The Super Bowl is one of the major payoffs we ad creatives look forward to each year, for obvious reasons. It’s always useful to see what one’s industry peers are up to, and the Super Bowl offers the very best that ad agencies have to offer. With the Seahawks blowout wiping away any gambling worries (for bragging rights only, of course), we had little to distract us from the real reason to watch the game: the commercials. So we’re adding our take on a few of Sunday’s best concepts to the pool of annual articles that break down the state of advertising after the Super Bowl.

After a slew of years when marketing and creative services agencies opted for campaigns that focused heavily on sex appeal, this year’s crop mostly ignored the libido and tugged at the heart instead. Even the normally hyper-sexual Axe Body Spray spot featured couples reuniting in emotional embraces rather than throngs of super models falling at the feet of some average-looking dude. GoDaddy also refrained from selling website domains through sex appeal, choosing instead to feature a puppeteer who used the hosting company to follow her dreams. Going the sweet-and-touching route, however, was just one of the trends agencies embraced this year.

A couple of the best food ad campaigns we saw during the game kept it wholesome with humorous spots. For example, Raj Suri pretty much killed it with the Time Machine that runs on Doritos. The commercial, which reportedly cost a mere $200 to create, won the chip company’s annual Super Bowl commercial contest and the cool $1 million prize that came with it, according to businessinsider.com. Kudos to Mr. Suri for a great piece of creative and a heck of a payday. Also on the funny front, Wonderful Pistachios gave us a peek into the nutty inner workings of a comedic genius, Mr. Stephen Colbert. The company can no doubt expect a rise in sales from the famous Colbert Bump.

Not to be outdone by our brethren in the foodservice marketing game, agencies for tech companies brought the funny as well. In a fairly bold move, RadioShack took shots at itself in the process of unveiling a new, modern image. The spot showcased some of our favorite faces from the ’80s looting the old RadioShack store, clearing the way for a clean, inviting store layout that will better resonate with today’s tech lovers. SquareSpace joined the fun too, bringing some of the best bad on the web to life.

Audi’s ad agency also took a comedic angle with the minute-long “Doberhuahua” spot. It landed on target, in large part due to Sarah McLachlan’s participation. The choice to build suspense with a pre-game teaser that ran a few weeks before the Super Bowl was a sound move, and it had us and a ton of other viewers waiting to see just what had the two “Logan Hills Dog Show” announcers running for cover. The teaser and the extended ad (60 seconds) during the game were part of a smart campaign kickoff that deserves applause.

Bringing things back around to the sweet side, a couple of commercials in particular have gained a lot of attention on social sites and blogs following the Super Bowl. For the first time ever, Microsoft joined the fun with a 60-second Super Bowl ad that shows all the best technology has to offer, culminating with a shot of former NFL player Steve Gleason, who is now battling ALS and uses Microsoft technology to talk to his son. While not quite as emotional, the Budweiser puppy who couldn’t be kept from his pal (a beautiful Clydesdale) was another fan favorite. And many sites are proclaiming the puppy as the big winner of the weekend.

For us, though, it’s hard to top the simplicity and ultra-relatable concept of the Hyundai Genesis ad dubbed “Dad’s Sixth Sense.” Moms and dads alike love the idea of kids counting on always-reliable dad to save them from harm, and we think the creatives behind this campaign found the perfect balance between emotional appeal and light-heartedness.

The 2014 Super Bowl may not have offered much in the way of on-the-field competition, but the ad world cooked up some heavy-hitting concepts to vie for viewers’ attention. We’d say that made it a game worth watching right to the end.

It’s no surprise that the past year brought plenty of change to the deep family. We’re part of an always-evolving industry focused on helping clients succeed in their own ever-evolving industries. That’s a pretty good recipe for change. From meeting new co-workers to welcoming new clients, to coming up with exciting new projects and concepts on a regular basis, there wasn’t exactly much sitting still in our office. So it should also be no surprise that we can’t wait for the excitement 2014 is sure to bring.

Now don’t get us wrong—we had a blast in 2013. In fact, it was arguably the most successful year we’ve ever had here at deep. But rather than resting on our laurels, we’re more energized than ever to keep the fires of passion burning and hit 2014 with a full head of steam. Because with each new year, new opportunities arise.

Whether it’s a chance to craft a unique full-scale, multi-platform ad campaign or an opportunity to build a gorgeous, versatile website for a boundary-pushing client, nothing feels better than doing work that’s new, innovative and successful. That’s why we’re pumped for 2014—the future is definitely bright.

We hope you’re looking forward to the New Year the way we are. Because there really is a world of opportunity waiting for us in the next 365 days, and we plan on running full speed ahead into that world.

So enjoy the countdown to 2014, and have a happy New Year.

-deep

P.S. – Don’t forget to enjoy the sweet animated gif our awesome creative team put together for New Year’s. You can find it at the beginning of this post. It might be their best work yet. (So just imagine how great they’re going to be in 2014.)

Thanksgiving is here, and if there’s one thing our crew at deep can appreciate, it’s a holiday where delicious food gets to shine in the spotlight.

But as important as good food may be, the real point of Thanksgiving is right there in the name—giving thanks. That’s why we want to take a moment to thank all of the incredible people who make being a part of the deep team so wonderful.

So for starters, thanks to the amazing clients we have an opportunity to serve every day here in our always-busy deep office. Whether it’s a single-page ad or an entire multimedia campaign, getting to work with energetic and creative clients makes every day at the office a fun one. Not always an easy one, but we tend to think hard work and fun go hand in hand when it comes to achieving success.

We’d also like to thank the unparalleled network of friends and coworkers who make up the entire Marlin Network. We’re proud to be part of an organization that always wants the best for both its clients and its employees (a tough combination to find in this day and age), and we look forward to the continued success of our entire network in the years to come.

And last but not least, we’d like to thank our awesome coworkers (and their patient families) here at deep. We’re blessed to come to work everyday in a fun—occasionally ridiculous and absurd, but always fun—work environment with people who appreciate, respect, and support each other every day. Everyone in this group is committed to success, and that dedication pushes us all to be better on a daily basis. It’s why we come to work every morning looking forward to the challenges and opportunities we’ll be tackling head on. And it’s why we leave work every day excited to come back the next morning and do it again.

So all in all, thanks to everyone who makes deep what it is. We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday (and the food that comes with it) as much as we all will.

-deep team