Super Bowl ads are more than just a break between the gameplay during the biggest sporting event of the year: They offer a glimpse of the country’s zeitgeist, along with how the main industry is faring.
This year, crypto and car manufacturers are advertising less because the industry is facing problems. Major food brands like M&Ms, tech companies like Google, streaming services including Peacock and more alcohol brands have jumped in to take their place.
When Super Bowl LVII kicks off Sunday night with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona, the big marketers will battle it out during the Fox broadcast as well.
The prize? The opportunity to capture the attention of more than 100 million viewers is expected to match the big game. The price of entry is steep: Some advertisers pay more than $7 million for a 30-second spot, and that doesn’t include the cost of creating the ad itself.
This year, viewers can expect many stars, light humor and catchy songs. For the most part, advertisers avoid dark messages or surprising humor that might have attracted attention decades ago, but not now, when the country is still emerging from the pandemic, facing economic uncertainty, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. .
“This year is the year of ‘don’t worry about being happy’,” said Kelly O’Keefe, CEO of Brand Federation. “You name it, we’ve been through it all and it’s caused an almost depressing situation. This year people have done it and advertisers have responded well — there are traditional brands, traditional humor and it will be like embracing the old group.
WHO does it star?
Stars are common in Super Bowl commercials, but in the past few years, more and more commercials have been filled with celebrities. This year is no exception.
Popular celebrities offer goodwill to the brand and help it stand out from the 50-plus or more advertisers during the big game. But with so many stars in commercials, it can be more difficult in a crowded field.
“When you use celebrity in a smart way, it’s huge,” said Rich Weinstein, a professor at the VCU Brandcenter. “But with all these celebrities, are people going to remember who each celebrity is associated with?”
Big names made a splash this year: Melissa McCarthy sang a jingle for Booking.com, Miles Teller danced to catch music for Bud Light and Adam Driver made multiples for Squarespace. Avocados From Mexico enlists Anna Faris for one of the few risque ads this year, that envisions now where everyone is naked – including the Statue of Liberty. And tennis star Serena Williams stars in two commercials: one for Michelob Ultra and one for Remy Martin. This is the second year in a row that he has had more than one commercial: Last year, in addition to the Michelob Ultra commercial, he starred in a commercial for Tonal, a smart gym manufacturer. Even hip hop mogul P. Diddy appears in the ad, where he tries to make a hit for Uber One.
One unusual star this year: Jesus. A Christian donor group paid top dollar for two ads promoting the “He Gets Us” religious message.
ADVERTISEMENT WHICH THROWBACKS?
Another tactic that advertisers use to win over viewers is to feature beloved movies and TV shows. This year, online shopping site Rakuten made a splash by enlisting Alicia Silverstone and Elisa Donovan to recreate a scene from the 90s rom-com “Clueless.” Popcorners, a snack brand from Frito-Lay, is bringing back “Breaking Bad,” which first aired in 2008, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.
Another advertiser tried to use favorite content from last year: A T-Mobile ad showed John Travolta singing a version of “Summer Nights” at home with the T-Mobile internet theme from “Grease” with “Scrubs” stars Donald Faison and Zach Braff. And finally, Michelob Ultra made “Caddyshack” by setting up an ad at the Bushwood Country Club that was in the movie.
Nostalgia fits the mood of the times, Weinstein said.
“Consumers are looking for a good, satisfying laugh,” Weinstein said. “It’s less about living up to the problems facing the world today and more about nostalgia and having fun.”
Do STUNTS work?
Some of the first advertisers have decided to encourage stunts and gimmicks to make the first match in the big game. The most notable was Fan Duel, which hired four-time All-Pro Rob Gronkowski to try to make a live field goal during commercials in the third quarter. If they do, anyone who makes a Super Bowl bet of $5 or more on FanDuel will win a $10 million free bet.
Blockchain-based gaming company Limit Break plans to run QR codes during the game’s first commercial break and will give non-fungible tokens to those who scan them. And for the first national Super Bowl ad, Molson Coors asked people to bet on its commercial aspect, like whether it would feature Miller Lite or Coors Light.
Kim Whitler, a professor at the Darden School of Business, said stunts do not always translate into positive sales results or brand recognition for brands.
“People want to do stunts because stunts get attention,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the ad has to tell something unique or better about the brand.”
ADVERTISEMENT WHICH WILL BE THE GAME-TIME SURPRISES?
While many advertisers have released ads before the game, there are always a few surprises. Dunkin’ Donuts has unveiled an ad that will star Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, though the brand has yet to confirm. Stellantis, which owns the Jeep and Ram car brands, will run two undisclosed ads. And M&Ms has kept the ad under wraps after announcing that spokes character Candy is on hiatus – they are likely to make an appearance during the game, however.
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