Football fans watch the Super Bowl for two reasons only: the ads and the advertisements.

First, let’s talk about the triangle. No, not the chip – the instrument. With hip hop artist Jack Harlow’s flop in his most recent album Come Home The Kids Miss You, this commercial was a drastic attempt to put him back on listeners’ radar, and it just might have worked; the commercial started with Jack Harlow feeling like something was missing in an instrumental he was listening to – prompting him to say he “need[s] something new.” Lo and behold, he makes the triangle the instrument of the future, giving up his already dead rap career to pursue his divine destiny of making the triangle a mainstream instrument and form of merchandise… and still not winning a Grammy for it (losing to Elton John for Best Triangle Player). Seems familiar. 

Second, Ben Stiller. He’s gained a lot of popularity through the “you’re not my brah” TikTok trend, making him, along with his reputable acting career, a good choice for Pepsi. The commercial consisted of scene recreations from his past films, such as The Watch and Zoolander. He then ended each cut saying that acting isn’t real. This commercial takes a little inside knowledge, but the irony and unexpected scenes within it make it a really really… really, ridiculously good watch.

Lastly, the most popular commercial: Poporners. The already-loved snack got even better with the reuniting of members from the well-known and critically-acclaimed AMC series “Breaking Bad.” Since its release in 2019 on Netflix, popularity has resurged; the show increased viewership well over 99.1 percent, and it is now the highest rated TV series of all time. In the commercial, “Heisenberg” (Bryan Cranston) and the artist formerly known “Cap’n Cook” (Aaron Paul) team up in their infamous RV to finish up a fresh batch of PopCorners to sell to their hyperactive middle man, Tuco (Raymond Cruz), who demands more flavors. Familiar viewers couldn’t help but let the nostalgia and laughs run through their bodies like some fresh blue sky.  

The thrill of PopCorners built viewers up to disappointment when the commercial break started with a weird green field and a bunch of sweaty people in uniforms, likely leaving millions of watchers asking, “What’s poppin’?”