Hello everyone!
Strap in, we have enough updates to keep you busy until Sunday.
If a brand releases a Super Bowl campaign, but it doesn't air during the Super Bowl, is it really a Super Bowl campaign? Dietz & Watson is going to test that on Sunday when it runs a primarily digital and social only campaign. The hope? We're guessing it's to go viral. How do we know this? Well, the product is called Dietz Nuts. And The Office star Craig Robinson says it over and over again, making many other Dietz Nuts puns along the way. You can put 2 + 2 together. Watch it here.
Amazon can't strike gold with every product idea
That's the message in this star-studded ad from the ecommerce Goliath. Forest Whitaker, Harrison Ford and Broad City stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer combine to test new versions of the Alexa like the tooth brush and hot tub. Predictably, things go wrong in a hurry. Despite the star power, the character who steals the show is Ford's dog. Watch it here.
#KillerSkin
After multiple teasers, Olay released its full spot that perfectly mixes horror, humor and Sarah Michelle Gellar's glowing skin. The spot was an easy sell to get the Buffy star onboard, “The concept was really fun and just such a great twist,” Gellar told Adweek of signing on to do the spot. “All you ever want to do in your life as an actor is have these moments that people remember." Watch it here.
Olay is also using the Super Bowl to empower women, bringing back its “Fearless Squad” ambassadors, including Aly Raisman, Kay Adams and Gellar, among others, in a special Olay-branded box at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The only elevator you'd want to get stuck in
Jason Bateman stars in Hyundai's ad as an elevator operator. Considering the floors he stops at lead to root canals and "the talk," this is one elevator you don't want to get off. But of course there's a twist, one that shows off a new Hyundai product. Watch it here.
HALFTIME!
Red Lobster. WHAT?
The rest of the new ads from the last 48 hours
—Chance the Rapper gives a Backstreet Boys classic a hip-hop update after he experiences the joy of Doritos' new Flamin' Hot Nacho flavor.
—Expensify's ad has some pros and cons. Pro: 2 Chainz and Adam Scott are wonderful. The ad is weird, but weird in a memorable way. Con: Why doesn't the ad plug its giveaway? Isn't that the whole point of the ad?
—Mr. Peanut, Alex Rodriguez and a special "nuts" celebrity combine for a 30-second epic adventure. Keanu Reeves and Speed have nothing on this ad.
—Tony Romo is making up for his lack of Super Bowls as a quarterback this year (reminder: I was very clear in the first edition of this newsletter that I'm an Eagles fan). Between having a spot in the broadcast booth and now this Skechers' ad, he's finally leaving a mark on the game.
—In another nod to female empowerment, Toyota is honoring trailblazer Toni Harris. She'll likely be the first woman to receive a college football scholarship for a non-kicking position.
—Christina Applegate snaps at some awful backseat passengers in the M&Ms spot. She's ready to tear the troublesome companions apart.
Returning brands
Fiat Chrysler Automotive brands usually don't make noise before the game (the company makes it very clear it doesn't believe in releasing creative before the game). However, it did release three "Big Game Blitz" videos, one each for Dodge, Jeep and Ram. Finally, someone used The Devil Went Down to Georgia in Super Bowl creative.
T-Mobile is also back, but there's no word what direction the brand is going in.
Super Bowl Insights
Normally, the trending section in the magazine is four pages. We kept to that in the issue, but online, we're running some special digital-only Trending stories. We hit on a range of topics (and will have two more stories later this week):
—How Football Stadiums Are Implementing Tech to Lure Fans off Their Couches
—Why Brands Spent Millions of Dollars on a Super Bowl Ad to Support a Cause
—Why Companies Are Increasingly Taking New Brands and Products to the Super Bowl Stage
—Throw a Party, Buy a Spot: How Media Companies Capitalize on the Super Bowl
Finally, Uber wants to help the losing fans
It's a pretty simple concept: All you want to do is sulk when your team loses the Big Game. So Uber is going to take care of your ride home, giving away free rides to fans in the losing city for one hour after the game.
As always, feel free to send me your feedback. What's your favorite ad so far? Email me. [email protected]
