What to Expect From 2024’s Crop of Super Bowl Ads
As we get ready for the Big Game next weekend (both personally and professionally), Super Bowl ads will draw millions of eyeballs pre-, during- and post-game. A roundup for CM sister pub PRNEWS reports on what to expect from this year’s spots. Charles R. Taylor, professor of marketing at the Villanova School of Business, outlines his expectations and industry insights, including the following:
- Heavy use of celebrities, humor and emotional appeals due to their relationship with likeability.
- Returning advertisers campaigns will be interesting to watch as well. For example, Hellman’s is running its fourth consecutive Super Bowl ad focusing on food waste. Will this commitment to a specific socially responsible issue be memorable?
- Some are calling this year’s Super Bowl “The Junk Food Bowl.” With only a portion of the ads announced, there are already nine ads in this category. Four are candy or dessert brands: Drumstick (ice cream), Nerds, M&M, Reese’s. Two soda brands: Mountain Dew Baja and Starry. Two salty snack brands: Doritos and Pringles, and one for Popeyes focused on its addition of chicken wings.
He adds that with bad news circling the globe, an overarching theme of humor is to be expected.
“In an environment with lots of issues at home and abroad in the news, we are seeing a lot of light themes in ads,” he says. “This includes humorous ads from brands like Kawasaki and Uber Eats and even the use of the hilarious “Mayo Cat” with actress Kate McKinnon by Hellmann’s to reinforce its food waste message.”
For more on Taylor’s commentary about the Big Game, read more in PRNEWS.
