Three Ad Trends to Watch During Super Bowl 57
After months of anticipation and planning -- among fans, athletes, and marketers alike -- Super Bowl LVII is set to kick off on February 12, when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium. While many ads won’t be revealed until game day, here are three trends we expect to see during Sunday’s football showdown.
1. Legacy brands return—accompanied by a few notable newcomers. Many of the brands we’ve come to associate with Super Bowl Sunday are once again return customers. In fact, this year’s list “will look a lot like it has in years past,” said Mark Evans, Fox Sports’ executive VP of sales. 2023 marks the 10th Super Bowl appearance for TurboTax and WeatherTech, with 30-second spots for both. Notable food brands like Pringles and Avocados From Mexico are also returning. In addition, fans can expect religious messaging from newcomer the Servant Christian Foundation, a Crown Royal debut for liquor giant Diageo, and a first from online gambling group FanDuel.
2. Beer brands battle it out. Anheuser-Busch InBev announced last year that it was relinquishing its exclusive Super Bowl ad rights in the alcohol category, which opened the door for a variety of beer, and alcohol, brands to play along too. Miller Light and Coors Light, both from brewing company Molson Coors, will go up against each other in a true football-style rivalry, and Heineken is calling on Marvel’s Ant-Man superhero played by Paul Rudd for its ad running in the game’s first half. Still, AB InBev will enjoy the greatest share of ad time with three of its brands. Bud Light is taking a romantic turn with a 60-second spot starring Hollywood couple Miles and Keleigh Teller. Michelob Ultra has teamed with streaming giant Netflix to promote both beer and the new series, Full Swing. And Busch Light is using game day to kick off its year-long campaign, “The Busch Guide,” with a spot featuring singer Sarah McLachlan.
3. Celebrities in the spotlight. Fans can also expect a full roster of A-list stars. Serena Williams may have retired from tennis but she’ll grace two of this year’s Super Bowl ads, for both Michelob Ultra and Remy Martin, in its debut spot. Rakuten is channeling ‘90s nostalgia with help from Alicia Silverstone, as Cher in Clueless. Uber called on Sean “Diddy” Combs, Squarespace turned to Adam Driver, and PopCorners is bringing back the beloved Breaking Bad crew 10 years after that show’s final episode aired.
Despite the currently soft economy, Fox Sports announced that it had sold all Super Bowl 57 ad inventory a week before kickoff—closer to game day than originally expected. Many 30-second units went for over $7 million per spot, marking a new Big Game record. In general, this year’s ads are expected to be lighthearted and comedic, which tend to draw high scores from fans of both football and advertising. “Product plus humor plus star seems to be the formula that everyone follows,” said Jason Harris, CEO and co-founder of Mekanism marketing group. We can’t wait for what’s sure to be a day of unexpected surprises, fumbles, and touchdowns.