Over 200million eyeballs will be glued to the CBS coverage of Super Bowl 55 in the United States on Sunday.
That means it’s literally the primetime slot of the year for companies who want to thrust their products in front of as many people as possible.
According to Nielsen ratings, 30 of the 31 most-watched broadcasts in US television history are Super Bowls, with the 2015 showpiece between New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks attracting a record audience of 114.4million.
CBS has been chasing around $5.5million for a 30-second in-game advertising slot this year, and reports claim they are virtually sold out despite brands like Coke and Hyundai opting out altogether.
The vast sums being thrown around and the mega audience means companies get seriously creative to grab their slice of the Super Bowl pie – and it often results in commercials achieving legendary status.
Budweiser’s “Frogs” (1995) and McDonald’s “Showdown” (1993) are among those most memorable from years gone by. Below, we pick out the best-in-class from 2021.
Pringles: Space Return
Pringles are back on the Super Bowl stage with Space Return, which introduces a pair of astronauts stranded at sea while the people back at misson control become sidetracked by the various ways to stack the “endless flavours”.
Amazon: Sexy Alexa
“Alexa, dim the lights.” Michael B. Jordan takes on the role of Sexy Alexa in this Super Bowl special as Amazon push the Echo’s smart new look.
Tide: Jason Alexander Hoodie
A hoodie bearing the face of Seinfeld star Jason Alexander has somehow dodged the washing machine to the point where its owner “owes it an apology”. Hey, it’s always better to apologise in person.
Cheetos: It Wasn't Me
“Did you steal my Cheetos again?” Caught orange-handed by husband Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis enlists the help of Shaggy to pull the wool over her man’s eyes.
Bud Light: Last Year's Lemons
“We know the saying, Mark.” Bud Light introduce their lemonade seltzers after a ‘lemon’ of a year in which cancelled flights, home haircuts and cardboard cutouts became the new normal.
Squarespace: Working 5 to 9
Website builders Squarespace throw us into an alternate reality where Dolly Parton’s timeless classic is reworked to promote the “5 to 9” side hustle.
Doritos: Flat Matthew
Flat Matthew (McConaughey) wants to break free from his miserable existence. Guest starring Mindy Kaling and Jimmy Kimmel, the ad follows Flat Matt’s (as I prefer to call him) journey to a fuller – if more snug – reality.
Scotts and Miracle-Gro
John Travolta and his daughter are ‘Tickety-Tocking’ on Stanley’s lawn. With a hatful of cameos – including Martha Stewart and Chubbs from Happy Gilmore – it’s one of the more bizarre offerings.
Stella Artois: Heartbeat Billionaire
I didn’t expect my day to include Lenny Kravitz calling me a billionaire, but here we are. That’s ‘Heartbeat Billionaire’ to you, and you’ll spend about 50 beats of “the fortune within you” watching this 30-second clip.
Frito-Lay: The Night Before Super Bowl
Marshawn Lynch narrates ‘Night before Super Bowl’ as an all-star cast unite to produce the sequel to the ‘Night before kick-off’ ad which aired on the eve of the season back in September. ‘Come for the Manning brothers in matching pajamas, stay for the crisps’ is pretty much the message.
READ MORE: Get our free Super Bowl tips for February 7.
