The most compelling Super Bowl ads ever, from Uber Eats’ ‘Friends’ reunion to Bud’s Clydesdales – Chicago Tribune

NEW YORK — If you’re watching the Super Bowl for the commercials, you no longer have to wait until the big game to see what advertisers have in store for viewers.

Many companies now run ads before the game, hoping to capitalize on the excitement that builds as the game approaches. They hope to recoup some of the $7 million that is the going rate for a 30-second ad by attracting pregame attention.

It’s a big challenge to stand out among the more than 50 advertisers who will be vying for the eyes of the more than 100 million people expected to tune in to CBS (and Paramount+ and Nickelodeon) on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 11 this year. . Last year’s broadcast on Fox was watched by 115.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

So advertisers are doing everything. In pre-game ads so far, Budweiser is focusing on the iconic Clydesdales, Michelob Ultra is tapping into the iconic star power of football legend Lionel Messi, and Uber Eats is getting laughs with a commercial it forgot Jennifer Aniston was in the movie “Friends.” ”With David Schwimmer. Many more commercials are expected to be aired before the match.

Of course, not all advertisers run their ads before the game, so there will be surprises. Big advertisers like Amazon have so far remained mum on their advertising plans. While there’s no indication of that, it remains to be seen whether advertisers will somehow capitalize on the Taylor Swift excitement this year.

Some of the most interesting ads ever released:

Actress Tina Fey has so many options on her online travel agency booking.com that she has to hire body doubles: Bigfoot, played by her 30 Rock co-star Jane Krakowski to stay at a luxury hotel, is being handled by someone else. . 30 Rock star Jack McBrayer was offered to stay in a cabin, and even actress Glenn Close, who stayed on a farm, was offered to stay.

The Bud Light genie grants wishes, such as giving Bud Light drinkers ’80s metal hair and giving someone else a giant bicep. NFL legend Peyton Manning, rapper Post Malone and more also appear on screen.

Budweiser brings familiar characters back to the game day slot. In the beer brand’s nostalgic ad, a snowstorm threatens to derail a delivery to a small-town bar. But a team of Clydesdales and a Labrador retriever team up to help Budweiser make the delivery.

Two grandmotherly women (“Dina” and “Mita”) pursue “Top Gun: Maverick” actor Danny Ramirez, who grabs the last bag of Doritos Dinamita from a store shelf, leaving actress Jenna Ortega behind.

Dove’s ad begins, in a seemingly outlandish way, showing young girls having misfortunes while working out to the tune of “It’s the Hard Knock Life.” However, the ad focuses on a girl looking shyly into the mirror. Message: Low body confidence causes girls to quit sports, not setbacks.

Google’s heart-pounding ad features a blind man using “Guided Frame,” Google’s AI-powered accessibility feature for the Pixel camera that uses a combination of audio cues, high-contrast animations, and haptic vibrations to take photos of people and people. their place in your life.

In the Hellman’s ad, Kate McKinnon makes an unusual discovery: her cat can talk. Good ranking. His furry friend can only say one word: “May”. This quickly elevates him to celebrity status and causes a mayonnaise buying frenzy. The “Swimsuit Cat” became so famous that she even dated (and soon dumped) Pete Davidson.

Lionel Messi’s Super Bowl debut demonstrates his football prowess and dedication to Michelob Ultra. In the ad, the football star also gets an assist from NFL legend Dan Marino and a nod from “Ted Lasso’s” Jason Sudeikis.

Whether she’s trapped in an elevator, abducted by aliens, or reuniting with her “Parks and Rec” co-star Nick Offerman while riding dragons, Aubrey Plaza always has a blast.