Hello!

Between the pandemic and the political unrest, brands have been absurdly quiet about their Big Game plans. By now, we usually know at least half of the 50+ advertisers in the game. Normally, many would be releasing teasers or even their full spots this close to the game. Instead, about 10 brands have announced they've purchased a spot. There's only a couple teasers out there, and there's only one full spot (thanks, Vroom).

That changes on Monday. Brands are lining up to get the word out about their spots, and we'll start unveiling the news next week. The proverbial snowball will be an avalanche shortly. Until then, we've got a few stories below about we do know so far:

Doritos Reveals the Identity of #FlatMatthew in New Super Bowl Teaser

Sometimes Super Bowl ads are purposely absurd and don't make sense (we're looking at you PuppyMonkeyBaby). We may be headed toward that territory after Doritos' teaser reveals who #FlatMatthew is...as the celebrity Matthew seems to be a kite in the spot.

Here’s How You’ll Be Able to Stream Super Bowl 55

Cord-cutters rejoice, CBS is making viewing the game significantly easier this year. Authentication won't be required to stream the game through a handful of digital properties.

The Biggest Challenge for Super Bowl 2021 Advertisers: Tone

Going hand-in-hand with why brands are waiting to announce their Super Bowl intentions is the struggle to find the right tone. Will humor resonate? Will consumers expect thoughtful ads acknowledging the difficulties of the past year? Will brands be criticized for what consumers might consider wasteful spending?

In the story, we explore how brands are navigating this unprecedented consumer mentality.

That's it for this week. We'll be back next week with more frequent updates as the news rolls in. Enjoy your weekend!

—Jameson Fleming
Adweek senior editor, membership.
[email protected]

Brands aim to generate buzz while avoiding backlash during the Big Game.

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