As B&T pens this Super Bowl round-up, the game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons is barely underway. But it’s probably not the game that’s of most interest, but of course the calibre of the rather expensive ads.
According to reports in US media, a 30-second spot in today’s game will set advertisers back a cool $US5 million (up from $US4.8 million in 2016). And it’s arguably money well spent with reports four out of five Americans will tune into the game (while scoffing 1.3 billion chicken wings and downing a trillion litres of beer during the actual game.)
With the massive costs associated with a campaign, many brands release their campaigns ahead of time. Here’s a round-up of what’s been released thus far:
Turbo Tax
Humpty Dumpty stars in arguably this year’s oddest Super Bowl ad for the accountancy firm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgh6K1TXw28
Yellow Tail Wines
It’s the Aussie wine company’s first foray into Super Bowl advertising and it has every cliche Aussies want Americans to think – drinking, barbecues, kangaroos and girls in bikinis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-fVgM9P2c8
Bai
The healthy juice company uses a healthy dose of parody to take the piss out of horse whispering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq1x_u-gvi4
Budweiser Beer
A regular Super Bowl advertiser, the beer company is in a spot of bother with its ad this year after some commentators said it had veiled references to Donald Trump’s immigration stance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmlRtpzwos
Avos from Mexico
Despite the President’s anti-Mexican stance and the fact that American football fans eat 48 million kilos of avocados – primarily as guacamole – during the game, this avocado firm’s forging ahead with this campaign that does smack of preaching to the converted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-d2fTXc1hE
Mercedes Benz
We’re not entirely sure we understood this minute-long Mercedes ad from acclaimed directors the Coen brothers, but there’s no denying the car’s an absolute beauty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvHFM8c7cPM
Lexus
The Japanese luxury brand brings its badass credentials to its 2017 campaign with the help of dancer Charles Lil Buck and Sia’s song Move Your Body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-z31TsBIK0
Kia
Not to be outdone by the upmarket marques, Kia spends big dollars on its campaign that features comic and actress Melissa McCarthy in a number of outrageous situations and is hot contender for Super Bowl ad of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u6M18M3D0s
Squarespace
The website firm has enlisted Hollywood royalty with John John Malkovich playing himself in this expletive ladened 80-second spot.
Wix.Com
The create your own website company call-in action A-listers Jason Statham and Gal Gadot for this year’s most violent Super Bowl campaign.
Snickers
The chocolate bar company is planning the first live commercial ever to air during the Super Bowl; the spot will star Adam Driver (Girls, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Silence), a stunt horse, a showdown and other less famous actors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvqsQURGPjM
Heinz
The sauce company appears to have spent a motza to draw attention to how difficult it is to get its product out of the actual bottle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIHZsboemM0
