Traditionally, Super Bowl ads give brands and agencies alike an excuse to blow their budgets on big names in order to build hype and (more recently) social media buzz. Whilst many advertisers such as Anheuser-Busch (arguably the biggest single advertiser in the game) have declared they won't be relying as heavily on celebrity endorsement this year, that certainly hasn't stopped adland at large from reeling in the big names. Comedian and Ghostbuster Melissa McCarthy has taken the celebrity spot in Kia’s Super Bowl ad this year to push the automaker’s all-new 2017 Niro in a spot by David&Goliath. In the two teaser spots preceding the ad, McCarthy gushes over the Kia Niro car with her trademark quirky sense of humour. It's honestly a little broad for my tastes (the same can be said of a lot of American comedians to be honest), but she's a big name right now so it should definitely play well.
The Pizza Hut brand has been a big pre-game sponsor for more than 10 years, and this year's campaign will reportedly feature George Takei, best known for his role as Star Trek's “Hikaru Sulu,” and his outspoken social media presence, in a spot by Droga5. Last year, Pizza Hut sold nearly $12 million in food ordered online or via mobile on Super Bowl Sunday. Take-away food is big business during the game, with around 48 million Americans apparently ordering it for each Super Bowl, according to the National Restaurant Association.
Star Wars star Adam Driver, meanwhile, has been unmasked as the latest star of the award-winning “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign by BBDO New York for Snickers. This is a brand that have always gone for the unconventional celebrity pick, with previous years featuring Betty White, Steve Buscemi and Danny Trejo. Adam Driver might not be a household name yet, but his unconventional good looks and quirky personality made him the ideal fit for the brand. The spot itself is reportedly going to be shot live on the day (in a similar move to Hyundai), making it the first ever live commercial to air during the big game. The stunt will be preceded by a 36-hour livestream from the set of the commercial.
Sticking with unconventional leading men, John Malkovich (who recently declared himself a budding fashion designer) will star in the upcoming Super Bowl spot for website building platform Squarespace, which is returning to the Super Bowl for the fourth year in a row. While creative details of the spot have not yet been revealed, Malkovich recently starred in a documentary-style ad for Squarespace by JohnxHannes to promote both his new eponymous fashion line and the fact that he used Squarespace to build his line’s website.
Israeli website building company Wix.com is also returning to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row with celebrities in tow. Their “action packed”campaign features action heroes Jason Statham and Gal Gadot in a spot that made its debut on Facebook Live and YouTube Live last week. However, this spot won’t necessarily be the one that Wix.com airs on game day, as the brand’s campaign is built around a “series of short films” including the hectic piece above that will be released up until the Super Bowl. Wix.com has not revealed which spot will run during the game. A clever move that shows just how much money the brand has to burn if it's willing to hire top tier talent for a spot they won't even be using!
Perhaps the most surprising celebrity name this year so far, however, is Justin Timberlake, who has been named by agency Barton F. Graf as 'chief flavour officer' for Bai, a maker of low-calorie, antioxidant-infused drinks. The spot was created by Bai’s internal creative team, which is led by its chief creative officer Chad Portas, who served as director of design at SapientNitro before joining Bai in 2014. Timberlake was named Bai’s chief flavour officer in November and is involved with “new flavour innovation, product launches, marketing campaigns and digital content, among other initiatives” at the company, which presumably include the upcoming Super Bowl spot.
Of course, the big day (or very early morning for us here watching in the UK, where we won't even get to watch the spots because the coverage is being helmed by the BBC) is still more than a week away so there's still plenty of time for more big name drops. If you can't get enough Super Bowl ad news, I will also be featuring some more Super Bowl spots in the Ads of the Week, and there is even more news to explore in my supplemental Super Bowl 51 piece. So fill your boots people. Tis the season after all.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
