Given I live in Massachusetts, this year’s Super Bowl is kind of a big deal. As someone who is a self-professed Patriots hater and decidedly “eh” on Justin Timberlake, I’m in it strictly for the commercials. Prices have climbed to more than $5 million for a 30-second spot and I have high hopes that companies will use their time wisely to effectively communicate their brand story to a very captive audience.
Some advertisers have chosen to leak part or all of their commercials as teasers. While I’m going to abstain actually watching the spots until the big game, I have read about many of them. Below are the ones I am most excited to see. Some I genuinely believe will be the most compelling in showing America why their products should be purchased. And some…well, let’s just say I’m morbidly curious.
Amazon: What would happen if Alexa, whose tone many know and love, lost her voice? I am cautiously optimistic about this one. I think there’s a possibility it could try too hard to be funny and fall flat. However, Jeff Bezos will make an appearance; the genius of the company’s founder is a real asset to the brand of innovation Amazon has cultivated. I don’t think they need to bring in celebrities for the commercial to resonate.
Budweiser: They’re going for the corporate responsibility story this year by showcasing their commitment to providing water to victims of natural disasters in 2017. I think they’re trying to reach the hipster crowd that preaches charitable work but turns their nose up at non-craft beer. We’ll see if it works.
PepsiCo: Here’s a celebrity scenario I can get behind: Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage have some sort of spoken battle. Freeman is supported by Missy Elliott and Dinklage has Busta Rhymes in his corner. This sounds just so bizarre—if not gimmicky—that I’ll be glued to the TV during this one.
Tide: All I want to see is whether the controversial pods will make an appearance.
Universal Studios: Peyton Manning just won’t go away, and I think we’re all okay with that. The weather is miserable here in New England and in much of the U.S. February is the perfect time to get people thinking about vacationing to sunny Florida. This one won’t be ground-breaking, but it’ll still work.