Super Bowl ads are more than just breaks between gameplay during the biggest sporting event of the year: They offer a glimpse of the country\u2019s zeitgeist, along with how major industries are faring.<\/p>\n
This year, crypto ads and automakers are advertising less since those industries are facing problems. Major food brands like M&Ms, tech companies like Google<\/a>, streaming services including Peacock and\u00a0more alcohol brands<\/a>\u00a0have jumped in to take their place.<\/p>\n When Super Bowl\u00a0LVII kicks off Sunday night<\/a>\u00a0with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona, big marketers will be battling it out during the Fox<\/a> broadcast as well.<\/p>\n Their prize? The chance to capture the attention of more than 100 million viewers expected to tune in for the big game. This price of entry is steep:\u00a0Some advertisers are paying more than $7 million for a 30-second spot<\/a>, and that doesn\u2019t include the cost of making the ad itself.<\/p>\n This year, viewers can expect\u00a0stars galore<\/a>, light humor and catchy songs. For the most part, advertisers are steering away from somber messages or outrageous humor that might have worked to capture attention in decades past, but not now, when the country is still emerging from the pandemic, facing economic uncertainty, and the war continues in Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year is a \u2018don\u2019t worry be happy\u2019 year,\u201d said Kelly O\u2019Keefe, CEO of Brand Federation. \u201cYou name it, we\u2019ve had it all and its put us in almost depressed situation. This year people are over it and advertisers are responding really well \u2014there are traditional brands, traditional humor and it\u2019s going to feel like just a big old group hug.\u201d<\/p>\n WHO\u2019S STARRING?<\/p>\n Stars are commonplace in Super Bowl ads, but over the past few years ads have been more and more stuffed with celebrities.\u00a0This year is no exception<\/a>.<\/p>\n Popular<\/a> celebrities offer goodwill to a brand and help it stand out from the 50-plus or so advertisers during the big game. But with so many stars in ads, it can be harder stand out in a crowded field.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you use celebrity in a smart way, it\u2019s huge,\u201d said Rich Weinstein, a professor at VCU Brandcenter. \u201cBut with all of these celebrities, are people going to remember who each celebrity is attached to?\u201d<\/p>\n Big names making a splash this year: Melissa McCarthy sings a jingle for Booking.com, Miles Teller dances to hold music for Bud Light and Adam Driver makes multiples of himself for Squarespace. Avocados From Mexico enlists Anna Faris for one of the few slightly risque ads this year, that envisions a present where everyone is naked \u2014 including the Statue of Liberty. And tennis star Serena Williams stars in two ads: one for Michelob Ultra and one for Remy Martin. It\u2019s the second year in a row she has had a presence in more than one ad: Last year, in addition to a Michelob Ultra ad, she starred in an ad for smart home-gym maker Tonal. Even hip hop mogul P. Diddy appears in an ad, in which he tries to make a hit for Uber<\/a> One.<\/p>\n One unusual star this year: Jesus.\u00a0A group of Christian donors is paying top dollar for two ads<\/a>\u00a0that promote the \u201cHe Gets Us\u201d religious message.<\/p>\n WHICH ADS ARE THROWBACKS?<\/p>\n Another tactic that advertisers use to win over viewers is recreating beloved movies and TV shows. This year, online shopping site Rakuten is making a splash by enlisting Alicia Silverstone and Elisa Donovan to recreate a scene from 90s rom-com \u201cClueless.\u201d Popcorners, a snack brand from Frito-Lay, brought back \u201cBreaking Bad,\u201d which first aired in 2008, with stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.<\/p>\n Other advertisers trying to capitalize on favorite content from years past: T-Mobile\u2019s ad shows John Travolta singing a T-Mobile<\/a> home internet-themed version of \u201cSummer Nights\u201d from \u201cGrease\u201d with \u201cScrubs\u201d stars Donald Faison and Zach Braff. And finally, Michelob Ultra evoked \u201cCaddyshack\u201d by setting its ad at the Bushwood Country Club that\u2019s in the movie.<\/p>\n The nostalgia fits the mood of the times, Weinstein said.<\/p>\n \u201cConsumers are looking for a good laugh and to feel comfortable,\u201d Weinstein said. \u201dIt\u2019s less about living in the problems the world faces today and more about leaning into nostalgia and having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n DO STUNTS WORK?<\/p>\n Some first-time advertisers have decided to lean into stunts and gimmicks to make their first foray into the big game stand out. The most notable is Fan Duel,\u00a0which hired four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski to try to make a field goal<\/a>\u00a0live during an ad in the third quarter. If he makes it, anyone who places a Super Bowl bet of $5 or more on FanDuel will win a share of $10 million in free bets.<\/p>\n A blockchain-based gaming company, Limit Break, plans to run a QR code during the first commercial break of the game and will give away non-fungible tokens to people who scan it. And for its first national Super Bowl ad, Molson Coors<\/a> asked people to bet on aspects of its commercial, like whether it will feature Miller Lite or Coors Light.<\/p>\n Kim Whitler, a professor at the Darden School of business, said stunts don\u2019t always translate to positive sales results or brand recognition for brands.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople want to do stunts because stunts get attention,\u201d she said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, the ad has to communicate something that\u2019s unique or better about the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n WHICH ADS WILL BE GAME-TIME SURPRISES?<\/p>\n While many advertisers have released ads ahead of the game, there are always some surprises. Dunkin\u2019 Donuts is running an ad that reportedly will star Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, although the brand hasn\u2019t confirmed that. Stellantis<\/a>, which owns car brands Jeep and Ram, will run two undisclosed ads. And M&Ms has kept its advertising under wraps\u00a0after declaring that its candy spokescharacters were on pause<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 they\u2019re likely to make an appearance during the game, however.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. Sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n