Our Picks for SBLI Commercials
Karen Hall • February 7, 2017
The roux croux has chosen our favorite and least favorite Super Bowl ads from SBLI. We’d love to get your feedback. What were your favorites – and which ones made you just shake your head?
Favorites:
- Our top pick must go to our wonderful client, Averitt. This ad only ran in the middle-TN area so if you like it please share it to help them get more reach: https://vimeo.com/202819746
- Turkish airlines – Morgan Freeman because it stars Morgan Freeman and makes us want to fly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_gv6fRejLM
- NFL – Inside these lines because it transcends football (and that is not easy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvKBdrx4quA
- Bai Commercial featuring Christopher Walkin and Justin Timberlake – we loved its simplicity and the fact that Walken was reciting old nsync lyrics. Priceless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Di1kqa6fiE
- Air BnB Commercial – we loved its message of inclusion, especially considering the current political climate – very tastefully done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qUTYHnLz2g
- Mercedes – Nostalgic and entertaining. Perfect fit for the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEM-9n9m310
- When Nothing Stops Your Dreams, Budweiser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZaQQvfIfPQ
- It’s hard to be an eco warrior – Kia Niro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQ9a5EFZeI
Least favorites:
- Go Daddy – the internet wants you. Classic Go Daddy – tasteless, over the top (but we do like the cute animals). https://youtu.be/-YmnnwFQbpk
- Febreeze – halftime bathroom break. Some things are better left unexplored. https://youtu.be/7gLjYrEDoxw
- Pistachios – A little over the top from an imagery standpoint – why not focus on the healthy benefit and not the struggle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoVSVESiUI0
- Frozen burger ad – Wendys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2scfjkK9O-Y
- No need for extreme measures – Sprint https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3udHeeiRqGI
The roux croux had mixed ratings on:
- Square Space – John Malkovich https://youtu.be/OwbofxeW8TA
- You gotta love a man that cleans. -Mr.Clean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-eBV6C2SH0
We are excited to announce the recipient of our most recent Food for Thought grant — the Hot Springs Food Pantry, located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Food for Thought is a fund we created through The Community Foundation to offer grants to organizations that help feed children in our community. This isn’t just about money though. We’re also on the lookout for ways to teach kids about good food, to help them learn to prepare it, and to encourage them to love it as much as we do. We are always looking for organizations in our local communities whose mission aligns with ours and have specific needs we can provide grants for. Because our croux reaches far and wide, “local” doesn’t just mean Tennessee. In this case, the community is local to one of our core team members, Lauren. After moving back to her hometown of Hot Springs, South Dakota to be closer to family, she got involved with the local food pantry and saw a specific need there. The food pantry needed a refrigerator so they could provide more fresh produce and protein to families in the area. They were also seeing an above average need in the community due to rising costs which has depleted some of their funds. The grant received from Food for Thought will go towards these efforts and help provide fresh food for families in the area.

We celebrated our 10-year anniversary in July 2023, making this our tenth Mardi Gras as a krewe. We are so thankful for the many projects, partnerships, clients and friends who have been a part of our journey so far. The essence of Mardi Gras can be summed up in one lighthearted phrase, “ Laissez les bons temps rouler!” — French, for “Let the good times roll!” We’ve had a lot of good times here at roux over the last decade, and we’re excited for them to keep on rollin’. Bon Mardi Gras and merci beaucoup, friends!
Every January we like to gather as a croux and plan for the year ahead. It serves as a holiday celebration and a strategy session. We look forward to it every year. Over the last few years, we’ve also begun incorporating a “word of the year” practice, where we each choose a word that we will focus on throughout the year.

We all look forward to receiving Christmas greetings from friends and loved ones, whether it’s a social media post or a physical card to display in our house or hang on the fridge. But when it comes to company Christmas cards, corporate greetings can sometimes fall a bit flat. We love when a company spices things up and sends a message that’s genuine and fun. Videos can also be a more effective and affordable option for a company, when you consider the reach made possible with email and social media, and the savings on printing and postage. Averitt and JetRight are two local companies that knock it out of the park every year when it comes to their video Christmas cards. Whether they choose to be lighthearted and silly or share a heartwarming message, watching their videos shows you the real people and spirit behind the companies. Check them out below!