Why Super Bowl Ads Are More Than Commercials. They’re Cultural Events
Every year, the Super Bowl comes in February, and is one of the most viewed television programs of the year. But as we know, the Super Bowl isn’t just about the football, it’s also about the commercials, halftime show, and food. With Super Bowl LX coming up this Sunday, (Go Patriots!), we wanted to share why and how the ads during the Super Bowl have lasting impact on our society.
For millions of viewers, the ads that air during the Super Bowl are as anticipated as the NFL championship itself. But this isn’t just because of entertainment or hype. Super Bowl commercials have become cultural moments of our advertising industries and a pivotal component of what makes the Super Bowl. These reflect societal values, spark conversations, challenge opinions, and leave lasting impressions.
At their core, Super Bowl ads capture massive collective attention. With 127.7 million viewers tuning in during Super Bowl LIX, (NFL), advertisers gain unparalleled reach in an unmatched high-stakes moment. Unlike typical forms media, where audiences are quite segmented and separated across platforms, the Super Bowl draws a broad, engaged audience simultaneously, which is a rare annual slice of hugely shared cultural time with media.
This year according to USA Today, the Super Bowl ad slots have raised to an all time high price for companies, ranging from $8-$10 million dollars, which is a 43% increase from just four years ago. So why do so many companies drop $10 million on a Super Bowl ad slot?
These ads have MASSIVE audience reach
Extended social media visibility: a lot of times now, the company creating their Super Bowl ad campaigns extend them on social media and have multiple “parts.”
Earned media & buzz: these ads resonate with people and are widely talked about after. (When I was in college, in a media class, we had a whole unit on Super Bowl ads and their effectiveness, my homework was literally to watch Super Bowl ads. - Juliette)
Brand positioning & prestige: Appearing in a Super Bowl ad conveys market strength and showcases the highest of high end brands for things that arent actually high end, such as Pepsi. Coca-Cola, Doritios, etc. These brands are the conglomerates of snacks and soda.
Competitive scarcity: There is only so many ad slots, so it creates competition to brands.
Boost to website traffic & conversions: a lot of brands that have a Super Bowl ad, will often see conversions and lead jumps to their CTAs, website, socials, or QR codes if the ad resonated enough with their target audience.
Super Bowl ads aren’t just for funny and flashy ads anymore either. We have seen a shift to more reflective and conversational ads thrown into the mix as well. We have seen more brands have been leaning into messages around diversity, inclusion, and social impact because that’s what today’s audiences expect.
Yes, Super Bowl ads are expensive, literally millions for 30 seconds expensive. But for brands, it’s not just about quick sales. It’s about becoming memorable, staying culturally relevant, and making a lasting impression.
Ads we’re excited to see this Sunday:
Instacart’s Jurassic Park themed ad
Budwiser’s ad
Doritios’ ad
Pepsi vs Coke ads
Kendall Jenner’s Sportbook ad
Liquid IV’s ad
Dunkin’s ads with Ben Affleck
Ritz Crackers ad with Bowen Yang
Nerds with Andy Coen
Uber Eats’s ad
Pringles ad with Sabrina Carpenter
Avengers Trailer Teasers
