Hello Super Bowl ad fans!
We are 17 days away from the Super Bowl, and things are finally starting to heat up as brands aren't just announcing whether they'll be in the game, but also beginning to reveal some of the creative details of their $5 million (or in some cases $10 million) ad buys. Celebrities have been taking center stage in many of the recent announcements as brands like Doritos, Mercedes-Benz and Bubly have tapped star power for their spots.
Musicians in the spotlight
It should probably come as no surprise that PepsiCo, a brand with a history of musical Super Bowl ads, kicked off the celebrity frenzy on Wednesday by revealing in a tweet that Chance the Rapper will star in the Doritos spot. Today, the brand released a teaser that features not only Chance the Rapper, but also the Backstreet Boys. Because a Chance the Rapper/Backstreet Boys mashup in the Super Bowl is definitely what we need (is that sarcasm? I don't know. Maybe we do need this).
This morning, Ludacris announced he'll be in an ad that's a natural fit for the rapper. The Mercedes-driving Atlanta native will tout the car brand's A-class vehicle in a 60-second spot. He ushered in some goodwill during the announcement at a local Atlanta school that combines music with lesson plans. Ludacris gave away a couple of tickets to the Super Bowl to some lucky students.
Finally, in an even more no-brainer, PepsiCo released a teaser starring Michael Bublé for Bubly, its sparkling water brand. Not surprisingly, the singer takes issue with Bubly's name, wondering why it's not actually called Bublé. The agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners is handling the creative for all three of PepsiCo's spots (Pepsi is the third spot, but no creative details have been shared yet).
Female empowerment
With 48 percent of Super Bowl viewers expected to be women, according to AdColony, at least two brands will look to send a message of strength to that audience. Bumble chief brand officer Alexandra Willamson assembled a predominately-female creative team to tell the story of Serena Williams, not just as a tennis player, but everything she does as an athlete, entrepreneur, mother, friend and wife.
“She has built the life she wants to live; a life that transcends the court,” Williamson said. “People will see a different side to Serena when this ad goes live, and I would attribute that to an all-female team working on it.”
Only four female directors (all of whom were white) were hired for the Super Bowl last year, compared to 42 male directors, according to Free the Bid, the nonprofit that works to increase the number of female directors in advertising. A.V. Rockwell, a screenwriter and director from Queens, New York, whose work addresses such issues as race and systematic oppression, directed the spot.
Olay is also making a big play in this year's game with a 30-second spot from Saatchi & Saatchi. According to the brand, only a quarter of Super Bowl ads feature a woman at all, and even fewer are from brands where women are the primary consumer of the advertised product or service.
“We wanted to change this dynamic by reaching women on TV’s biggest stage with a message that we hope viewers will find entertaining," said Stephanie Robertson, brand director for Olay. "Olay wants all women to be bold and empowered, and in a way, we’re doing just that, as a brand, by showing up in a place that is historically focused on men.”
More announcements
Expensify, which is exactly what it sounds like—an expense management platform, will run its first Super Bowl ad. Scratch that, it's the brand's first TV ad. Ever. Heck of a way to make your TV advertising debut. That spot will feature two yet-to-be-revealed celebrities.
Pringles also released three teasers for its spot. Last year's ad starred actor Bill Hader, but the teaser doesn't hint at any kind of celebrity involvement. A knockoff Alexa laments her worthless existence as she cannot taste and enjoy Pringles.
Finally, Planters will advertise in the game for the first time in a decade. The ad will feature Mr. Peanut who seemed to have some kind of existential crisis on Twitter earlier this week.
