When advertisers committed to spending $6.5 million per 30-second Super Bowl ad they were probably hoping for a better matchup than the Los Angeles Rams versus the Cincinnati Bengals. That's one team (Cincinnati) with a local following against another with essentially no following as was made clear by the preponderance of San Francisco 49ers fans who attended the NFC championship game despite it being at the Rams' home stadium.
The lack of a team with a national following, however, won't dim the audience for the big game too much especially because the two teams have generally been involved in close contests. That means that all eyes (well about a third of all Americans) will be tuned into Comcast's (CMCSA) NBC Sunday
Some, of course, want to see the game. Others come just for the ads and NBC will be airing lots of big-deal advertisements featuring super-famous people.
The Super Bowl is always the biggest day of the year for both sports fans and the advertising world. And in what might be viewed as a changing-of-the-guard situation, this year’s Super Bowl LVI will see spots, both on NBC and on Comcast’s streaming service Peacock (which will be streaming the game), from more than 30 new advertisers that did not purchase time in last year's game, as well as spots from companies that haven’t ad space in a while.
The Super Bowl Will Have 30 New Advertisers
This year’s Super Bowl will feature more than 30 advertisements from companies that have never bought an ad during the big day before, for a total of “40% of all advertisers -- in 12 different categories, the strongest being automotive, technology and travel,” according to AdWeek.
Here are some of the companies buying their freshmen ads, according to CNET and Super Bowl-Ads.com.
- In perhaps the spot that’s getting the most social media buzz, Booking.com (BKNG) will make its Super Bowl debut with an ad featuring the internet’s boyfriend Idris Elba getting advice from commercial legends Jonathan Goldsmith of The Most Interesting Man in the World ads, and Old Spice pitchman Isaiah Mustafa.
- Rakuten.com (RKUNY) will run an ad featuring “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham.
- While its Matt Damon-starring spot was roasted online, that’s not stopping Crypto.Com from buying airtime for it during the Super Bowl.
- Cryptocurrency will have a big presence in the Super Bowl, as the exchange platform FTX will run a spot to “help educate consumers on crypto and assure that it is safe and accessible to everyone.”
- Colgate-Palmolive’s Irish Spring (CL) has bought its first ad, urging us all to stay fresh.
- Kevin Hart will star in Walmart (WMT) Sam’s Club’s first ever ad, playing a version of himself who doesn’t realize he’s not the only person who gets to enjoy the brand’s Scan & Go checkout function.
Some Brands that Sat Out 2021 Are Coming Back to the Super Bowl
Last year was a bit of a strange one for the Super Bowl, as some long-time advertisers such as Budweiser (BUDFF) and Coca-Cola (KO) declined to buy advertisements, as companies were dealing with layoffs, an economy hit hard by COVID-19, and general concerns that maybe light-hearted ads were an awkward fit during the pandemic; Coca-Cola, which had announced layoffs in December 2020, didn’t advertise last year in order to make certain it's "investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times,” according to ABC News, and other companies worried that the game would straight-up be canceled.
But nature and the advertising industry hate a vacuum, and in Budweiser’s place several online companies that did big business while people were stuck inside purchased their first Super Bowl ad, including Robinhood (HOOD), Uber Eats, and DoorDash (DASH).
This year is shaping up to resemble a new normal. Coca-Cola is once again sitting the game out, but the Budweiser Clydesdales are making a reportedly “emotional” return in a spot directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao. Because people are able to travel again, Booking.com, Expedia (EXPE) and Turkish Airlines will also be running spots.
Additionally, Lay’s has purchased its first Super Bowl advertisement in 17 years, a much-hyped spot featuring Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd getting into their signature hijinks.
The Super Bowl is the biggest television event of the year, and as such it always sets record prices. Last year was a strange one for the Super Bowl, with ratings down from 2020, but at 96 million viewers it was still by far the biggest program to air on television, and it also had record streaming numbers.
NBC sold ads for a record $6.5 million for 30 seconds, an increase over the “5.5 million CBS sought for 30 seconds of ad time in 2021 and Fox pressed for in 2020,” according to Variety. Airtime during the Super Bowl was so in demand this year that NBC sold out most of its available spots way back in September, though the network held back a bit of space for last-minute buyers.
