Autoblog Obsessively Covered Super Bowl 50 (Part I)

And for Autoblog, it was all about the car ads. 

Jeep: Portraits

Jeep looks back on 75 years of four-wheeling. The brand's tough vehicles have carried everything from soldiers to sunbathers. The brand wants you to remember all the highlights, from the beaches of Normandy to the fictional Jurassic Park – one a remarkable accomplishment of human determination in the face of war, the other a really successful movie.

Audi R8: Commander

We're not sure that "Choosing the moon brings out the best in us" is an appropriate tag for an automaker, much less a German automaker. But hey, when it comes to commercials that air during the Super Bowl it's all about playing up greatness, America, and working in Rock and Roll anthems. Audi hits all three here. 205-horsepower supercar? Check. Great moment in our national history? Check. David Bowie's Starman? Check. Add in a dollop of the R8's wicked V10 engine noise and, well, we'll watch this one more than once.

Hyundai: Dad 

Even though we know Hyundai is launching Genesis as its own brand, Kevin Hart is here to tell you something very important about the current Hyundai Genesis: it's great for helicopter parents wanting to keep an eye on unchaperoned sons and daughters. There are other perfectly good uses for Hyundai's Blue Link smartwatch app, but we think concerned parents will pay close attention to this feature. Watch the ad and see if Kevin Hart delivers the laughs.

Toyota: Prius Car Chase

The Toyota Prius has a new ad campaign, starting with the "Heck on Wheels" theme released earlier this week. And the ad that followed up on Super Bowl Sunday keeps with the lighthearted theme of mocking the hybrid's reputation as a boring car. In this one, would-be bankrobbers abandoned by their getaway driver jump into a fourth-generation Prius and create an international sensation, all while demonstrating features like forward collision prevention and a standard rear backup camera.

MINI: Defy Labels 

Mini has seen all the labels people place on its cars. And while the criteria for what makes a vehicle a so-called "chick car" may vary from one person to another, the German-owned and British inspired manufacturer doesn't like labels any more than anyone else. See the commercial below to see what we mean.

Jeep: 4x4ever

Jeep is turning 75 this year, and it seems like the star of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand stable has been making cool ads that run during the Super Bowl almost as long. (Yes, we know this was Super Bowl 50. We're exaggerating.) In this spot, all kinds of active sports and nature stuff that Jeep owners do (or least like other to think they do) is shown with every kind of Jeep, old and new. Here's to another 75 years.

 Acura: What He Said (NSX)

So, in case you didn't know, the vocal-only track of Van Halen's Runnin' With the Devil is an internet joke. Which makes Acura's use of the song in its Super Bowl commercial a wink that they understand the interwebs comedy too. In this spot the new $156,000 NSX comes to life from a hunk of metal, and unlike in the isolated vocal version we get to hear some Eddie Van Halen's sweet guitar licks eventually.

Honda: Somebody To Love (Ridgeline)

If you want to search for symbolism in this Honda Ridgeline ad that aired during Super Bowl 50, there's plenty to be had. It looks like a simple, funny demonstration of the compact truck's cargo bed audio system. Sheep, hearing the speakers from the back of bed, pick up the earworm of Queen's Somebody to Love and start singing on their own. But the sheep imagery could also be seen as an indictment of the me-too half-ton truck crowd. The Ridgeline, returning for the second generation after a brief hiatus, is sort of an anti-truck with unibody construction, a dual-hinged tailgate, and a trunk inside the bed. Normal pickup folk see the Ridgeline as not enough truck. Honda fans see those types as sheeple. Or maybe it's just a fun ad with a catchy song and some talking animals.

Hyundai: Ryanville

 Ryanville is a commercial about a town full of Ryan Reynolds clones, and two smitten women driving around in a brand new Elantra who can't help but gawk at the actor because he's everywhere. This is a great ad if you like Ryan Reynolds, as these two women (and many other people) do. Hyundai also wants to remind you that if you're distracted by Ryan Reynolds, the Elantra's active Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection will help prevent you from running his handsome clone over.

Buick: Odell Beckham Jr.

An Opel droptop in Buick drag crashes a wedding. No one's quite sure who made the Cascada, but Emily Ratajkowski definitely got the bouquet. She channels Odell Beckham Jr., laying out to make the catch – and conveniently Beckham is actually there to jokingly shoot her down.