BUFFALO, N.Y. — Super Bowl advertisers this year want Americans to forget about pandemic woes and focus on the future: of electric vehicles, mind reading Alexas, robots and cryptocurrency. And also to harken back to the nostalgic past: of ’90s movies like “Austin Powers” and “The Cable Guy.”
The ads aim to deliver a dose of escapism with light humor and star-studded entertainment as America remains mired in the pandemic and high inflation. The Los Angeles Rams are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl 56 on Sunday. But for many, the big show of the night will be the commercials.
Now this year there are expected to be around 80 to 90 commercials during the Super Bowl.
The average 30-second ad costs $6.5 million, but NBC sold some spots for $7 million - a record for the most expensive Super Bowl ad price in NFL history. According to Matt Low with Crowley Webb, the high price tag may have something to do with why we see so many ads teased or released before the Super Bowl.
"The more eyeballs that they can get on their brand, it just makes that $7 million that they're investing for the 30-second spot even more worth it," Low said. "So it's all about the content now and if they can get people on social media paying attention to them and talking about them, it's just worth more of their money than putting it into broadcast."
So what are some of the trends we are seeing now and expect to see Sunday? Experts say inclusion will continue to be a theme for this year's ads, as well as living life to the fullest and encouraging Americans to get back to traveling.
Another trend you'll see a lot of during Super Bowl ads is celebrity appearances. Low says of the 30 spots he's seen thus far, far more than 60% include a celebrity or more than one.
As for who is paying big bucks to advertise this weekend, BMW is back after a seven-year break along with, Salesforce, Pringles, Irish Spring, and big names like Budweiser and Amazon.
Another company appears to be giving a nod to Bills Mafia in their Super Bowl LVI commercial this year. Avocados from Mexico's ad portrays a tailgate that happened centuries ago and some of the fans in the spot are shown jumping through tables. A funny reference to the Buffalo Bills fanbase, even though the team is not one of the two teams in the Super Bowl this year.
And don't forget, you can watch Super Bowl 56 on Channel 2 and NBC Sunday night. Pregame coverage begins at 1 p.m. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.