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Who is the big winner – this is the question that is asked most often during the Super Bowl. The American Football (NFL) title game was marked by a triumph for the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers, but the larger scheme of success does not always relate to the outcome of the game.
There’s more talk about the commercials, mostly because they’ve become a stand-alone show on the most anticipated day in American football.
Over 80 commercials were shown in Super Bowl LVIII, and the price per 30-second video remained unchanged for the second year in a row at $7 million.
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They advertised brands from automotive, food, entertainment, body care and more and more. The companies chose to bet on an entertainment style instead of emphasizing serious topics or politics.
“Sports is still a treat for advertisers. At a time when linear advertising revenue is declining, companies know there is no other guaranteed way to reach more people than the Super Bowl,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger.
In their attempt to attract an audience, major brands have turned to celebrities.
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Singer Beyoncé has appeared several times at the Super Bowl, including in the halftime show (twice) and as the US National Anthem performer. This time, however, she was in the Verizon ad that “broke” the internet.
The Uber Eats ad featured Friends stars Jennifer Aniston and David Schumer, as well as the Beckhams, David and Victoria. In the funny video, the characters forget important things in their lives, but remember to order food from Uber Eats.
More Hollywood actors starred in other commercials – Ben Affleck in Dunkin’s along with his partner Jennifer Lopez. They were joined in the video by Matt Damon, NFL legend Tom Brady and rapper Fat Joe.
T-Mobile, for example, has featured big names like Bradley Cooper, Common, Jennifer Hudson, Laura Dern and Suits stars Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams. Lionel Messi was advertising beer. Another video featured Arnold Schwarzenegger.
According to experts, sometimes the clustering of many stars can have the opposite effect.
“It used to be that there was a celebrity who was kind of a spokesperson for the ad,” says Jessica D. Collins of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter. “Now we’re seeing celebrities co-star in the same ad, even when they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.”
The element of nostalgia often used in Super Bowl commercials also counts.
Some brands resorted to familiar characters in their advertisements. So Budweiser included horses and a dog in the Clydesdales clip. Others bet on old and tried methods, touching the hearts of the viewer.
“Everything old is new again,” comments Kimberly Whitler, professor of marketing at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
She pointed to old successful Super Bowl ads or messages that have made a comeback. Thus the iconic Flashdance song played, and there was also the return of ETrade’s talking babies.
Serious topics and politics
Several other ads were more serious in tone. The Robert Kraft Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, for example, ran an ad featuring Martin Luther King Jr.’s speechwriter, Dr. Clarence B. Jones.
This year’s Super Bowl also saw the return of the He Gets Us ad. The campaign, which is backed by a group of wealthy Christian donors, aired two ads during the NFL title game.
Traditionally, in an election year like 2024 in the US, politics are also advocated in Super Bowl ads. In November, the country faces presidential elections, but this time politics was a very small part of the title game.
The video “American Values 2024” featured the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The scion of the illustrious Kennedy family is running as an independent after attempting to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination.
The video for the candidate, who is the son of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own bid for the presidency, highlighted his family’s legacy.
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