spectacle.
• What is #superbowlrally? There were ads for it, but what is it? How can you advertise something mysterious?
• The greatest car ad (although Pierce Brosnan’s Kia ad was OK) was the Fiat ad where an elderly man’s Viagra (unnamed blue pill) bounces around until it lands inside a Fiat gas tank, expanding it (get it?), creating a hybrid with the tagline “Go a little longer”. Perhaps it was the alcohol in us, but it was clever.
• Weird ad: With Jeff Bridges sort of looking Dude-like on Square Space. Again, like superbowlrally, what is Square Space? We’re admittedly far too lazy to figure it out on our own.
• Perhaps the two best ads of the night were the result of improbable celebrity hawkers. The first was Pete Rose wearing his Skechers in “the hall” and being told he’s not allowed in the hall, even that one. A great way to be self-deprecating about his continued disbarment from the Baseball Hall of Fame and to include the audience in an inside joke. But, far and away, we love intense Liam Neeson and to see him with that intensity in the Clash of Clans ad was pure genius.