Chrysler and Microsoft, proving funny isn’t the only way to go.

The SuperBowl has been known as the epitome of advertising showcases for the entire duration of this 20-something’s life. Toted as the ultimate display of what the industry has to offer, each agency and brand represented during the game is under immense pressure to stand out as millions of consumers watch on and judge.

In recent years, standing out has become a fight to be the funniest of the four hours. While there have been a few that fit this most and join the ranks of the best commercials of all time, the ones that stand out personally are those that break that mold. They slow down the pace of the commercials, have copy that resonates with the audience, and the overall message tends to stand for something or at least connects with the period better than the other ads.

My personal favorite, in recent years, is the Imported from Detroit ad from Chrysler in 2013. As the country built it’s way back from a recession that was most demonstrated by the automotive industry, Chrysler broke all kinds of molds with an ad that didn’t joke about anything, didn’t make anyone cry, and still carved a place as one of the most memorable ads of the year. The luxury car industry tends to only appeal to those with the most glamorous lifestyles, but this ad stripped away the elitist positioning and got to the heart of what America is about, a company and a people that started from the bottom and endured the hard times to rise above it all.

This commercial successfully connects a brand with a movement surging through America. If I could boil all of the most effective advertising down to one primary objective, it would be that sentence.

This year was a host of disappointing ads for my personal taste. The eagerness to be funny enough to be remembered has left ads with a story line that doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the brand or the product. There is a strong disconnect that left me wondering what the ad was about until the last second when a logo flashes on the screen. There were some exceptions to this, but they were few and far between. One of the worst offenses to an advertising agency, this year, I couldn’t name ten ads from this year.

This year had another stand out ad that, again, changed the pace from the ads that surrounded it. Microsoft, a company that has been losing market share to Apple due to its lack of connection with the direction young consumers are going, found a way to champion the greatness of their past and empower the people and the future of the brand.

Technology, through its material and design, is a cold subject. To add emotion to the subject, many have made the point that technology makes life easier, more convenient, but better in simple ways that change days not lives. Microsoft’s commercial does just the opposite. The story of Steve Gleason, a recognizable figure to those watching for the football, is broken up by other game-changing moments in America’s history only capable through technology.

A small point that also separated Microsoft from the others was an effective use of a tag. Every commercial throws a tag at the end of the spot hoping to inspire conversation online. Half of the ads seemed to miss the part where a hashtag has to be simple or not have spaces in between the words. There were simple mistakes that reinforced the idea that most of these companies don’t have any understanding of the social media sphere. Microsoft, in addition to telling a wonderful story with their ad, managed to prove that they have a solid understanding of this generation and the way they think with something as simple as a hashtag.

While the other companies continue to fight over who has the funniest spot, I’ll be impressed with the stories that actually have something to do with the brand and manage to stand out by truly connecting with the consumer.