By: Eric Guo
Advertisements are an essential part of watching the Super Bowl on TV. As spectators and sports fanatics tune in to Sunday’s big game with their chips and dip, advertisers are getting ready to entice viewers with their products for the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. With prices going up to $5 million for a 30 second ad, one might wonder why companies are willing to spend so much. The answer is simple. With over 110 million people tuning in to the Super Bowl, advertisers expect to get a massive amount of people viewing their advertisements. What’s more is that for once, viewers will be interested and paying attention to the advertisements.
As competition between various products have increased, advertisers are using celebrities and comedy to attract as many viewers as possible. This year’s Super Bowl will feature comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen for Bud Light, actor Ryan Reynolds and comedian Kevin Hart for Hyundai, and musician Steven Tyler for Skittles.
Despite the influx of celebrities, some of these ads will seem to flop on game day. Super Bowl commercials featuring celebrities are often unable to connect with viewers due to a lack of authenticity. However, these ads can be especially effective if viewers see that the celebrities have a deep connection with the brand. The automaker MINI plans on utilizing this strategy for the Super Bowl this year. MINI’s commercial, which features a galaxy of stars such as Serena Williams, Tony Hawk, Harvey Keitel, and T-Pain, portrays the celebrities’ real life connections with the brand.
Other ads, such as those from Doritos and AXE, are expected to do well despite the lack of celebrities. These advertisements have often been a part of the Super Bowl and have already become fan favorites.
However, only time will tell which ads will succeed and which ones will flop. As viewers gather around the television and watch the Super Bowl, they will be the ones that decide which ads are the best.