This year, I am changing things up a bit for Super Bowl commercials. Typically, I list my favorite Super Bowl 2022 commercials with commentary about the effectiveness of each commercial’s message, narrative text, visuals, and music.
This year, my focus is on the words themselves, not on the effectiveness of the words. The words as they are literally ordered in the text of the commercial. I watched over 60 commercials and selected the ones with deliberate use of figures of speech/rhetoric.
Figures of Speech or words of Rhetoric are used to (dramatically) improve your content, your words. Specifically, to improve the effectiveness and impact of your words. High-impact uses of figures of speech combined with artful, well-delivered narrative, make for a very, very potent combination. At The Chief Storyteller®, we regularly use about 30 figures of speech (from more than 500) in our training, workshops, consulting, and coaching.
As you watch the commercials, listen for the figures of speech identified in the table below. Then take this heightened awareness for figures of speech and start applying this new awareness to your everyday life. Look at magazine advertisements, newspaper headlines, television commercials (of course), billboards, drink cups, motivational posters, etc. Most include figures of speech. In fact, many of the commercials have what I call “Nested Figures of Speech.” This is where a) there are multiple figures of speech within one sentence or b) multiple figures of speech within a short amount of text. Most of the ads highlighted below have nested figures of speech.
The complexity at first glance may seem a bit overwhelming. Once you start realizing how figures of speech are used, you will become more adept at picking them out rather quickly as many are based on patterns. To read all of the figures of speech blog posts, click here.
This blog is constructed in two parts:
- The table below lists our favorite figures of speech with brief descriptions. On our blog we have several posts with detailed information and more examples. Please click on the links.
- Commercials best illustrating rhetoric have their YouTube link, the text of the commercial, and a table with the figure of speech and its application.
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | DESCRIPTION |
| Alliteration | Recurrence of an initial consonant sound. For the purposes of creating your story, we consider any recurring consonant and vowel |
| Anaphora | Repetition of the same word at the beginning of successive clauses or verses |
| Asyndeton | Omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses |
| Auxesis | Words or clauses placed in a climatic order |
| Epiphora |
Repetition of the same word at the ending of successive clauses or verses |
| Epizeuxis | Emphatic repetition of a word with no other words between |
| Diacope | Repetition of a word or words in succeeding clauses, that are not adjacent and can be separated by sentences or paragraphs |
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration used for emphasis and not intended to be taken literally. Ensure it is obvious and not perceived as true or real |
| Metaphor/Simile | As a simile is a metaphor, we combine them. Compare two things not alike and have something in common, to create deeper meaning |
| Onomatopoeia | Add energy with sound words. Words sounding like their meaning or words sounding like their use by the noun making the noise |
| Personification | Assign human qualities to a thing, an idea, or an abstract concept |
| Pleonasm | Use extra qualifying words to amplify your point |
| Portmanteau |
A word whose form and meaning are derived from blending two or more words |
| Synecdoche |
A part of something is used to represent the whole (e.g., ABCs for the alphabet) |
“The New Frontier” – Salesforce
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Space. The boundary of human achievement. The new frontier. Eh. It’s not time to escape. It’s time to engage. It’s time to plant more trees. Hoo! It’s time to build more trust. It’s time to make more space for all of us. So, while the others look to the metaverse in Mars, let’s stay here and restore ours. Yeah, it’s time to blaze our trail. ‘Cause the new frontier? It ain’t rocket science. It’s right here.
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Metaphor 1 | Space |
| Metaphor 2 | Boundary |
| Metaphor 3 | New frontier |
| Metaphor 4 | Blaze our trail |
| Asyndeton | Most of the commercial has no conjunctions or transitions, making most of the sentence construction adhere to asyndeton |
| Anaphora 1 | It’s time to including the one use of “it’s not” (five times) |
| Anaphora 2 | Time to (two times) |
| Anaphora 3 | It/it’s (two times in the last two sentences) |
| Diacope 1, 2 | Time and time to (eight times) |
| Diacope 3 | It/it’s (ten times) |
| Auxesis | The entire text is comprised of words placed in climatic order |
“Gong” – Gong.io
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial – Without Gong Sounds
Thanks to Gong, our sales teams are closing more deals than ever. To celebrate, we gave everyone sales gongs. Yeah. Gong gives us visibility and sales insights. It analyzes team performance, customer interaction, and market changes. So everyone can unlock reality to reach their full potential. Anyway, Gong’s been a real hit.
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial – With Gong Sounds
Thanks to Gong, our sales teams are closing more deals than ever. To celebrate, we gave everyone sales gongs. (gong booms) Yeah. Gong (gong booms) gives us visibility (gong booms x3) and sales insights (gong booms). It analyzes team performance, customer interaction (gong booms x4), and market changes (gong booms x3). So everyone can unlock reality to reach their full potential (gong dings x10) (glass breaks). Anyway, Gong’s been a real hit (gong booms).
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Diacope 1 | Gong (four times) |
| Diacope 2 | Sales (three times) |
| Onomatopoeia | Technically, the actual gong sound is not Onomatopoeia, as Onomatopoeia is a sound word. Given the style of the commercial and the tongue-and-cheek approach of sounding so many gongs, that is, the high repetition count, I’m counting this as Onomatopoeia |
| Metaphor 1 | Unlock reality |
| Metaphor 2 | Reach their full potential |
| Personification 1 | Gong give us visibility… |
| Personification 2 | Gong’s been a real hit |
“Fortune: Life’s a Gamble” – DraftKings
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
They say Fortune is fickle. Wrong! I just know what I like. And it ain’t settling for three. Because life’s a gamble. Namath guaranteed? Gamble. Evil gunning it for glory. Love? Gamble. So, let’s make it interesting. I put a million bucks in up to five Draftkings sports book accounts. Lay it all on tonight’s game or kiss it goodbye. “Hello Fortune.”
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Personification | Fortune (two times) – “Fortune is Fickle” and “Hello Fortune“ |
| Alliteration 1 | “F” — Fortune is fickle |
| Alliteration 2 | “G” — Namath guaranteed? Gamble. Evil gunning it for glory. Love? Gamble. |
| Diacope 1 | Fortune (two times) |
| Diacope 2 | Gamble (three times) |
| Metaphor 1 | Life’s a gamble |
| Metaphor 2 | Kiss it goodbye |
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“What’s Gotten into Lindsay?” – Planet Fitness
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
[Voice over by William Shatner] People are wondering. “What’s happened to Lindsay?” She’s never been sharper. This basketball star married himself in 1996. “Who is Dennis Rodman? (Lindsay Lohan) Correct. “Son of a …” (Dennis Rodman). She’s sleeping better than ever, which the paparazzi aren’t thrilled about. “I miss Lindsay” (paparazzi photographer). She’s even more productive trading DUI’s for DIY. The verdict is (Lindsay). “Gorgeous” (Danny Trejo). Maybe it’s not what’s gotten into Lindsay. It’s what Lindsay’s gotten into. “Hey William” (Lindsay). Planet Fitness. Get glowing and feel fitacular.
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Diacope 1 | Lindsay (four times) |
| Diacope 2 | She’s (three times) |
| Alliteration 1 | “D” — trading DUI’s for DIY |
| Alliteration 2 | “G” — Get glowing |
| Alliteration 3 | “F” — Feel fitacular |
| Metaphor 1 | Get glowing |
| Portmanteau | Fitacular |
| Metaphor 2 | Fitacular |
“Work without Limits” – Monday.com
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Let’s do great things. Wonderful things. Let’s work in new ways. With our own tools. Our own rules. So, what we do, isn’t limited by well, that’s just how it’s been done. With Monday.com Work OS, we can work without limits and make everything possible, so we can take on anything.
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Anaphora 1 | Let’s (two times) |
| Asyndeton | Let’s do great things. Wonderful things. Let’s work in new ways. With our own tools. Our own rules. |
| Diacope | Work (three times) |
| Anaphora 2 | Our own (two times) |
| Anaphora 3 | We can (two times) |
| Auxesis | The entire text is comprised of words placed in climatic order |
“Feed The Debate” – PLANTERS Deluxe Mixed Nuts
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Joel McHale (JM): “Why do you eat mixed nuts one at a time?”
Ken Jeong (KJ): “Why do you eat them all together?”
JM: “If only you were as selective with your rules as you are with your nuts.”
KJ: “Hey. Here’s a thought. Why don’t I just get you a feed bag?”
JM: “They’re called mixed nuts. You’re supposed to mix them.”
KJ: “Ahemmm. Internet, how do you like your mix nuts? One at a time?”
JM: “Or all together, the right way?”
KJ: “Send.”
JM: “Like anyone’s gonna care.”
Man with Mustache: “Hey, it’s Ken Jeong.”
Video plays in background: KJ: “How do you like your mix nuts? One at a time?” JM: “Or all together, the right way?”
[Dramatic Music begins]
Woman with phone: “All?”
Man with glasses: “One at a time?”
Man with Mustache: “You’re a one-nutter?
Woman with phone: “So, you don’t make any decisions”
Man with Mustache: “Why are you buying mixed nuts and then unmixing them?”
Man with glasses: “Aaahhhh! You’re a foodie now?”
People in the streets chanting: “All” and “One”
News anchor: “The question on America’s mind… is it All or One?”
[Text on screen: “Nation divided over mixed nuts. Seriously”]
People in the streets chanting: “All” and “One.” Car driving through the street has a sign, “One One One One” and writing on side of car One, twice
JM: “Who knew America would tear itself apart over a relatively minor difference of opinion?”
[Text on screen with product placement plus “A Delicious Debate”]
KJ: “Hmmmm. Not me.”
People in the streets chanting: “All” and “One”
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Diacope 1 | Mixed nuts (four times) |
| Diacope 2 | All (more than 10 times) |
| Diacope 3 | One (more than 10 times) |
| Anaphora | Why do you eat (two times) |
| Asyndeton | Car sign… One One One One plus One on side of the car twice |
| Synecdoche | America – representing the entire country (two times) |
| Personification 1 | America’s mind, and America |
| Metaphor | America’s mind |
| Personification 2 | Nation divided |
| Alliteration | “D” — Delicious Debate |
| Hyperbole | “So, you don’t make any decisions?” |
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“Dream House with Anna Kendrick and Barbie” – Rocket Homes and Rocket Mortgage
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Anna Kendrick (AK): “Barbie really wants this dream house. It’s got stunning views and a slide.”
Voice Over Singers (VOS): “Barbie’s ready for fun.”
Little Girl 1 (LG1): “So cool.”
AK: “And Barbie found out about this dream house with an alert from Rocket Homes.”
LG: “She did?”
AK: “Well it’s a super competitive market. Everyone wants to buy the dream house.”
VOS: “Better Offer Betty.”
Better Offer Betty (BOB): “I’ll go 10 over asking.”
VOS: “Cash Offer Carl.”
Cash Offer Carl (COC): “Straight cash.”
VOS: “House Flipper Skipper.”
House Flipper Skipper (HFS): “Let’s tear it to the studs.”
AK: “You vultures. You’re gonna start a bidding war.”
VOS: “This is less than ideal.”
LG/VOS: “Oh no!”
AK: “Don’t worry. Barbie has a verified approval that shows her finances are backed by Rocket Mortgage. So, Barbie wins.”
BOB/COC/HFS: “We need a house.”
AK: “Oh. I found a fixer-upper castle on Rocket Homes.”
Little Girl 2 (LG2): “It has good bones. And reallllllly bad neighbors.”
Skeletor: Cackling Sound
AK: “I like his vibe. Get your dream house all in one place with Rocket Homes and Rocket Mortgage for a better way to find and finance, Rocket can.”
LG1: “Thanks for helping.”
AK: “No problem. It’s good for my glutes.”
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Personification 1 | Barbie (five times) |
| Metaphor 1 | Barbie (five times) |
| Diacope 1 | Barbie (five times) |
| Metaphor 2 | Dream House (four times) |
| Diacope 2 | Dream House (four times) |
| Alliteration 1, 2, 3 | Better Off Betty, Cash Offer Carl, House Flipper Skipper |
| Alliteration 4 | “F” — better way to find and finance |
| Metaphor 3 | Vultures |
| Metaphor 4 | Bidding war |
“Here’s to the Lazy Ones” – Cutwater Spirits
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Here’s to the lazy ones. The renegades. The outliers. The unsung geniuses. The ones who live life differently. Working smarter not harder. You can make fun of them or ignore them. The one thing you can’t do, is disagree with them. Because they reach better results with less effort. They push the human race in new ways. And while some may see them as the lazy
ones, we see pioneers. Because the ones who make the most of their time are the ones who are ahead of it. Cutwater bar quality cocktails in a can.
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Asyndeton | Most of the commercial has no conjunctions or transitions, making most of the sentence construction adhere to asyndeton |
| Auxesis | The entire text is comprised of words placed in climatic order |
| Diacope 1 | Lazy Ones (two times) |
| Epiphora | “Them” — You can make fun of them or ignore them |
| Diacope 2 | Them (three times) |
| Metaphor | Pioneers |
| Diacope 3 | Ones (three times) |
“Pangea” – Turkish Airlines
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
300 million years ago. There was no Africa, Asia, Americas or Europe. Just one, big super continent: Pangea. And today there is still a force connecting those divided by distance,
reversing millions of years of drifting. Making far feel close. Bringing there to here. We connect more countries than any other airline.
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Asyndeton | Most of the commercial has no conjunctions or transitions, making most of the sentence construction adhere to asyndeton |
| Alliteration 1 | Africa, Asia, Americas |
| Pleonasm | Just one, big super continent |
| Alliteration 2 | Divided by distance |
| Alliteration 3 | Making far feel close |
| Alliteration 4 | Bringing there to here (rhyming sound) |
| Metaphor 1 | We connect more countries |
| Metaphor 2 | Force (implication/assertion is that the force is Turkish Airlines) |
| Metaphor 3 / Synecdoche 1 | Far (implication/assertion that “far” is a representation for traveling around the world) |
| Metaphor 4 / Synecdoche 2 | Bringing there to here (implication/assertion that “there” is a representation for making travel easier and better with Turkish Airlines with “here” representing you) |
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“Stuff, Made to Travel” – Expedia
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Stuff. We love stuff and there’s some really great stuff out there. I doubt that any of us will look back in our lives and think, “I wish I bought an even thinner TV. Found a lighter light beer. Or had an even smarter smartphone.” Do you think any of us will look back in our lives and regret the things we didn’t buy or the places we didn’t go?
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Diacope | Stuff (three times) |
| Metaphor 1 / Synecdoche | Stuff – representing the various items we have bought in the entirety of our life |
| Alliteration 1 | “S” — Stuff. We love stuff and there’s some really great stuff out there |
| Alliteration 2 | “L” — Lighter light beer |
| Alliteration 3 | “S” — Smarter smartphone |
| Metaphor 2 | Or the places we didn’t go – the entire commercial is all about travel, experiences over material items we buy |
“No Compromises” – Polestar
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
No
No epic voice overs
No punchlines
No dieselgate
No dirty secrets
No hidden agenda
No empty promises
No shortcuts
No conquering Mars
No blah blah blah
No settling
No greenwashing
No nonsense
No committees
No consensus
No compromises
No. 2
Polestar 2
100% electric
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Anaphora | No (seventeen times) |
| Diacope | No (seventeen times) |
| Asyndeton | The entire commercial has no conjunctions or transitions, making all of the sentence construction adhere to asyndeton. Even the blah blah blah appears one word at a time |
| Auxesis | The entire text is comprised of words placed in climatic order |
| Epizeuxis | Blah blah blah |
| Epiphora / Alliteration | No.2 followed by Polestar 2 |
| Personification / Metaphor | There are a variety of “digs” the company is making toward Tesla (Mars) and Volkswagon (Dieselgate). Plus some of the narrative language alludes to big ideas, promises, etc. that give the Polestar vehicle a human quality and/or a human quality to the company, Volvo. |
“Sally’s Seashells” – Squarespace
Text for Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Sally sold seashells by the seashore. The seashells didn’t sell so well. So, Sally set up a seashell store on Squarespace. Soon, her seashells started selling. Sally was such a seaside sensation, she also sold swanky seashell accessories, seashell serenity sessions, savory seaside snacks, even seashell excursions of the seashore. Sally’s seashells were so successful, she sailed into the setting sun as a seashell celebrity. Shucks!
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | WORD OR PHRASE |
| Alliteration | The entire narrative has a high density “S” word and “S” sound count |
| Diacope 1 | Sally (four times) |
| Diacope 2 | Seashells (nine times) |
| Synecdoche | Seashells (implication/assertion “seashells” are a representation for goods and services you want to sell) |
| Metaphor | Sailed into the setting sun |
| Hyperbole | Seashell celebrity |
| Auxesis | The entire text is comprised of words placed in climatic order |
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Photography Source: Flickr: 5chw4r7z
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