:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2258194697-4b1372b6fb0540faa37c7982bb4fce08.jpg "The Super Bowl Isn’t For Days. The Excitement Around The Ads Is Already Here")
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Key Takeaways
- Brands are releasing teasers for their Super Bowl commercials, which this year are set to feature well-known figures such as Lady Gaga, Ben Stiller, Bowen Yang and Emma Stone.
- Companies are spending some $10 million for 30 seconds of airtime during one of the most watched events. And some people are betting on which companies will pony up.
Companies are encouraging football fans to do some pregaming.
Brands are teasing Super Bowl commercials, encouraging those who can’t wait for the Seattle Seahawks to take on the New England Patriots next weekend—or for the glitzy ads and elaborate half-time show associated with the championship. The Super Bowl, one of the most-watched television events around, generates millions of dollars in ad revenue from firms looking to get in front of its audience.
Brands selling everything from software to snacks are trying to build buzz for their Super Bowl LX ads before they air. Real estate listing company Redfin released footage of musician Lady Gaga performing the theme song from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for its upcoming ad. Svedka vodka shared a clip of a dancer teaching choreography to a robot slated to perform in a commercial. Budweiser, a Big Game advertising fixture, published an entire 60-second ad—starring a young Clydesdale horse and baby bald eagle—ahead of Sunday’s broadcast.
Brands aren’t the only ones hoping to cash in on Super Bowl commercials. People are betting tens of thousands of dollars on which companies will run ads via Kalshi and Polymarket, online prediction markets.
Why This News Matters to You
The stakes may be higher than usual for Super Bowl advertisers. A number of marketing campaigns have sparked controversy in recent months, including American Eagle ads and Cracker Barrel’s revised logo, and millions tune into to the big game—many expressly to see, and opine upon, the year’s ads.
Marketers are relying on a number of high-profile figures to generate hype. Ritz (the cracker, not the hotel) featured comedian Bowen Yang in a promo; Instacart (CART) tapped actor Ben Stiller; and Squarespace (SQSP) featured actress Emma Stone. PepsiCo (PEP) appears to have recruited the polar bear from vintage Coca-Cola (KO) ads to sit for a blind taste test.
A record 128 million watched the Super Bowl last year, according to Nielsen. The cost of airing an ad has grown alongside the game’s viewership, with 30-second clips now costing $10 million, according to USA Today.
The “extravagant” overall cost—$16 million to $29 million for a typical 30-second ad, which includes production and other costs as well as air time—makes sense for companies with a large marketing budget, said Zachariah Reitano, co-founder of the telehealth company Ro. The game presents a unique opportunity to reach an engaged audience who view the material as “content, not as ads!” he said on X.
Analyzing Super Bowl commercials has become a national pastime of sorts. USA Today taps a panel to rate ads each year, while Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management publishes an annual analysis of them.
“People rank Super Bowl ads,” Reitano said, while explaining why Ro is running its first Super Bowl commercial. “They rewatch them. They critique them. They talk about them at work the next day.”
