Behind 2024’s Biggest Super Bowl Ads
There is one time a year when television viewers truly get excited to see the advertisements during commercial breaks: Super Bowl Sunday. This year was no exception, and good things for advertisers, as they threw in an average of $ 7 million for a 30-second ad spot. This money was spent on a range of intriguing ads from babies playing pickleball to ancient humans eating Oreos to Beyoncé dropping new music from space, and the ads got viewers talking once again. Let’s explore some of the most buzzed-about commercials of the 2024 game.
Celebrity Endorsements
One of the most common advertisements we see on the big day and throughout the rest of the year features a celebrity or two, and for good reason. It has been found that viewers are more likely to choose a product that is endorsed by a celebrity than a non-celebrity. With this in mind, it is clear why some of the world’s most popular companies choose to feature some of the world’s most recognizable people when promoting their products and services. Let’s look closer at some of the most talked about celebrity-endorsed ads from this year’s big game:
Dunkin’ Donuts: The DunKings - Jampacked with celebrities, the DunKings ad featured music stars Jack Harlow and Fat Joe, actor Matt Damon, NFL legend Tom Brady, and married celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. With this many big names in 60 seconds in addition to their memorable singing and dancing, the DunKings were bound to make a statement. This ad had something for everyone, whether that be sports, music, movie fans, or just people who like watching celebrities do comical things, making it resonate with a wide audience.
CeraVe: Michael CeraVe - Taking advantage of a name commonality, CeraVe used well-known actor Michael Cera as their leading actor to promote their moisturizing cream. The ad plays on stereotypical product promotions by having Cera talk in a smooth, almost whispery voice, having intense thematic music, “glamor shots”, and placing the product in nature. In this case, Cera spreads the cream onto the side of a frozen mountain. These elements, as well as Cera’s “pitch” at the end, add a layer of humor- making it stand out. But, what really makes it memorable, is the commonality between the actor and the product. It is rather unforgettable.
Humor and Obscurity
Everyone loves to laugh, and nothing quite does it like an obscure commercial that kind of makes you question what you just watched. Super Bowl commercials tend to be full of these types of ads as they are some of the most memorable to viewers. In fact, approximately 90% of people are more likely to remember an ad if it is humorous. Here are two great examples of memorable funny commercials from the game:
NERDS Candy: NERDS Big Game Commercial - In this 30-second ad, we see a giant gummy creature dance in a Flashdance-esque way while tiny NERDS creatures watch in awe. It’s hard not to be captivated by the gummy and its silly dance moves. Even the NERDS characters find the gummy creature irresistible as they end up raining down the candy on the gummy to stick to it, creating the NERDS Gummy Cluster of our dreams. I mean, who wouldn’t be intrigued by the gummy after that performance? The ad also features social media influencer Addison Rae at the end eating the product, adding another layer of memorability and recognition to the ad.
NFL Sunday Ticket: Migration - Viewers can’t help but chuckle at the idea of football players as birds, especially when they are constantly flying around the screen. And, how could you not love the little rookie football egg at the end? I know it stuck with me, and like the goal of the ad, it made me not feel sad about this season ending by making the idea light-hearted and humorous while amping up the excitement for next season. I can imagine this effect was felt by other viewers as they were watching as well, perhaps even persuading them to buy NFL Sunday Ticket this early as the company had in mind.
Takeaways
While advertisers continue to try to stand out in the industry and attract customers, it is clear that viewers will never get tired of some of the classic advertisement techniques that we all know and love. From celebrity endorsements to humor and obscurity, advertisers know how to keep their material replaying in our minds. Even though these techniques are proven to be effective, advertisers need to continue to find ways to be innovative with their approaches to ensure their ideas land with viewers. With this being said, there is no doubt that I, my fellow communication professionals, and the rest of the country are looking forward to seeing what is done with next year’s Super Bowl ads.
About Morgen
Morgen Head is a senior studying advertising and Public Relations with an emphasis in PR and a minor in Writing. She is the Committee Chair for GVPRSSA’s DEI committee, a role she served in throughout 2023, and is currently serving in the Winter Semester of 2024. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks, reading, and watching her favorite TV shows. She has worked at GVSU’s Laker Store as a Marketing Associate since May of 2022 and has other internship experience with Gordon Food Service where she worked as their InnoServ Marketing Intern for a summer. After graduation, she hopes to find a career in the education field doing PR and Communication work.
