It may not have seemed likely early in the pandemic, but the 55th Super Bowl Sunday is upon us again. Every year, advertisers do their best to entertain the crowd of 100 million viewers who are expected to tune in to the CBS broadcast on Sunday. This year there are more than 20 newcomers as well as old favorites. Amazon shows off a sexy new body to its Alexa assistant, Dan Levy apologizes for eating M & Ms and Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade makes a lemon shower a metaphor for the problems in 2020. And as always, expect too ‘ some surprises.
Amazon “New body”
In an ad that ostensibly depicts the new spherical shape of Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa, a woman imagines her new Alexa has the voice – and body – of actor Michael B. Jordan, who takes off his shirt to dim the lights and read an audiobook aloud. her in the bath, all to the sorrow of her unhappy husband. This is one of the only commercials that has played with sexual insinuations this year.
“It promotes the sexiness, the strangeness, the fantasy element,” said Mark DiMassimo, creative director of marketing agency DiMassimo Goldstein. “Which is just as culturally right for the moment that people sit together at home without much distraction.”
Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade “Last year’s lemons”
Bud Light launches its new Seltzer Lemonade with an ad depicting a torrential downpour of literal lemons in 2020, destroying weddings, canceling flights, disrupting home capsules, destroying baseball stadium cardboard scraps – and causing general chaos. This is a non-subtle nod to the plans derailed during 2020 and the axiom ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’
Cadillac “Edgar Scissorhands”
In another nostalgia festival, Cadillac relives the classic 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands”. The ad plays Edward’s son Edgar, who struggles with his inherited scissors hands when he blows off a football and chops a bus’ stop cord. He then tests the Cadillac Lyriq’s “Hands free super cruise” function with which you can drive with little manual contact. Winona Ryder from the original film also looks back at her role as Edgar’s mother.
Cheetos “It was not me ”
Cheetos’ ad shows the couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher wrestling over a bag of Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix – to the tune of Shaggy’s 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me” – with the weakened nerves of a couple who got stuck are too long.
Dr Squatch
There are more than 20 first-time advertisers this year, but most stick to nostalgia and celebrities to stand up for. Dr. Squatch, a little-known brand for soap and personal care for immediate consumers, is one of the few who embraces strange humor to stand out. The tongue-in-cheek ad shows a man walking through the woods and explains why Dr. Squatch’s natural soap is the right choice for the modern man who ‘opens sour pots’ and ‘makes his daughter braid his hair.’
GM “No Way Norway ”
When Will Ferrell finds out that Norway has more electric vehicles per capita than the US, he embarks on a crazy journey across countries with singer and actress Awkwafina and comedian Kenan Thompson to show that GM’s new battery for electric cars will soon be available be for all.
Inspiration4 “Join us ”
In what is certainly a first in Super Bowl history, an advertisement for Inspiration4, a SpaceX-associated overall space mission has a chance for viewers to enter the mission. The ad shows shots of the SpaceX astronaut uniform in space to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and is directed by Bryce Dallas Howard.
M & M’s “Come along ”
A bag of M & Ms is the perfect excuse for manslaughter, by calling someone ‘Karen’, with a gender revelation party accident and other contemporary faux pas. Dan Levy of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ apologizes to the M&M anthropomorphic characters who are the Super Bowl pillars and says he promises not to ‘eat any more of their friends’.
Squarespace “5 to 9 ”
The website building and hosting company called in Dolly Parton herself to rewrite the lyrics of her classic ode to the workday, “9 to 5”, to pay tribute to workers working on their own businesses, from “5 to 9” .
Uber Eats’ shameless manipulation ”
The food delivery service is calling on ‘Wayne’s World’ actors Mike Myers and Dana Carvey – along with singer Cardi B – to promote orders at local restaurants. This is one of several ads that try to capitalize on viewer nostalgia.
SURPRISES
While most ads have been revealed to try to capture the buzz before the game, there will no doubt be some surprises on game day. Jeep, which last year starred in the hit “Groundhog’s Day” remake starring Bill Murray, will also be in the game again. Online marketer Fiverr, a first-time advertiser, teased that the ad will feature Four Seasons Total Landscaping, the site of a fatal press conference Rudy Giuliani in November.
Another first advertiser, DoorDash, works with Sesame Street to promote neighborhood delivery. And E-Trade, known for the talking baby ads he hosted in the Super Bowl in 2008 until they “retired” in 2014, is back in the big game with an unknown ad.
