On the field, the Los Angeles Rams are facing off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56. Off the field, Super Bowl advertisers aim to deliver a night of ads heavy with celebrities and nostalgia in an effort to entertain Americans weary of two years of pandemic living

Advertisers shelled out up to $7 million for 30-second spots during the Super Bowl, and they are using their time to try to entertain with humor, star power and nostalgia. Nostalgia is big: T-Mobile reunites B次元官网网址淪crubsB次元官网网址� stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison. General MotorsB次元官网网址� ad features characters from the B次元官网网址淎ustin PowersB次元官网网址� movies hawking GMB次元官网网址檚 electric vehicle technology, including a reprise of Mike MyersB次元官网网址� role as Austin PowersB次元官网网址� nemesis, Dr. Evil. And Verizon recreated the 1996 movie B次元官网网址淭he Cable GuyB次元官网网址� with Jim Carrey to tout its 5G Internet offering. There are few ads that are trying to send a serious or heartfelt message.

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FUTURE FORWARD

What does the future look like? Electric, if automakers have anything to do with it. With automakers back in full force this Super Bowl, BMW shows Arnold Schwarzenegger as Zeus, the god of the sky (or in this commercial, the god of lightning) whose wife, Salma Hayek Pinault, gives him the EV BMW iX to spice up retirement.

Kia showcases the Kia EV6, the brandB次元官网网址檚 first battery electric vehicle, in its ad, along with a cute B次元官网网址渞obo dog.B次元官网网址� Nissan gives a nod to its all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya.

A first time advertiser, Wallbox, showcases an actual survivor of being struck by lightning in its ad for its home electric vehicle charger.

Other advertisers are future forward too. AmazonB次元官网网址檚 spot shows real-life spouses living in a world where AmazonB次元官网网址檚 digital assistant Alexa can read your mind. In a regional ad, Samuel Adams shows Spot, the dancing robo-dog from Boston Dynamics, getting down with the brewerB次元官网网址檚 employees.

Bud Light NEXT, a new zero-carb Bud Light brand expansion, showcases an NFT in its ad. And Facebook gives a glimpse of its vision of the metaverse in a humorous ad that shows a discarded animatronic dog meeting up with his pals again in the metaverse.

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CRYPTO BOWL

Among the 30 new advertisers are several cryptocurrency exchanges. Advocates of the blockchain-based digital currencies that have captured the interest of investors and financial service firms alike, want to lure regular Americans too. Exchanges Crypto.com, FTX and eToro have all announced Super Bowl ad plans, and others have been rumored but not confirmed.

While the Super Bowl can be a good place to launch a new brand or category into the public consciousness, there are risks of getting lost in the shuffle as first-time advertisers. And they have a big task with 30 seconds.

B次元官网网址淭hey need to educate the public on what their product is, why itB次元官网网址檚 not risky, and where they can access it,B次元官网网址� VillanovaB次元官网网址檚 Taylor said.

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POP CULTURE NOSTALGIA

Nostalgia is always a safe bet to win over viewers, and this yearB次元官网网址檚 Super Bowl is no different.

In a teaser, Verizon hints that itB次元官网网址檚 bringing back Jim Carrey to reprise his loathsome 1996 B次元官网网址淐able GuyB次元官网网址� character for their ad. GM has enlisted Mike Myers for an B次元官网网址淎ustin PowersB次元官网网址�-themed ad that features a reprise of his role as Austin PowersB次元官网网址� nemesis, Dr. Evil. Sidekicks played by Rob Lowe, Seth Green and Mindy Sterling also join.

And some ad executives are hoping people can still remember iconic advertising as well. ETrade hinted in a teaser that itB次元官网网址檚 bringing back the spokesbaby that appeared in its Super Bowl ads from 2008 to 2014. A HellmannB次元官网网址檚 ad shows former New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo tackling unsuspecting people who waste food. The ad is an homage to a 2003 Reebok Super Bowl ad starring a fictional linebacker named Terry Tate who tackled office workers who werenB次元官网网址檛 being productive.

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CELEBRITY OVERLOAD

A well-liked celebrity generally adds some goodwill to a brand message. So how about three to five of them? Super Bowl ads are always stuffed with celebrities, but this year, many ads are overstuffed with them.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e ever seen anything like this number of A-List celebrities,B次元官网网址� said VillanovaB次元官网网址檚 Taylor.

Uber Eats wanted to get across the message that you can order household items and other sundries from its delivery service, not just food. So its ad shows celebrities and other actors trying to eat everything from cat litter to diapers. B次元官网网址淚f it was delivered by Uber Eats, does that mean I can B次元官网网址楨atsB次元官网网址� it?B次元官网网址� White Lotus actor Jennifer Coolidge asks. Gwyneth Paltrow tries to eat a candle, Trevor Noah tries to eat a light bulb and Nicholas Braun from B次元官网网址淪uccessionB次元官网网址� tries to eat dish soap.

In Michelob UltraB次元官网网址檚 ad, a bowling alley run by Steve Buscemi unites superstar athletes from across sports enjoying some bowling in their off time: tennis great Serena Williams, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, the NBAB次元官网网址檚 Miami Heat all-star forward Jimmy Butler, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, top golfer Brooks Koepka and U.S. womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer star Alex Morgan.

Planet FitnessB次元官网网址� ad has narration by William Shatner and shows Lindsay Lohan working out, winning Jeopardy against Dennis Rodman and bedazzling Danny TrejoB次元官网网址檚 ankle bracelet.

And in NissanB次元官网网址檚 ad, a straight-laced Eugene Levy is transformed into an action hero by taking a drive in a 2023 Nissan Z sports car, alongside stars Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista. LevyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪chittB次元官网网址檚 CreekB次元官网网址� co-star Catherine OB次元官网网址橦ara appears in NissanB次元官网网址檚 new Ariya electric car.

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SOCIAL MESSAGES

Most advertisers are steering clear of sentiment.

B次元官网网址淧eople are avoiding the deeper issues,B次元官网网址� said Brand FederationB次元官网网址檚 OB次元官网网址橩eefe. B次元官网网址淧eople arenB次元官网网址檛 going to try to unite us or divide us or get us to think deeply. Ads will be much more amusing. But also very safe.B次元官网网址�

A few, though, are delivering heartfelt messages.

The Budweiser brand, absent last year, returns with a spot centered on one of its Clydesdale mascots. After itB次元官网网址檚 injured by jumping a barbed wire fence B次元官网网址� a not-so-subtle reference to the U.S. and the coronavirus pandemic B次元官网网址� another Budweiser mascot, a Labrador, a stableman, and a vet help the Clydesdale recover and gallop again. Budweiser wanted to return B次元官网网址渨ith a message of strength and resilience,B次元官网网址� said Daniel Blake, group vice president at Anheuser-Busch.

GoogleB次元官网网址檚 ad for the Pixel 6 stars the singer Lizzo and focuses on how the phoneB次元官网网址檚 camera highlights darker skin tones. And ToyotaB次元官网网址檚 ad, which debuted during the Olympics but will also run during the Super Bowl, tells the story of the McKeever Brothers, cross-country skiers who have won 10 Paralympic medals together.

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press

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