Much like the game itself, this year’s Super Bowl ads were.. lackluster, to say the least. Whereas years past have given us gems such as “1984”, “The Force” and “the beloved” (or not so much) E*Trade Babies, this year’s advertisers left little to take our mind off the Seahawks public shaming of Peyton Manning (not counting the Budweiser puppy, obviously.) Though the in-game spots may have left something to be desired, to say this year’s advertisers were lacking in creativity would be patently false. Much like winning a Super Bowl goes far beyond the players on the field, the stars of Super Bowl marketing could be found anywhere but within the game. Below are our choices for who we believe (know) to be the top advertisers of Super Bowl XLVIII (48, duh.) Esurance  Esurance’s spot was brilliant on several different levels. First, the overall pandemonium created by the giveaway they were promoting. $1.5 million in cold hard cash? Yes, please. The contest received more than 2 million entries and gained Esurance more than 100,000 Twitter followers within 24 hours of airing. Beyond that, however, was that the act of purchasing their ad space put Esurance’s own methodology to practice. The company has long touted how switching to Esurance can save you 30% on your insurance. By buying the first spot immediately after the game, Esurance saved itself $1.5 million“ or 30% off the price tag of an in-game ad. Branding, people! BRANDING! This move would have been considered even more of a success had Jimmy Kimmel announced me as the winner Wednesday night. However, he did not. Shame on you, Jimmy. Newcastle Brown Ale I could go on and on about why this spot worked: from the overall tongue-in-cheek snarkiness, to the fiscally responsible choice to make a Super Bowl spot without actually making a Super Bowl spot. In the end, however, all I really need to say is this: Anna. Kendrick. And, also, this: MARRY ME. The spot was so effective that I decided to finally try out a Newcastle, one of the few beers that had escaped my palette up to this point in my life. RESULT: Not for me. So, there you have it. Our commentary on the best Super Bowl commercials. Typically, an article covering such a grandiose topic would have an equally dynamic closing but, much like the Broncos during the Super Bowl, I will depart from this blog with nothing more than a whimper. Now excuse me while I go stand in a corner and cry at the thought of waiting seven months before I can watch football again. Sidenote: J.C. Penney also went the alternative route with its Super Bowl plans. And by alternative route, I mean they tweeted like a drunk undergrad throughout the game. I’m not sure I fully understand the move, but as someone who is a repeat offender of social media-ing after one (or two, or three, etc.) social beverages, I would be lying if I said I didn’t like it. Side-sidenote: BUDWEISER PUPPY