Super Bowl 2020: the ins and outs of the big game's advertisers
Despite the rise of online advertising, the Super Bowl is still advertising’s biggest day, with major brands throwing down as much as $5.6m for a 30-second spot. Fox Sports stated that it sold out of its inventory back in November.
Bill Murray for Jeep
Advertisers got a good game to get the most from their investments. This year’s lineup of brands saw familiar names and a few new ones, including Facebook’s first big game spot.
Take a look through the participants in this year’s show and vote for your favorite.
Who’s New?
Hint Water
The unsweetened flavored water brand will air its first-ever Super Bowl commercial during halftime this year.
Walmart
For the first time ever, Walmart will be airing an ad during the Super Bowl. 'Famous Visitors' brings 12 “visitors” from popular TV shows and movies – and their creative transportation methods – together for the first time ever as they touch down on Earth to conveniently pick up everything they need curbside at Walmart.
Presidente (Anheuser-Busch)
Anheuser-Busch recently named former baseball star Alex Rodriguez joining as Chairman of Presidente USA, the beer of the Dominican Republic. Now, the brand has made an ad with A-Rod that will air during the big game.
Quibi
Quibi, the entertainment platform created for mobile, will make its commercial debut on America's biggest stage with a 30-second commercial right after the kickoff of the big game.
Genesis
For the first time in its short history, automaker Genesis plans to throw its hat into the Super Bowl ring. The spot is set to air during the second quarter and will star musician John Legend and model/social phenom Chrissy Teigen as the couple introduces the recently unveiled GV80 sport-utility vehicle.
The social media giant is making its Super Bowl debut with a couple of stars who share ‘rock’ in their names – Sylvester ‘Rocky’ Stallone and Chris Rock.
Facebook’s Super Bowl campaign highlights Facebook Group members and celebrates the power of people coming together through shared interests and experiences, to drive home the message that “whatever you 'rock', there is a Facebook Group for you.”
Hershey/Reese's
Hershey is using its lesser-known brand, Reese's Take 5, to debut at the Super Bowl with a message of 'it's the best candy bar you've never heard of'.
Pop-Tarts
The Kellogg’s brand is set to debut its first 30-second Super Bowl spot near the end of the first half, featuring Jonathan Van Ness having fun talking about Pop-Tarts Pretzel.
Dashlane
Highlighting the tension of when an everyday problem becomes an existential one, the spot from first-time Super Bowl advertiser Dashlane contrasts mythic imagery with a mundane irritation: forgetting your password at the worst possible time.
Sabra Hummus brand Sabra unveiled teasers for its first-ever Super Bowl commercial. The teasers feature an unexpected mix of stars including rapper T-Pain, drag queens Miz Cracker and Kim Chi, and reunited on screen for the first time since their infamous fall-out, Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. The teasers set the stage for a 30-second commercial by VaynerMedia which will debut during the Super Bowl, showcasing the versatility and appeal of Sabra hummus.
Saucony
Running brand Saucony will air its first Super Bowl commercial to talk about its first-ever biodegradable shoe.
Who’s Back?
Jeep
In its return to the Big Game, the Jeep brand debuted a 60-second commercial starring Bill Murray reprising his role as Phil Connors from the 1993 film Groundhog Day.
Amazon Alexa
Amazon Alexa returns with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi pondering what people did before Alexa was invented.
P&G (Bounty, Mr Clean, Febreze, Olay, Charmin, Head & Shoulders and Old Spice)
For the first time in its history of Super Bowl ads, P&G will bring together seven of its brands in a TV commercial co-created by people across the country starting today by visiting the interactive site WhenWeComeTogether.com.
Visitors will be able to direct the action to select how they want to see Head & Shoulders’ spokesperson Sofia Vergara and her guests come together to tackle an epic Super Bowl party messy surprise. The most popular scenarios chosen among viewers will then be featured in a 60-second ad that will be dynamically created just minutes before it airs during the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game.
Rocket Mortgage
Rocket Mortgage is airing its third Super Bowl commercial since 2016, this time featuring Aquaman star Jason Momoa, who will be making his television commercial debut in the minute-long spot. Momoa will give viewers a humorous glimpse into how Rocket Mortgage helps Jason feel comfortable being his true self at home.
Google first aired a Super Bowl a decade ago during the 2010 Super Bowl. During this year’s Super Bowl, the search giant will mark that anniversary with a touching story, ‘Loretta’ that tells the story of an older man who uses Google Assistant to remember his wife and love.
Hulu
Tom Brady has an announcement to make.
Verizon
Verizon shows how Verizon 5G will change the NFL fan experience, empower those who serve and call on Americans to do their part to give back to their communities. The spots show the critical challenges facing first responders and the Verizon 5G tech that will help overcome them.
The First Responder community has been an important Verizon partner for decades, and the brand again worked with Peter Berg and McCann again this year to evolve the brand’s narrative around networks and First Responders.
Pringles The potato chip maker is back, but has shifted its focus from live action to animation by enlisting cult favorite sci-fi duo Rick and Morty to promote the brand with a “humorous, mind-bending animated spot”. Pringles is launching a special edition, collectable Pickle Rick flavor, inspired from the series. “We want to do something completely new for the brand for the 2020 Big Game and are thrilled to be partnering with Adult Swim and Rick and Morty,” said Gareth Maguire, senior director of marketing for Pringles.
TurboTax
TurboTax by Intuit unveiled “All People Are Tax People Remix,” a music video styled film that will air during the NFL Super Bowl LIV. The Super Bowl is a moment in American culture that brings people together to celebrate what unites us - football, family, food and, of course, taxes.
Amazon Prime Video
Inspired by true events, Hunters follows a diverse band of Nazi Hunters in 1977 New York City, led by Al Pacino, who discover that hundreds of escaped Nazis are living in America.
Discover
Discover’s commercials will be running in the fourth quarter. The two 15-second spots, created by The Martin Agency, will run within the same commercial break, and take a playful “No” and “Yes” approach reinforcing two of Discover’s main credit card product benefits – no annual fee and wide merchant acceptance.
Olay
Inspired by the first all-female space walk last year, Olay’s Super Bowl ad stars Lilly Singh and Busy Philipps, who take a trip into space with retired astronaut Nicole Stott. Their space mission is overseen by Mission Controller Taraji P. Henson and shared over the airwaves by Katie Couric.
The ad from Badger & Winters puts this crew of women on the quest to #MakeSpaceForWomen, donating to a worthy cause of getting more girls into STEM programs through Girls Who Code. People can learn more at Olay.com/SuperBowl.
Avocados From Mexico The creamy fruit comes back for its sixth Super Bowl spot in a row with a new commercial done with Energy BBDO. 80s star Molly Ringwald plays a home shopping host for all things avocado, no matter how silly.
Also, Avocados From Mexico announced a new a digital experience called #AvoNetwork to bring AFM's campaign to life in the digital world. Leading up to the game, the brand will host an interactive digital and social campaign that gifts prizes to consumers through a user experience rooted in AFM's Super Bowl brand campaign.
T-Mobile
Hyundai
Hyundai is back with an in-game spot for the 12th time in the past 13 years. It hopes to connect with a 60-second ad that will run in the second quarter of the game. The ad takes a decidedly Boston flair, with wicked accents by comedian Rachel Dratch, Chris Evans, John Krasinski and David 'Big Papi' Ortiz.
AB InBev The beverage biggie will air four 60-second spots, one for Bud Light and Bud Light Seltzer, one for Budweiser, one for Michelob Pure Gold and one for Michelob Ultra.
Budweiser Bud has unveiled its Super Bowl spot, 'Typical American,' with creative by David Miami and directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow. It features viral acts of humanity from the internet, juxtaposed with some of the most common labels placed on Americans. The shining stars of the film are the real-life stories of community, ambition and progress that inspire and bring people together.
In addition, Budweiser, announced it will bring the BudX global platform to America for the first time during Super Bowl weekend in Miami. During the weekend, the brand will host over 200 influential 'Kings of Culture' from over 20 countries giving them the stage to showcase their talents alongside top global performers Halsey, Black Eyed Peas, Diplo, De La Soul and Channel Tres.
Bud Light / Bud Light Seltzer
Bud Light is combining its 60-second effort with its signature beer brand and new Bud Light Seltzer, airing two spots on social media with Post Malone. The one with the most fan engagement will be chosen to represent the brand in the Super Bowl.
Michelob Ultra
Jimmy Fallon and John Cena are the stars of this year's Super Bowl ad for the low-calorie beer, reinforcing that fitness can be enjoyed with a cast of sports and entertainment stars.
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold The organic beer’s commercial announces its new '6 For 6-Pack' program which allows consumers to join Michelob Ultra’s mission to help farmers transition to organic. A portion of sales from each purchase of a six-pack of Michelob Ultra Pure Gold will go directly to farmers looking to transition to organic.
Squarespace Website platform Squarespace returns for its sixth Super Bowl with an in-house-created ad, to air between the first and second quarters. The star of the ad is Winona Ryder, who returns to her hometown and namesake of Winona, Minnesota to learn more about the city of Winona and shed a spotlight on small town, USA.
Audi Audi returns for its 11th Super Bowl with an ad by 72andSunny, featuring Maisie Williams singing at the top of her lungs.
Kia
The automaker returns to the game for the 11th year in a row and will use its time to shine a light on youth homelessness. In its 'Yards Against Homelessness' campaign, for every yard gained during the game Kia will donate $1,000 to three charity partners dedicated to ending the issue of youth homelessness and transforming the lives of young people in need: Covenant House, Positive Tomorrows and StandUp For Kids. The ad stars Raiders running back Josh Jacobs talking to his younger self.
Planters
After tearing around in a Nut-mobile last year, Mr. Peanut is returning to the Super Bowl. Or is he? In a preview spot. In a Super Bowl pre-game ad the mascot is seen driving in the Nut-mobile with Matt Walsh and Wesley Snipes, when they veer off course and are caught on a cliff. That's apparently Mr. Peanut's last moment, as he selflessly plunges to what appears to be his untimely death.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we confirm Mr. Peanut has passed away at 104 years old,” said Samantha Hess, Planters brand manager at Kraft Heinz. “He will be remembered as the legume who always brought people together for nutty adventures and a good time. We encourage fans to tune in to Mr. Peanut's funeral during the third quarter of the Super Bowl to celebrate his life.” In light of the helicopter crash that took the life of Kobe Bryant and eight others, Planters has stated that it has "paused all campaign activities, including paid media, and will evaluate next steps through a lens of sensitivity to those impacted by this tragedy."
Frito-Lay (Doritos, Cheetos) Frito-Lay's Cheetos has revived the 90s energy of MC Hammer for a Super Bowl spot advertising its new popcorn snack. Making an appearance at the game for the first time in 10 years, the brand is putting the the dust that gathers on the fingers of Cheetos eaters center stage.
When spot’s protagonist realizes he can get out of a job for his boss because of his orange digits, he decides to go through life seeing what else he can get out of it. He manages to sidestep helping his neighbors, holding a baby and taking part in a trust fall exercise, all because he “can’t touch this”.
Every time he successfully avoids a chore, MC Hammer shouts out the iconic line.
Frito-Lay has already launched a portfolio-wide campaign, ‘Ready for Crunchtime’ – to remind consumers about the snacking essentials of game-time prep, including a commercial starring NFL legends Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Terry Bradshaw and Tony Gonzalez. Also, Doritos announced two remix flavors: Flamin’ Hot Limon and Cool Ranch, and enlisted Sam Elliott and Lil Nas X in teasers for the big game.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is going Hollywood for its Super Bowl spot, nabbing famed director Martin Scorsese and actor/director Jonah Hill to launch Coca-Cola Energy in a big way.
The 60-second spot, ‘Show Up’ features Scorsese and Hill – with a cameo appearance from Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist YBN Cordae – texting back and forth in order to meet each other at a party.
Pepsi
Pepsi has a huge presence with its Pepsi Halftime Show, this year with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. The brand also rolled out a newly-designed can for Pepsi Zero Sugar with a matte black finish and a distinctive black tab, and to celebrate this, during Super Bowl LIV, Pepsi will give everyone in the US free Pepsi Zero Sugar if the game ends in zero. In addition, the brand is awarding the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year winner and the trophy is getting a black matte makeover.
To promote the new black matte look, the brand will feature a 30-second commercial starring the iconic Missy Elliott and two-time Grammy Award winning breakout artist H.E.R. doing their version of Paint it Black. The ad will promote Pepsi Zero Sugar.
Pepsi has also announced that Lizzo and Harry Styles will headline the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl party on Friday 31 January at Meridian Island in Miami.
MTN Dew
MTN Dew is taking a page from the Shining for its Super Bowl ad. After a typewriter teaser that gave an obvious nod to the movie, the current spot finds Bryan Cranston recreating Jack Nicholson's axe-wielding role while he tries to tempt Tracee Ellis Ross with MTN Dew Zero Sugar.
New York Life
New York Life, a mutual life insurer, revealed the 60-second advertising creative to air during the Super Bowl. The film, titled Agápē, launches New York Life’s new “Love Takes Action” campaign, a celebration of the company’s first 175 years. The creative will run between the game’s first and second quarters.
SodaStream
SodaStream is returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in six years with a 30-second ad airing right before the half time show featuring science guy Bill Nye and a trip to Mars to retrieve water.
Heinz
The food and condiment brand challenged fans to watch four ads at once.
Oikos
Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt, the official yogurt of the NFL, is saluting the glutes of football players past and present with 'Oikos YoGlutes', its Super Bowl commercial.
Snickers
The candy bar celebrates the 10th anniversary of its irreverent ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ campaign.
The longform, created by BBDO New York and AMV BBDO, feature people dropping a giant Snickers into a huge hole in the ground to fix the world's problems.
WeatherTech
The maker of floor mats and other auto interior products is back for its seventh Super Bowl, this time highlighting pets, as it also makes home and pet care products.
Featured in the ad is Scout, a 'lucky dog' who was treated at the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. The spot encourages people to donate to the life-saving efforts by the school.
Porsche
Starring the all new Taycan, 'The Heist' is the first Porsche Super Bowl commercial since 1997. It takes viewers on a heart-pounding chase with an all-star cast of cars from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
Toyota
Toyota's Highlander SUV will be featured in a 60-second spot. In the spot, titled ‘Heroes’, Cobie Smulders is calmly behind the wheel of the SUV in the role of action hero and mother as she rescues a cast of characters in familiar movie moments.
General Motors (GMC)
GM is bringing back the Hummer name, albeit to the GMC Hummer EV, an electric pickup truck. It will be promoted by LeBron James and will feature an ad during the Super Bowl.
ADT
Donald Trump & Michael Bloomberg
The two presidential candidates will air political ads during the game. Fox has said that it will isolate the two ads so they don't appear with other commercials.
Regional Coverage
Saint Archer/MillerCoors
Molson Coors is debuting its ad for Saint Archer Gold, a new premium light beer that is betting big on taste. This is the largest investment that Molson Coors has made for an ad during the big game since 2009.
The 30-second spot, 'Patience', will air in 70+ markets across the country. The spot features Paul Rodriguez, professional skateboarder and Saint Archer Brewing Company co-founder, skateboarding through San Diego, the birthplace of Saint Archer, to the iconic whistling tune of Patience by Guns and Roses.
Zenni Optical
Zenni is highlighting its '20/20 vision' for the coming year with its first ever in-game ad. With San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle starring in the game and his first commercial for the brand, Zenni will be doing ads across the country in “vision-centric” media markets.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
The insurance company has launched its ninth annual Super Bowl campaign, running in local markets.
Inspira Health Care
Dignity Health
Dignity Health is launching a new “found footage” campaign as part of its 'Hello Humankindness' platform that will launch during Super Bowl LIV in select markets, and during the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.
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