Hello everyone,
Even though the action on the field was a bit of a slog, the Super Bowl had its moments—off the field. Game of Thrones returned in epic fashion with the help of Bud Light, Alexa left us laughing, Hyundai angered vegans and a beer war over corn syrup broke out. We reviewed every ad of the night, from the very good—Hulu's teaser for The Handmaid's Tale, the OK (Expensify's spot qualifies here) and the downright bad, sorry Avocados From Mexico. Before we get into all the stories from the night, take two minutes to watch our supercut of all the Super Bowl ads.
Bud Light wins the night
So who screamed—either in laughter or horror are acceptable in this case—during the Bud Light/Game of Thrones mashup? The brands shocked viewers with the collaboration, killing off the Bud Knight in the process. Bud Light also ruffled feathers with its first quarter ad, which went after Miller Lite and Coors Lite for using corn syrup in their beers.
Burger King
Andy Warhol appeared in a Super Bowl spot—and no, it wasn't a deepfake video—eating a Whopper. Burger King CMO Fernando Machado explained how the ad came to be. While doing research for the fast-food chain, creative shop David Miami unearthed footage from the 1982 documentary 66 Scenes in America by director Jorgen Leth. “It’s one of those things that when David brought it to us and we watched the film our heads exploded,” Machado told Adweek. “What are the chances that your brand will have an asset like that? It’s beautiful!” Here's the full story on the ad.
Hulu
Ronald Reagan's "Morning Again in America" campaign ad is one of the most iconic political ads in history, but odds are Hulu silenced your living rooms with its remake for The Handmaid's Tale. The streaming service's move makes sense given the current political climate.
“We started down a more idyllic world and idyllic path before displaying the reality of what’s going on,” Hulu vp content marketing Ryan Crosby told Adweek, adding, “We thought we had something really interesting to say about what where this season is headed. Tonally, things are shifting.”
Stella's Last-Second Surprise
We knew Sarah Jessica Parker and Jeff Bridges would reprise their roles as Carrie Bradshaw and "The Dude," but what we didn't know was going to happen was the return of The Most Interesting Man in the World. The Dos Equis spokesman appeared briefly on screen holding a Stella and said, "Interesting choice." Read more on the surprising cameo.
Google's emotional ads
The search giant tugged at the heartstrings once again this year. While it's hard to top Parisian Love, Google hit home runs with its two spots, with messages about translating uplifting phrases and supporting veterans. See the ads here.
What's with all the robots?
From Sprint to Amazon, SimpliSafe and Pringles, AI and robots took center stage at the Super Bowl. Brand Marketing reporter Robert Klara took an in-depth look at the trend.
“Clients and agencies are chasing shiny new objects in an effort to look hip—and robots and AI are hot now,” said Allen Adamson, co-founder and managing partner of marketing consultancy Metaforce. “Nothing is worse than a super bowl ad that no one notices or talks about. Putting something trendy in ads like robots help them stand out.”
Reaching out to women
Before this year, only a quarter of Super Bowl ads are directed toward women. This year, advertisers sought to improve that imbalance as brands like Bumble, Olay, Michelob Ultra and more put women front and center. Reporter Diana Pearl explores the shifting strategy for the Super Bowl.
