Super Bowl 50 advertising winners and losers

NEW YORK (AP) — The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 — and there were clear winners and losers off the field, too.

Advertisers pulled out all the stops to woo the 114 million-plus viewers during the Big Game. With 30-second ads costing up $5 million, it’s a huge gamble to advertise during the game. Here are the winners whose gamble paid off, and losers who dropped the ball.

WINNERS

Audi “Commander”

In Audi’s spot, a depressed aging astronaut is reminded of his joy for life by driving an Audi sports car with his son to David Bowie’s “Starman.” Super Bowl watcher Raj Nijjer, from Scottsdale, Ariz., said the ad went over well at the bar where he was watching the game. “Every guy in the bar had a smile on their face,” he said.

Axe “Find Your Magic”

Axe left previously juvenile ads behind with a spot that urged teens to “Find Your Magic” and celebrate uniqueness and diversity rather than the traditional tropes of masculinity.

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