(Bloomberg) — 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 Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time 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 $7 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.
We’ll be watching the ads and updating you on the winners and losers, including who gets the social media buzz.
Here’s a sampling of our coverage so far and a preview of what to look for.
- For Serena Williams, Tonal Super Bowl Spot Is More Than an Ad
- Super Bowl Ads Say It’s Time to Party After Rough 2021
- Betting Apps Want You to Come for Super Bowl and Gamble Forever
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 Inc., 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 Inc., 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 Dogg 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 Flavors. 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. 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 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.
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