Everyone
from carmarkers to cryptocurrency exchanges will be
spending big bucks advertising in this year’s
Super Bowl.
The
contest between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati
Bengals kicks off on Monday morning AEDT from SoFi
Stadium in Inglewood, California. NBC, which is airing
the showdown this year, said it’s sold more than
70 spots, with some costing as much as $US7 million
($9.8 million) for 30 seconds.
“The
big game is the biggest snacking day of the year and
the largest stage when it comes to brand exposure
and reaching our fans,” said Gareth Maguire,
marketing director for Pringles, which is expected
to run an ad in the third quarter.
This
is the eighth time the Super Bowl will be played in
the Los Angeles area, including the very first contest
in 1967. The region has participated in some pop culture
advertising moments, including New York Giants quarterback
Phil Simms declaring “I’m going to Disney
World” for the first time after winning in 1987.
Here’s
a sampling of our coverage so far and a preview of
what to look for.
The
entertainment value will be high in the first half
of the game as Emmy-winning actress Zendaya makes
her Super Bowl debut for SquareSpace, the website
hosting company. Mattel’s Barbie is teaming up
with Anna Kendrick for a Rocket Mortgage ad. E*Trade
has been teasing the return of its chatty baby, who
hasn’t been seen since 2014.
Budweiser
hopes to strike a nostalgic note in a spot featuring
one of its famous Clydesdales. The ad, directed by
Nomadland Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, is a return
for Budweiser, which sat out the game last year. Meta
Platforms., formerly known as Facebook, will be taking
viewers on a trip to through the metaverse, while
also trying to repair its image after a big stock
market tumble this month.
Pepsi
is sponsoring the halftime show, which will showcase
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lamar
and Eminem. The trailer for the show has already been
seen 13 million times. Prior collaborations between
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog have featured tech wizardry.
At Coachella 2012, for example, they resurrected the
late artist, Tupac Shakur, for a memorable performance
with his hologram.
Matthew
McConaughey will be taking subtle shots at space billionaires
like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk, while
asking viewers to join #TeamEarth for Salesforce.
Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus will team in a spot for
T-Mobile.
Laugh-out-loud
moments are expected to include Seth Rogen and Paul
Rudd attending a zombie wedding while pitching Lay’s
potato chips. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri will be partying
in Bud Light’s Land of Loud Flavours. Lindsay
Lohan will be staging her comeback with cameos by
Star Trek’s William Shatner and basketball great
Dennis Rodman for Planet Fitness. Amazon.com’s
Alexa will be haunting Scarlett Johansson and Colin
Jost’s otherwise happy marriage.
Nissan
Motors’s spot features a car chase with comedian
Eugene Levy at the wheel as he encounters his Schitt’s
Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara and Marvel Avengers’
Brie Larson, Dave Bautista and Danai Gurira in a spoof
of action films. GM has enlisted Mike Myers for an
Austin Powers-themed ad that features a reprise of
his role as Austin Powers’ nemesis, Dr. Evil.
Sidekicks played by Rob Lowe, Seth Green and Mindy
Sterling also join. Serena Williams will be making
two appearances, one co-starring Steve Buscemi and
Peyton Manning set to ELO’s Showdown and another
for the smart home gym, Tonal, which will air in certain
markets.
Streaming
services should be debuting trailers for some of their
upcoming releases. One of the most hotly-awaited is
Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings, the most expensive
TV series ever created.
Newcomers
like Crypto.com and FTX have spent millions on NFL
commercials featuring Matt Damon and Tom Brady but
have stayed mum on what they will be showing. Social
media is bracing for strong reactions.
But
the best memes might just come from animals and their
robotic counterparts. Irish Spring is featuring a
rabbit that casts judgment, Intuit Quickbooks has
a hilarious singing kitty, and Kia’s robot dog
does some daring stunts.
