What's With the Maskless Super Bowl Ads?

We’ve now seen more than 30 complete Super Bowl LV ads, and they’re a nice blend of fun, humorous, heartfelt and inspiring. But almost all of them have one thing in common—no masks. McDonald's did include a mask in its pre-game ad, which celebrates its drive-thru customers, otherwise there’s hardly a mask in sight. At a time when masks are ubiquitous—and an important element of pandemic-era safety precautions—their absence is conspicuous.

Adweek’s Robert Klara offers 5 reasons why brands avoided masking up their ad stars this year.

Droga5’s “Journey to the Peak” campaign for ViacomCBS’ upcoming streaming service Paramount+, which took its first steps during the AFC Championship, continues during the Super Bowl with four promos. The ads, which are part of CBS’ in-game allotment, highlight the streamer’s content and many of the celebrities in it. In the promos, ViacomCBS stars like Sir Patrick Stewart, Stephen Colbert and more trek up the Paramount Mountain. Watch the ads, and learn how Droga5 summited this metaphorical peak.

More Big Game Updates: News from Bass Pro Shops, Fiverr and ViacomCBS

This week, Uber announced its plans to buy Drizly for $1.1 billion. The deal speaks to the success of both platforms and the surge of delivery—both food and alcohol—during the pandemic, and it shows how ecommerce players are emulating Amazon’s success model. After the sale concludes, Drizly will remain its own app, but it will also be integrated into Uber Eats so that customers can order alcohol through the platform. But there could be tension with restaurants that want to sell delivery booze.

Almost a year ago, PepsiCo bought Rockstar Energy Beverages. Now it’s reintroducing the brand with a revamped look and tone that aims to draw the general public into the buzzy energy drink category, expanding beyond the stereotypical gamer crowd. The rollout will begin during the Super Bowl pre-game show prior to kick-off. Check out the reimagined branding in the 30-second spot about it.

More of Today’s Top News and Highlights:

Iconic ads like Bud Light's “Dilly dilly!” and Alexa losing her voice are certainly memorable—but when it comes to sheer longevity, no brand can touch Master Lock. Unlock its intriguing Super Bowl ad history.

Warby Parker Senior Director of Experience Design Tim Riley, Hill House Home Founder and Chief Executive Officer Nell Diamon, and Grove Collaborative Chief Marketing Officer Lilian Tomovich join us as Breakout Session leaders at the Challenger Brands Summit, Feb. 22-25.

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