(New York) The 57e Super Bowl attracts not only American football fans, but also major advertisers who are betting on the chance to capture the attention of more than 100 million viewers around the world.
The price for a chance to take advantage of this showcase is high, however. Some advertisers pay upwards of $7 million for every 30 seconds of advertising, and that doesn’t include the cost to produce the ad itself.
This year, announcements from cryptocurrency and car manufacturers will be less present as these sectors face problems. Big food brands like M&M, tech companies like Google, streaming services like Peacock, and liquor brands have taken their place.
When Super Bowl LVII kicks off on Sunday night with the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona, big advertisers will be competing for viewers’ attention during the broadcast on the US Fox channel or elsewhere, such as to RDS or CTV in Quebec.
This year, viewers can expect to see plenty of stars, light humor and catchy songs. Overall, advertisers are moving away from dark messages or outrageous humor that might have captured attention over the past decades, but whose context is not conducive with the pandemic, economic uncertainty and war in Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Another tactic that advertisers use to entice viewers is to recreate movies and TV shows. This year, online shopping site Rakuten is causing a stir when it enlists Alicia Silverstone and Elisa Donovan to recreate a scene from the comedy clueless 1990s. Popcorners, a snack brand from Frito-Lay, brought back breaking Badwhich first aired in 2008, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.
Other advertisers trying to cash in on favorite content from years past include T-Mobile’s ad featuring actor John Travolta to the tunes of the song Summer Nights of grease that attracts attention.
If ads have been released before the start of the Super Bowl, there are always a few surprises. Dunkin Donuts is reportedly set to run an ad that will feature Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, though the brand hasn’t confirmed.
Stellantis, which owns car brands Jeep and Ram, would not elaborate on the content of its two ads and M&M kept the content of its ad under wraps after saying its candy spokespeople were on hiatus – they are however likely to make an appearance during the game.