Super Bowl LIX Recap: High Stakes and Unforgettable Ads
When the pigskin was launched high into the night sky above Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, an estimated 200 million people around the world watched with bated breath—not only to see who would carry home the Super Bowl LIX trophy, but also to catch the first of the hugely popular ad breaks.
The Kansas City Chiefs were the clear favorites to win Super Bowl LIX and achieve a remarkable three-peat. However, the battle for the most loved commercial proved far more competitive. As the most-watched TV event of the year, the Super Bowl commanded the priciest advertising slots, with more brands vying to perform in front of 123 million American viewers.
Fox, which broadcast the game, had sold all its slots with days to spare despite a serious rise in price. A 30-second spot had fetched an estimated $7 million last year, but according to Mark Evans, Fox Sports’ executive vice president of ad sales, some slots went for more than $8 million this year. In a fractured market for advertisers, the Super Bowl emerged as a rare unifying event. “We were in a period where the live sporting event—where people and families come together to watch—was that much more coveted,” Evans told CNBC.
Winning on the $8 million slots
The ads were an integral part of the show. True, the ad break provided an opportunity to grab a cold beer from the fridge, but 78 per cent of viewers said they watched the commercials, according to IPSOS. Amazingly, 11 per cent claimed the commercials were the main reason they watched the game.
To achieve cut through—and stand out in the crowd—marketers used every trick in their playbook. Humour, celebrities, and even cuddly animals? Nostalgia, iconic music, sustainability, tearjerkers, creative surprises, or the new kid on the block, an AI-generated film?
So, what worked best? An IPSOS FastFacts study of 1,000 18-65 year-olds revealed an interesting pecking order of viewer likes and dislikes when it came to Super Bowl ads. An impressive 74.6% liked humorous ads—a trusty marketing classic—with, perhaps surprisingly, cute animals coming in second at 63.8%. Iconic music (61.7%), nostalgia (60.5%), and everyday people (56.6%) also resonated well.
Surprisingly, under half liked celebrity ads (47%). The most disliked strategies were the use of AI techniques (32.8%), which is still to gain trust among consumers, emotional tearjerker ads (26%) and exploiting social and cultural trends (23.9%). The post-Covid waves of social commentary and emotional family dramas are on the wane…
Many ads played a part, and often there was a pleasing combination. Last year, for example, the most popular ad—according to the 36th USA TODAY Ad Meter contest—was from State Farm, which starred Arnie and his erstwhile sidekick, Danny DeVito.
Arnie saved two puppies and a pregnant woman from a burning house in the 60-second spot, “Like A Good Neighbaaa,” but the poor old Austrian-born action man couldn’t pronounce the insurance giant’s tagline. His eloquent pal DeVito jumped in to save the day. It had a little of everything: humour (I did say a little), celebrities, an all-action hero, and those fluffy animals…
This year’s MVP – the Marketing Victory Prize
To win the MVP at the Super Bowl wouldn’t have been amazing if one of the brands hadn’t tried something special—conjuring up a creative new play that blindsided the competition and got the fans cheering and jumping out of their seats. Think of the New Orleans Saints’ onside kick in Super Bowl XLIV, where a halftime deficit was turned into a full-time win against the stunned Indianapolis Colts.
Here were three ads that might have swept the prize this year:
Häagen-Dazs – Not so Fast & Furious. The ice cream brand’s first Super Bowl spot cleverly subverts the expected high jinx of the speedy franchise driving team. Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) cruise slowly on a coastal drive so they can focus on enjoying some Häagen-Dazs. “It requires you to slow down a moment,” explains Rachel Jaiven, head of Häagen-Dazs marketing. “You really have to savor it.” Stars and cars and a joke!
Doritos – Crash the Super Bowl. Doritos revived the campaign that was so successful between 2006 and 2016 when it topped the USA Today’s Ad Meter four times. Fans submit their ideas for a Super Bowl ad and the winning entry is shown during the game. The prize for the winners is a cool $1 million prize. Like any unstoppable play, it’s perfect when you need guaranteed yards!
Angel Soft – timing is everything. Toilet Paper manufacturer Angel Soft is making its Super Bowl debut with a spot timed immediately before the half time show that encourages viewers to take a bathroom break before the entertainment begins. “We’re giving you a potty-tunity to take a bathroom break,” claims the teaser. “So you don’t have to choose between missing the action or the ads!” When is an ad not an ad? A neat idea…
As Super Bowl LIX concluded, it left behind a legacy of creative risk-taking and high-stakes competition—a night when innovation met tradition on one of the world’s biggest advertising stages.
