Whenever the topic of unforgettable commercials comes up, 2015 is still on the mind of advertising fans. There was a lot of comedy, heartbreak and revisiting memories in that year, particularly during the Super Bowl broadcast in February. As a result, brands got even more aggressive in getting noticed and some 2015 commercials have become instant cultural landmarks. This article includes a few of the memorable campaigns, an analysis of their success and an overview of the trends that shaped the best commercials of 2015.
The Perfect Storm that Created 2015 Commercials that You’re Still Talking About
Ten years on, people are still talking about 2015 commercials in lists, retrospectives, and marketing case studies. This durability is not by chance. Brands in that year resorted to emotional storytelling instead of just humor, changing the way people engaged with advertising. In addition, by 2015 social media had developed to the point where commercials could be virally distributed quickly and widely beyond the initial airing. This has led to the fact that 2015 commercials frequently appeared on the Internet again after the game or show had concluded, and have garnered hundreds of millions of hits.
Super Bowl XLIX had its impact on 2015 commercials
Super Bowl XLIX aired on February 1, 2015, and that year’s commercials dominated the spotlight. Advertisers paid about $4 million for 30 seconds, and expectations soared. Many critics pointed out that this broadcast’s commercials were more serious and more likely to bring a tear to the eye than the raunchy, wild comedy that was common in previous years. This emotional shift was evident in Nissan’s father-son NASCAR connection, Dove’s love story about caring fathers, and Microsoft’s spot on Braylon.
However, there were still some fun commercials from 2015. Snickers is back with its “you’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign and it’s a complete re-do of the Brady Bunch with Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi. In the meantime, Skittles produced a bizarre arm-wrestling town scenario that remains a fan favorite to this day. 2015 commercials combined the best of both eras. They captured the strengths of each period and delivered a balance that few other years managed to achieve.
Here are the top-rated commercials of 2015 at a glance
For ease, here’s a table of some of the Super Bowl 2015 commercials that stood out just from the Super Bowl broadcast.
| Marketing Name | Commercial Name | Theme | Remarkable Reaction |
| Budweiser | Lost Dog | Friendship and Loyalty | Considered one of the most emotional ads. |
| Always | #LikeAGirl | Female Empowerment | Praised for breaking the rules of Super Bowl advertising. |
| Snickers | The Brady Bunch | Comedy and Nostalgia | Popular for its celebrity appearance and silliness. |
| Esurance | Sorta Pharmacist / Comedy With Pop Culture / Walter White | Comedy and Pop Culture | Found its niche through humorous pop-culture references and rebranding. |
| Microsoft | Braylon | Inspirational Storytelling | Called touching by many reviewers. |
| Nissan | With Dad | Father-Son Bonding | Criticized for its song choice. |
| BMW | Newfangled Idea | Nostalgic Humor | Featured retro news footage. |
There are dozens of brands that ran campaigns during that one broadcast, of course; this table is just a drop in the bucket. But it were these specific 2015 commercials that got everyone talking across social media, news and marketing publications.
Uncovering the successful campaigns
This is the Budweiser’s Lost Dog Ad
The same successful formula was continued with Budweiser’s next puppy story, and it worked once again. The commercial followed a lost puppy trying to get back to its owner and had an emotional score line that was heart touching. Some critics said the ad didn’t have a definite product message, but in many polls, the ad was among the top 2015 commercials.
Always and the #LikeAGirl Movement
Not many commercials in 2015 sparked as much authentic culture discussion as Always’ #LikeAGirl campaign. The ad aimed to dispel the negative association behind the words “like a girl,” by highlighting changes to self-assurance as children get older. The Super Bowl version of the three-minute video was even more popular, since the original version had already gone viral early this year. This campaign has shown us it’s possible to have a message that is both socially conscious and effective in the traditional Super Bowl advertising medium.
Special thanks to Snickers Brings Back the Brady Bunch for its support
Snickers had already been making it a point to come up with celebrity-hunger puns, but this 2015 edition was quite a step up. The casting of Danny Trejo as Marcia Brady and Steve Buscemi as Jan Brady made for a hilarious, but also really jarring visual that went viral online. It was a nostalgic and also unanticipated casting which drew both older and younger viewers.
Esurance Resurrects Walter White
Esurance got some big success in the return of Bryan Cranston’s iconic Breaking Bad character to a sketch that had a pharmacy theme. Incredible writing and an unexpected premise contributed to the ad being one of the most shared ads of 2015 within hours of its broadcast. Esurance has been known to be creative with previous Super Bowl spots, and this campaign was no exception.
Emotional Braylon Story is a Microsoft original that brings an emotional experience to life
Microsoft went the other route, and concentrated on a young boy named Braylon, who lost bones in his legs and walked, ran and played sports with adaptive technology. Some viewers said the commercial was too emotional, but most said it was one that was memorable and stood out from the other more serious ads in that year’s 2015 commercials. This location also mirrored a wider shift toward storytelling from flashy product pitches by tech firms.
Commercials That Missed the Mark in 2015
Not every campaign succeeded, and some 2015 commercials even landed on that year’s “worst of” lists. Critics attacked T-Mobile’s Kim Kardashian-led #KimsDataStash spot for feeling overly promotional and forced. Likewise, Nationwide’s ad on accidental child deaths misled viewers about what the ad really meant, and completely ruined the fun of the game.
The family-centric NASCAR saga of Nissan also had mixed reactions and responses, especially with the use of a song by an artist who died in a car crash, which came across as an oddball selection. These blunders illustrate that not all brands managed to resonate with audiences that year despite having huge budgets. But it’s clear that these controversial 2015 commercials still attracted a lot of debate, for better or worse, as problems can sometimes win as much attention as popular ovation.
The ads of 2015 set the stage for the future of advertising
In retrospect, 2015 ads were a turning point for brands’ major sporting event campaigns. Emotional storytelling was gaining importance, and businesses began to see commercials as items to share, not to broadcast. Further, social issues were increasingly gaining traction in advertising, in part due to the success of campaigns such as #LikeAGirl, which demonstrated that people are receptive to ads that have a social impact.
Brands started investing more resources on pre-release teasers and behind-the-scenes content also. Many companies uploaded snippets of the 2015 commercials online prior to game day to create some hype. Since then, the strategy has continued to expand and 10 years later, today’s Super Bowl commercials are still played by the same rules.
What is the role of nostalgia in 2015 commercials?
Nostalgia was a major part of some great commercials from 2015. Why the decision to show footage of a struggle between Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel to understand the Internet from the old Today show mattered: It reinforced the notion that the world of technology is on the move. Likewise, Snickers used a familiarity with The Brady Bunch to get viewers’ attention.
This nostalgic method was successful because people like to see things they know presented in a new light. So, other brands followed suit and since then, nostalgia marketing has been a mainstay in advertising. This is one of the most impactful lessons marketers learned about from 2015 commercials that are studied even today.
The reason why Marketers Still Study 2015 Commercials
Marketing pros often return to 2015 commercials for inspiration to create case studies and train new creative teams. These ads show you how emotional resonance, humor, and cultural relevance can be all in one thirty-second ad. Further, the combination of wins and losses of this year provide some insight into the audience’s expectations and brand messaging.
Some agencies are particularly pointing to #LikeAGirl as an example of how purpose can be successful in the largest advertising stage of all. Other argue that Budweiser’s steadfast formula for puppies demonstrates that sometimes emotional simplicity wins over complex ideas. In the end, 2015 commercials are a favorite reference for marketing classes and creative firms around the world.
Behind the scenes of the 2015 commercials (how they were made)
Making an ad like the one that could win a Super Bowl takes months of planning, and 2015 commercials were no exception to that rule. Agencies would start conceptualizing in almost a year’s time, and would then take more months to perfect the scripts, book celebrity talent and work out the huge production schedules. For example, Budweiser collaborated with animal trainers for months to ensure that the puppy’s performance was just right, so as to ensure that the emotional pay-off wasn’t lost simply by a slight miscue in timing.
The casting also was a very important part. Snickers went to great lengths to enlist Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi because the entire concept depended on their willingness to embrace such an unusual premise. Likewise, since there were several rights holders to Breaking Bad, Esurance had to secure permission from Sony Pictures Television to use the Walter White character. These are all the things that go into creating effective commercials for 2015 and how much coordination it took.
The digital strategy behind 2015 commercials
In addition to the broadcast, digital strategy became more crucial for 2015 commercials. These days leading up to the game, many brands posted teaser videos on YouTube and Twitter, hoping to generate some excitement ahead of the broadcast. In this way, companies could get early feedback to tweak their promotional content.
One always did this even more – a month or more before the event, they put out the full #LikeAGirl video before releasing a shorter version made for the Super Bowl. The multi-layered strategy allowed the campaign to be seen by many people throughout the game and also appealed to those who had already watched the extended version. As a result, other brands have followed suit with their own multi-phase releases over the years culminating in the 2015 commercials.
Audience Reactions and Social Media Buzz
In real time, social media totally changed audiences’ experience of 2015 commercials. Twitter was especially a second screen device for millions of viewers who wanted to give instant feedback, jokes and criticism on each ad. Brands closely tracked these conversations and at times developed a follow-up tweet or write about the reaction to a trending topic during the broadcast itself.
The live feed loop also allowed for commercials from 2015 to be either up or down in the public opinion of the moment — within minutes, not days. The positive word of mouth for Snickers and Esurance quickly took to the internet, while the negative word of mouth for T-Mobile and Nationwide began almost immediately. Brands therefore gained many insights into managing their online presence at crucial moments of their advertising campaign, a skill that is still important in today’s marketer’s toolbox.
Final Thoughts on 2015 Commercials
In retrospect, 2015 commercials were a special time in advertising history that saw the perfect mix of emotional storytelling, quirky humor, and provocative culture. Some brands went out on a limb and paid off—others tried to tread carefully but got some of the jokes wrong. Whatever it is, these campaigns had impact; both on audiences and all marketers. Today, 2015 commercials are done and dusted, but they are still a benchmark for future campaigns and a checklist for those who want to learn to tell an effective story.
Looking back at 2015 commercials, all of them require a great deal of thought, risk, and creativity to be a single thirty-seconds of a commercial. The lineup for the year included everything short of advertising properties known to man—from viral hashtags to celebrity appearances. From puppies to the Brady Bunch remake to Braylon’s message itself, these 2015 commercials certainly demonstrated that good advertising can entertain, inspire and stimulate conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
Q1: What were the most popular 2015 commercials?
Budweiser’s “Lost Dog,” Always’ “#LikeAGirl,” and Snickers’ “Brady Bunch” ad ranked among the most popular and widely discussed 2015 commercials that year.
Q2: Why did 2015 commercials focus so heavily on emotional storytelling?
Advertisers noticed that emotional narratives created stronger viewer connections and generated more social media shares compared to purely comedic approaches used in earlier years.
Q3: Which brand received the most criticism for its 2015 commercial?
T-Mobile faced significant backlash for its Kim Kardashian “#KimsDataStash” ad, which many viewers felt was overly promotional and lacked genuine entertainment value.
Q4: Did any 2015 commercials address social issues?
Yes, Always’ “#LikeAGirl” campaign directly tackled gender stereotypes and became one of the most socially impactful 2015 commercials ever produced for the Super Bowl.
Q5: How much did a Super Bowl ad cost during 2015?
Brands paid approximately four million dollars for a thirty-second commercial slot during Super Bowl XLIX, making 2015 one of the most expensive years for advertisers at that point.
Q6: Are 2015 commercials still referenced in marketing today?
Absolutely, many marketing professionals and educators still analyze 2015 commercials when teaching lessons about emotional branding, viral content, and effective storytelling techniques.