Super Bowl ad budgets hold up as the ‘teaser’ spots pile up
The 2023 Super Bowl ads are once again teeming with big-name US celebrities, but as usual many of the commercials are loud and flashy rather than memorably creative. This year many are playing the nostalgia card by recreating stars’ film or TV roles.
Michelob Light features the unusual pairing of Serena Williams and Succession’s Brian Cox in a Caddyshack spoof; Sly Stallone does a Cliffhanger reboot for Michelob Light; fintech Rakuten has persuaded Alicia Silverstone to recreate her role as Cher in Clueless; and Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul reprise their Breaking Bad roles for PepsiCo snacks.
A more original standout is Anomaly’s spot for Bud Light, featuring Whiplash star Miles Teller (also in Top Gun: Maverick) and his wife Keleigh. It puts the brand centre stage while injecting some fun into the frustration of being put on permanent hold by customer services.
Not that many ads are playing out in full ahead of the game on 12th February: the release of “teaser” previews is increasingly popular. It seems daft for ads to get their own ads, but it may maximise the impact of the colossal media buy and encourage people to stick around and watch the ads during the game.
This actually happens and you will see bars full of people cheering (or booing) the ads during the breaks.
The good news is that the economic downturn doesn’t seem to have dampened the Super Bowl advertising spirt – or interfered with its budgets. And some of those teasers may herald some top creativity.