Does anyone remember the 2020 Super Bowl? Who won? Who played, even? Was there a halftime show? Were there ads for various brands who paid exorbitant amounts of money for 30 seconds of our attention? Last year’s Super Bowl, commercials and all, feels like a distant memory—something from an alternate universe. Such is the surreality of life post March 2020.
The entire 2020-2021 NFL season featured stadiums only a fraction of the way full, with piped in cheer noises. It’s all super bizarre, so why would you expect anything different from the equally strange Super Bowl LV? In a twist, mega advertisers like Budweiser, Pepsi, and Coke will not be running ads during the game this year. Hell, Budweiser is donating its ad money to COVID-19 relief initiatives.
But that doesn’t mean that there’s just going to be dead air during the game. If anything, that opens up the floodgates for new faces to appear during the biggest night of American sports television. While the below videos are mostly teasers for the big ads to come, it’s a toe into the advertising Olympics that we have come to know as the Super Bowl. Who’d have thought, say, 50 years ago, that you’d be more inclined to run to the bathroom during a first down than you would be at commercial time?
Whether you’re drawn in by the weird (see, #FlatMatthew below) or the wholesome (Mich Ultra, anyone?), there’s a Super Bowl ad for everyone. Just make sure you use the promotional hashtags they give you at the end of the spot, ok? It’s important for the ROI.
Hellmann’s
Amy Schumer, presumably dejected and hopeless for the year to come, has entered her mayonnaise fridge and turned into a bird on the other side. It is the Narnia sequel we deserve.
Tide
Tide did Jason Alexander so dirty. No, literally, the whole ad is about a Jason Alexander hoodie enduring the abuse of belonging to a teenage boy, and if you’ve ever known a teenage boy, you know what we’re talking about.
Doritos
In Doritos teaser commercials for the Super Bowl, Mindy Kaling and Jimmy Kimmel team up to tease out #FlatMatthew, which will feature Matthew McConaughey as… a flat version of himself. The final ones takes you into a day in the life of #FlatMatthew, but to see the actual flat man himself, you’ll have to watch the game.
Rockstar
Rockstar is making its first appearance at the Super Bowl, highlighting the people who hustle their asses off across America. The first in the teaser? Lil Baby, naturally.
Sam Adams
Yes, a Clydesdale is technically a horse and not a branded property, but we can’t shake the feeling that you’re not allowed to invoke the Budweiser horse of note? Sneaky, sneaky Sam Adams. The Clydesdales are free.
Coors
So… this one is complex. Instead of trying to run an ad on game day, Coors has put together an ad with the help of a psychologist and dream expert that will, allegedly, make you dream about Coors.
Paramount Plus
What do Jeff Probst, Gayle King, and Dora the Explorer have in common? You’ll be able to access their content on Paramount+. who has a series of ads featuring its stars climbing the famous Paramount mountain. They’ll reach the peak on Super Bowl Sunday.
Michelob Ultra
Michelob Ultra’s spot is actually pretty simple, which is refreshing in the landscape of high concept Super Bowl ads. This one is just about making sure you recognize happiness on the pursuit to greatness. Serena Williams, Peyton Manning, and more are featured in the feel good spot.
Cheetos
Mila Kunis and Shaggy? Teaming up to presumably do some high end dramatic acting with Chester Cheeto? Fine. Feels a little forced, but also we love Cheetos, so we’re in.
Justin Kirkland
Justin Kirkland is a writer for Esquire, where he focuses on entertainment, television, and pop culture.
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