Super Bowl ads ditch politics for celebs, Taylor Swift and AI

[February 08, 2024]  By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) - Fans can expect celebrities and more lighthearted commercials, along with glimpses of Taylor Swift, during the Super Bowl on Sunday, as corporate advertisers avoid the recent practice of using the big game to promote social causes.

While high-priced Super Bowl commercials often play for laughs in trying to make an impression, the flashy productions can also reflect the national mood.

Brands that previously took stands on issues such as diversity and climate change, are acknowledging that anything seen as political while attempting to market products to all consumers can be “treacherous to navigate,” said Kim Whitler, a professor at University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a former marketing executive at Procter & Gamble.

"The pendulum swings. First, it was 'we don't do enough,' and now it's swinging back," she said.

Budweiser in 2017 used the Super Bowl to depict Anheuser-Busch's founder making the journey from Germany to America in 1857, encountering xenophobia and discrimination along the way.

This year, it will bring back the iconic Clydesdale horses to its Super Bowl commercial, while related brands like Michelob Ultra will have a lighthearted ad featuring soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

For brands that want to appeal to a younger demographic during the NFL championship clash between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, the romance between Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, which has dominated social media, could provide inspiration, said Charles R. Taylor, professor of marketing at Villanova University School of Business.

Despite some griping over attention paid to Swift during games she has attended this season, the pop megastar's appeal has benefited the league and could do the same for brands shelling out millions for a Super Bowl commercial, Taylor said.

The price of a 30-second spot on CBS sold for around $7 million, according to a source familiar with the ad sales, about the same as last year.

“It's definitely been good for the NFL. (Swift has) flat out increased viewership,” Taylor said.

One trend emerging in commercials and teaser videos released before the game is ensemble celebrity casts.

Bud Light will introduce the Bud Light Genie, who grants a group of friends wishes that turn a night watching football into a jam-packed adventure.

With the genie's help, the friends magically appear at rapper Post Malone’s concert, then at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match with UFC President Dana White, and become best friends with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

Taylor Swift attends a premiere for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

The beer brand’s return to raucous humor comes after it endured a damaging conservative boycott for featuring a transgender social media influencer in one of its ads.

“We're leaning a little bit harder into the humor this year,” said Todd Allen, senior vice president of marketing for Bud Light.

Google will strike a heartwarming tone while promoting its prowess in artificial intelligence (AI), a hot topic in the tech industry.

A blurry scene shows an outstretched arm holding a phone with the camera open. A computerized voice says “move your phone down. One face in frame. Hold for photo.” The viewer then sees that a blind man was able to take a selfie using an AI feature on Google Pixel phones called Guided Frame.

With AI, the visually-impaired man is shown being able to document life's special moments, a video depicting behind-the-scenes making of the ad showed.

It could be effective as it demonstrates a benefit of AI at a time of much hand-wringing over its potential misuse and fears the technology could make certain jobs obsolete, Whitler said.

NONPROFITS GET IN ON THE GAME

While corporations may steer clear of potentially divisive issues, at least two nonprofits have announced Super Bowl ads.

“If you go from funny, funny to serious, it’s going to feel different and will break through,” Whitler said.

The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, an organization founded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, will air its first-ever Super Bowl commercial featuring Clarence B. Jones, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. draft his “I Have a Dream” speech.

The ad comes amid rising antisemitic incidents during the Israel-Hamas war.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will air a tense anti-cheese commercial featuring actress Edie Falco and a mother cow in distress.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Austin; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.