Super Bowl 2025: Where Familiarity and Fun Meet

The upcoming Super Bowl will be a spectacle that will attract more than 120 million viewers. For advertisers, it’s a golden opportunity to grab attention, and many of them are using celebrities and familiar faces to do just that. Brands are leaning into what makes customers feel comfortable and engaged. Brands are using well-known characters and celebrities to make their ads. One example is Instacart, which is buying its first-ever Super Bowl ad. Instacart's spot will feature beloved consumer mascots like Mr. Clean, Cheetos’ Chester the Cheetah, and the Pillsbury Doughboy, who appear together in the ad for the first time. Uber Eats has celebrities Martha Stewart and Kevin Bacon for a humorous twist, suggesting that football was invented to sell food. Stella Artois is bringing back David Beckham and Matt Damon, and Coffee Mate has Shania Twain singing a custom song to promote their new product. In the world of tech, artificial intelligence is getting a lot of attention. Stars like Chris Pratt, Kris Jenner, and Chris Hemsworth are showcasing Meta’s AI-powered glasses, while the Muppets use Booking. com’s new AI tool.

There was a buzz around cryptocurrency and gambling commercials in previous years, but this year they are largely absent. Beauty brands aren't showing up this year, even with Taylor Swift's presence and influence. Long term brand building is the goal of most advertisers and some companies like Dove are making another appearance. But are the ads worth the money? A 30-second ad slot is going for upwards of $8 million each in some cases. Advertisers know that this is the one day of the year many people actually want to sit through their ads. People who love the nostalgia of old commercials like the Clydesdales for Budweiser are the ones who will remember them the most. Beauty brands jumped on the bandwagon last year, but not this year. Dove is the one beauty brand that is returning for another spot. This year's focus is on the impact of negative body talk on girls in sports. The Super Bowl is all about making connections with the audience, and brands are doing just that by using what’s familiar and beloved.

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