Additional Coverage:
- The ‘Kardashian Kurse’ and a Jurassic Park reunion are among the Super Bowl commercials planned for this year (fortune.com)
Super Bowl 60: The Ad Game is Just as Wild as the Football!
Get ready, folks, because Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just about touchdowns and nail-biting finishes – it’s also a heavyweight championship for advertisers! This year, with the New England Patriots facing off against the Seattle Seahawks, more than 120 million viewers will be glued to their screens, and dozens of brands are pulling out all the stops to grab their attention.
Airing on NBC, Super Bowl 60 is set to be a star-studded ad extravaganza. We’re talking A-listers like Kendall Jenner for Fanatics Sportsbook and George Clooney for Grubhub, not to mention classic icons like the Budweiser Clydesdales. Even nostalgic movie throwbacks, like a “Jurassic Park” reunion for Comcast Xfinity, are making an appearance.
Super Bowl ads always give us a peek into the American psyche and, let’s be honest, which industries are absolutely swimming in cash. Remember the “Dot-Com Bowl” of 2000 or the “Crypto Bowl” of 2022? This year, the trends are all about health and telehealth (think weight loss drugs and medical tests), shiny new tech gadgets and apps, and the ever-present buzz of Artificial Intelligence.
Villanova University marketing professor Charles Taylor predicts a light and silly tone across the board. Given the heavy news cycle, from immigration surges to international conflicts, advertisers are likely to offer an escape. “The vast majority of brands will avoid any dark or divisive tone and instead allow consumers to escape from thinking about these troubled times,” Taylor explained.
Record-Breaking Prices for Your Eyeballs
Advertisers flock to the Super Bowl because, simply put, everyone watches. Last year, a staggering 127.7 million U.S. viewers tuned in across TV and streaming.
Live sports are one of the last bastions where advertisers can reach such a massive audience in our fragmented media landscape. It’s no surprise then that NBC sold out its ad space back in September!
A 30-second slot cost an average of $8 million this year, with some prime spots hitting over $10 million – a new record! Peter Lazarus, executive vice president of sports & Olympics advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal, is calling February “legendary,” with the Super Bowl, Olympics, and NBA All-Star Game all happening. He also noted that 40% of advertisers bought across all of NBC’s major sports properties, and 70% of Super Bowl advertisers also snagged Olympics spots.
Celebrities Galore
It’s a classic move: bring in the stars to win over hearts (and wallets). Fanatics Sportsbook is even having Kendall Jenner joke about the infamous “Kardashian Kurse.” George Clooney is back for Grubhub, promoting a tempting “Eat the Fees” deal.
Many ads are going for a celebrity double-play (or even triple-play!). Michelob Ultra features Kurt Russell training actor Lewis Pullman, with Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and hockey player T.J.
Oshie watching on. Xfinity is bringing back Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum for a hilarious “Jurassic Park” parody.
And Matthew McConaughey is back for Uber Eats, trying to convince Bradley Cooper and Parker Posey that football is just a conspiracy to make people hungry.
AI Takes Center Stage
For the second year running, Artificial Intelligence is making a splash in Super Bowl ads. Oakley Meta is showcasing its AI-enabled glasses with Spike Lee and Marshawn Lynch.
Wix Harmony is debuting an ad for its AI-powered web design software and also promoting Base44, an AI app builder. And keep an eye out for OpenAI’s still-secret ad!
Svedka Vodka even enlisted an AI studio, Silverside AI, to reimagine their robot mascot, FemBot, alongside a new BroBot. This aligns with Svedka’s “vodka of the future” positioning, according to Sara Saunders, chief marketing officer at Sazerac.
Health and Telehealth Are Everywhere
Get ready for the “GLP-1 Super Bowl,” as Tim Calkins, a clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University, puts it. Health and telehealth providers are dominating the ad breaks this year.
Novartis is promoting a prostate cancer blood test with a clever “Relax your tight end” tagline, featuring football tight ends chilling out. Boehringer Ingelheim has Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara encouraging kidney disease screening.
Liquid I.V. is teasing an ad about hydration. Telehealth firm Ro is using Serena Williams to promote GLP-1 weight loss drugs, and Novo Nordisk (makers of Wegovy and Ozempic) is also expected to have a spot. Hims & Hers, another GLP-1 provider, is touting better access to healthcare.
Tried-and-True Themes
Some advertisers are sticking to what works. Budweiser is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a heartwarming ad featuring a Clydesdale foal and a bald eagle, set to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” Pepsi is rekindling the Cola Wars with an ad showing Coca-Cola’s famous polar bears choosing Pepsi Zero Sugar in a blind taste test, ending with them on a “kiss cam.”
Surprises Are Brewing!
While many brands release their ads early to build buzz, some are holding out for game day. Pepsi-owned soft drink Poppi has teased that pop star Charli XCX and actress Rachel Sennott will star in their ad. Ben Affleck is back for Dunkin’ Donuts, with a teaser showing him alongside ’90s sitcom legends Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, and Jason Alexander.
Car advertisers are fewer this year, but Cadillac is hinting at showcasing its new Formula 1 car.
It’s going to be an unforgettable Super Bowl, both on the field and during the commercial breaks!