AP
Everyone knows that football is secondary to the Super Bowl: it’s all about the ads.
For this year’s game — which will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers — experts told The Post that they are already seeing a trend among the big commercials.
“Everything I’ve seen so far has been comedy this year, it seems to be back with a vengeance,” Mark Gross, co-founder and chief creative officer of the agency Highdive (which handled two big game ads this year), told The Post.
“That’s certainly good to see. Post-COVID, things got a bit serious and tense for a while. You saw some serious spots in the game. But lighthearted comedy seems to be the thing.”
Freelance global brand director Magda Tomaszewski, who has worked with brands such as Google, Volkswagen and Pinterest, agreed.
“I think the Super Bowl gives brands license to be a little bit more creative, a little bit more playful and really lean into the entertainment factor,” she told The Post.
“What we’re seeing a lot of this year is really fun spots that surprise and delight the audience. The Super Bowl has a really amazing history of those big emotional spots as well. But, so far, we’ve seen a lot of playfulness.”
A 30-second spot at this year’s game costs about $7 million, according to Ad Age.
And while the NFL has been leaning into its connection to global pop sensation Taylor Swift, the ad experts agreed that they didn’t see much Swift influence in the commercials — except maybe in the tone of the ads that are trying to catch viewers’ attention. Swift has been a staple at Chiefs games, as she’s dating tight end Travis Kelce.
Margaret Johnson, chief creative officer of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (which had four spots in this year’s big game, including Mountain Dew), told The Post, “The thing that we are talking about is that it’s predicted to be the most watched Super Bowl of all time. And a big part of that is the Taylor Swift effect. There’s a little more humor than there has been [in the past]. Everyone was ready to laugh. I’m seeing that reflected in a lot of the spots; humor is front and center.”
Here are the best ads from the 2024 Super Bowl — so far.
Uber Eats
Real-life couple David and Victoria Beckham appeared in this ad, along with famous fictional couple Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer — who played on-again, off-again couple Rachel and Ross on “Friends” for a decade.
“That’s one of my favorites,” said Tomaszewski.
“I think Uber Eats has leaned into a couple of great things. It’s an example of excellent celebrity casting, and it helps drive that narrative and story. It’s not just big names for big names’ sake. We all saw that cultural moment and social chatter this year,” she said, referring to the viral memes from the Netflix documentary “Beckham,” in which David told Victoria to “be honest” about her posh upbringing when she tried to downplay it.
“It’s such a clever campaign that mixes this real-life moment and experience we have,” she said, referring to the viral moment. “It’s clever, witty, entertaining writing.”
Mountain Dew
Aubrey Plaza appeared in a Mountain Dew ad where she casually rides a dragon. Unfortunately, the beast kept interrupting her to breathe fire. Finally, fed up, Plaza berated the creature in her famous deadpan tone, “You’re a terrible scene partner.”
Johnson said, “We thought it would be funny to have Aubrey do her flat-footed delivery and have fun with that, and have the dragon interrupt her along the way. That actually was kind of born on set, we tried it right there on the spot.”
The dragons are not supposed to be a reference to the “Game of Thrones” spinoff, “House of the Dragon,” she said.
“We just wanted a big dynamic finish for the spot. We weren’t trying to tie it to any particular property or show, we were just wanting something that felt big. With all Super Bowl spots, the three things that we try to lean into are make sure we keep it simple, make sure it’s funny and memorable, and, culturally, make sure it’s relevant.”
BetMGM
Starring Tom Brady, Vince Vaughn and Wayne Gretzky, the ad for the sportsbook hinged on the idea that Brady isn’t allowed to participate — because he wins too much.
“The most accessible spots start with simplicity — you’d be surprised by how many bad spots you see that aren’t simple or build around the brand … and relatability. Great advertising taps into relatable insights that we all find, much like good stand-up comics. You can relate to what they’re doing both culturally, and what’s happening in society. It’s a combination of those things,” said Gross, whose agency was behind the BetMGM ad.
Regarding Brady, he said, “Love him or hate him — he’s got a lot of fans across the US, but for people who aren’t fans, they’re tired of him winning all the time. So, we tapped into the insight, ‘What if we didn’t let the greatest player of all time on here, because he’s won too many times?’ The story was really built around there.”
Dunkin’
Everyone loves a celeb who can laugh at themselves and mock their own public images — and Ben Affleck did just that. Over the years, Affleck has become known for starring in paparazzi photos in which he’s seen carrying goodies from Dunkin’ and also photos of him looking bored or sad, which this ad tapped into.
“I think the Super Bowl gives brands license to be a little bit more creative, a little bit more playful and really lean into the entertainment factor,” said Tomaszewski.
“I think what people did well this year overall was use the celebrities well in what they do — you’ve seen spots in the past where they just write the spot and fit the talent in. This year, they really played into the celebrities’ personalities,” said Gross.
Johnson agreed. “One of the things I’m noticing in the world that we’re doing is that there’s a different use of celebrity this year. They’re self-aware, and a little self-deprecating. Celebrity is not a new thing, but I feel like the way we’re using them is a little different,” she said.
Squarespace
Directed by and starring Martin Scorsese, the Squarespace spot, called “Hello Down There,” imagined that oblivious, tech-obsessed people don’t notice aliens trying to make contact.
“I’m a Martin Scorsese fan, so I was excited to hear that they had tapped him for the spot,” said Tomaszewski. “Given what Squarespace stands for as a brand, I thought it was a home run for them, in terms of executing something wonderful and on point in the message, while delivering in the entertainment value.”
Gross agreed. “That was really fun, and it was fun for Scorsese to do it on the tails of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’” he said.
“He’s always famous, Scorsese, but they got him while he was speaking with that movie. It was a spectacle. Some of the better spots are spectacles and giant, and some are nice and quiet.”
Drumstick
This ad for the ice cream featured oddball comedian Eric André taking a flight and its ensuing hijinks.
“This one I felt was very irreverent, in terms of the humor, and I thought it did a great job of being a little bit twisted and wacky,” said Tomaszewski.
“It made you sit there and go, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going to happen next and where is this going?’ I think Eric was a fantastic choice for the tone and humor. What a fun way to bring ice cream to life.”
Johnson said, “One of the things you have to keep in mind is that people are at loud parties — you have to have an idea that’s simple so that people can follow along if they’re distracted by drinking and having fun.”
Hellmann’s
Former “Saturday Night Live” castmates Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson co-starred in the mayo’s ad, which poked fun at Davidson’s dating life and also featured a cat (where “meow” sounded like “mayo”).
“The mayo spot with Kate McKinnon was a nice simple story,” said Gross. “They open up with one simple premise of a cat can say, ‘Mayo,’ and they continue to have that build. And who doesn’t like Kate McKinnon? She’s great, and they used her really well, and I thought the spot was directed nicely.”
BMW
Christopher Walken starred in this star-studded spot for the car, “Talkin Like Walken,” which poked fun at his famous and unique cadence.
“I loved this spot,” said Tomaszewski. “I felt like it struck that balance in terms of tonality, and the payoff at the end was elegant and on point.”
She added: “The peppering through of different cameos was a great example of smart casting — really playing to a cultural trope around Christopher Walken, but flipping it on its head to link it back to the brand and the car itself. It’s beautifully executed, great storytelling. Just a real pleasure to watch.”
Gross agreed. “It was so simple. I thought all the people did a great Christopher Walken imitation, and he’s so beloved and such an interesting character. They told a simple story with him, and he was charming in it.”
Super Bowl LVIII kicks off from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m. EST.