I have hemmed and hawed over the years about what is my favorite part about Super Bowl Sunday. I can remember as a kid watching William Perry “The Refrigerator” who played for the Chicago Bears. It was probably the first Super Bowl that I actually remember, circa 1985 with “The Super Bowl Shuffle.” Since we did not have a television growing up, we often ended up splayed out in my grandma’s living room to watch each year, with food and pop (that is what we called it in the Midwest), and for me an introduction into the world of football. Can you believe that The Super Bowl Shuffle went on to earn a gold record, platinum video, and a Grammy nomination? Go figure.

In any case, over the years I learned that NFL football teams do not usually create music videos or receive Grammy nominations, yet watching the Super Bowl has always been an event that has happened in my life. I am not a die-hard football fan, I watch, I understand about 75% of what is happening (thank you high school football cheerleading) and when the game is dull for whatever reason, there is the company, and the commercials.

About those commercials. I know you remember ones from year to year. The classic Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and often the competing car companies. It used to be that you could not fast forward through the commercials, so they were just as much a part of the Super Bowl as the half time show. Even though we have a DVR, and rarely watch commercials, the Super Bowl is one night when we actually watch them. Maybe all those companies that pay 4 million dollars for a 30 second spot will thank us. It is one of the few days a year when advertising is at its finest (well most years).

Before I tell you about my favorite ad for the 2014 Super Bowl, let me remind you that I grew up in the Midwest, and my dad had an interesting sense of humor. At times I know his sense of humor has rubbed off on me. Each year, Doritos has a contest to find the best Super Bowl ad. My favorite this year was a finalist, but was not aired during the Super Bowl (even though it had over 3 million views on YouTube). This ad would have made my dad laugh hard. It made me laugh, think of him, and imagine for a moment watching him laugh. For that reason, it is my favorite Super Bowl ad for 2014 (even though it did not air). Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the funniest. Enjoy!