Patrick Stewart, Drew Barrymore, David & Victoria Beckham, Lionel Messi, Christopher Walken, Glenn Close, Tine Fey, Vince Vaughn, Tom Brady, Chriss Pratt, and Mr. T (to name a few) all feature in this year’s crop of Super Bowl LVIII advertisements.
When used effectively, celebrity endorsement can be such powerful weapon for one’s brand. It can instantly set you apart from the crowd. But the world of Super Bowl commercials is unlike any other part of ad land. As the list above suggests, in this world, there is a plethora of stars competing for your attention. I’m not entirely sure I’ve seen the full gamut of ads yet.
And there’s some batsh*t crazy use of celebrity this year. Sir Patrick Stewart trying to throw a cartoon child over a mountain to name but one.
I really enjoyed Sir Patrick & Drew Barrymore for Paramount+ and Tine Fey & Glenn Close for Booking.com too. Both are worth a watch. BMW was very funny, but I just found the connection between the unique Mr. Walken and a saloon car a little bit of a stretch.
As I write, I have seen the Uber Eats’ follow-up ad to the Posh and Becks teaser. It’s chock-full of celebs (Aniston, Schwimmer, Usher, and more) all being forgetful. Ironically, I fear it won’t go down as the most memorable Super Bowl ads ever.
I can’t help going back to the old ad adage, “When the world zigs, zag”.
So, in a world jam-packed with celebrities, perhaps it’s best to do the opposite…?
In isolation during testing, I’m sure these celebrity concepts shone. But Super Bowl is a bit like ‘how many celebrities you can fit in a phone box’….
Of the Non-Celeb Ads I was really touched by the emotion of Google Pixel’s commercial, “Javier in Frame”. One of the very few ads that didn’t go for laughs but tugged at the heartstrings. And Kawaski’s “Mullets” ad is as fun and nuts as it sounds.
A final word to DoorDash who, rather than create a celebrity ad, are offering to deliver one lucky winner every product that gets advertised during the Super Bowl. I’ve always liked a product demo. This is one and some!
You can see some of the ads mentioned, here: LBB Editorial, Every 2024 Super Bowl Ad So Far