Super Bowl commercials this year will include glitzy forms of marketing innovation, such as NFTs and references to the metaverse, but many advertisers are also continuing to stick with tried-and-true Big Game advertising tactics to win over consumers. Even as Super Bowl marketers explore virtual worlds, they are simultaneously touching upon themes of nostalgia and relying on high-profile celebrities in an effort to resonate with the 100 million or so viewers who will likely watch the game on NBC on Feb. 13. 

Get the latest Ad Age Super Bowl 2022 news here.

Here’s a look at Super Bowl commercial tricks that have long been in brands’ arsenal and are getting a new spin. 

Nostalgia 

Even as Meta looks to prompt football fans to experience the metaverse, it’s doing so with some ‘80s inspiration. In a teaser released on Feb. 2, Meta showed an empty fictional restaurant called Questy’s, a Chuck E. Cheese-style backdrop that looks a little tattered. The trailer pans across the arcade-eatery playing a song with a vaguely familiar ’80s sound that ends with the lyrics, “and we’ll always be together.” 

Speaking of ‘80s soundtracks, Kia’s spot—which stars a robotic dog to promote its new electric vehicle—uses Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” while Frito-Lay’s ad for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Doritos uses the 1980s Salt-N-Pepa song, “Push It.” 

Going further back in time, Barbra Steisand’s “Gotta Move”—released in 1963—backs a very future-focused ad for Bud Light Next. 

For those looking to reflect back to their childhoods, Barbie will make an appearance alongside Anna Kendrick in Rocket Mortgage’s Super Bowl spot, as Mattel’s dreamhouse celebrates its 60th anniversary. 

Hellmann’s, meanwhile, is reimagining a character from an early 2000s Reebok campaign. Its latest bid to promote using its mayo as a way to reduce food waste stars former NFL player Jerod Mayo tackling food wasters much in the way Terry Tate, Office Linebacker, took down people in ads the athletic brand employed for years, including in the 2003 Super Bowl.
 

Celebrities 

Celebrities have long been an integral part of Super Bowl campaigns, but this year it seems the caliber of talent has been elevated with everyone from Idris Elba to Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen appearing in Big Game spots. 

Last year, there were 85 celebrities in Super Bowl commercials, according to E-Poll Market Research, down from 103 in 2020. 

So far this year we know about plenty of celebrity appearances, including that Lindsay Lohan will star in Planet Fitness’ first-ever Super Bowl commercial; Arnold Schwarzenegger will play Zeus in BMW’s spot; Uber Eats’ teasers included big-name stars including Trevor Noah and Gwyneth Paltrow; Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd team up for a Lay’s commercial; Sam’s Club tapped Kevin Hart; Peyton Manning and Steve Buscemi will appear in Michelob Ultra’s spot; Zendaya will star in Squarespace’s ad; late-night funnyman Andy Richter will take on the role of Julius Caesar for Avocados From Mexico; Caesars Sportsbook ad will include J.B Smoove playing Julius Caesar and Halle Berry as Cleopatra, along with members of the Manning family including Eli and Peyton; Amazon’s Alexa spot features real-life celebrity couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost; and Anna Kendrick is appearing in Rocket Mortgage’s ad. 

Animals and babies 

It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl without the heroic tales of lovable animals or the sweet cuddles of babies. This year will have both. 

Budweiser will return to the Super Bowl after sitting out last year, and it’s bringing back its iconic pairing of a Clydesdale and a dog. This time, the Clydesdale gets hurt and the dog eagerly awaits his friend’s recovery. 

In another return, E-Trade hinted it would bring back its iconic baby for the first time since 2014. 

Frito-Lay’s ad has lots of animated animals, not all of them exactly the cuddly kind.

And a new twist on the animal trend, Kia’s ad for its electric vehicle stars a robotic dog.

Movie remakes/movie spoofs

Jim Carrey returns in his role as “The Cable Guy,” in Verizon’s Super Bowl teaser released on Feb. 7, while General Motors is bringing back “Austin Powers” with Mike Myers and Rob Lowe reprising their roles. 

These are the latest in movie remakes we have seen during the Super Bowl in recent years, which includes Uber Eats bringing back “Wayne’s World” in 2021; Cadillac creating an alternate ending for “Edward Scissorhands” last year; Bill Murray reprising his “Groundhog Day” role in Jeep’s 2020 ad and Mtn Dew spoofing “The Shining” in 2020. 

This year, aside from remakes of real movies, multiple spots are being positioned as fake movies. Arnold Schwarzenegger teased his appearance as Zeus in BMW’s commercial as though it was a move in the works, while Nissan is going to great lengths to achieve the ad-as-film approach. The spot shows Eugene Levy transforming into an action film star when he gets behind the wheel of a Nissan Z sports car. Levy’s “Schitt’s Creek” co-star Catherine O’Hara makes an appearance driving a Nissan Ariya electric vehicle and the spot evolves into an action-packed car chase portrayed as a movie called “Thrill Driver.” Levy is joined by actors Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista as they flee bad guys.

The spot ends with the actors emerging from what is portrayed as the red-carpet premiere of the “movie.”

Nissan is going so far as to distribute “limited-edition movie posters” and tease the ad with fake movie trailers on social media. The brand even made a collectible action figure based on Levy’s character. Nissan also tapped real-life movie reviewers to post content on YouTube that poses as real reviews of the fake movie.

Contributing: E.J. Schultz, Jessica Wohl

Get the latest Ad Age Super Bowl 2022 news here.