Super Bowl commercials in 2021 and who's buying them

Super BowlAll the brands in Super Bowl LVSuper Bowl 2021 commercials: who’s buying whatBy Jeanine Poggi. Illustration by Tam Nguyen. Published on November 12th, 2020.Super Bowl advertisers have been cautious in unveiling their Big Game plans too early thanks to uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and the political insurgency. But things are starting to pick up now that the inauguration has passed.CBS, which will air the game from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fl. on Feb. 7, has sold out of about 80% of its ad units in the game, according to people familiar with the situation. But it’s those last handful of units that are typically the hardest to offload.The cost for a 30-second ad unit is remaining steady from last year at around $5.6 million.It remains to be seen how sectors that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic, like autos and movie studios, turn out. These categories, in particular, are big spenders in the Super Bowl.And some stalwarts like Hyundai, Pepsi and Coke won’t run commercials in the game. They are being replaced by some newcomers, like Vroom, Fiverr and Scotts Miracle-Gro, that are looking to capitalize on the consumer demand they’ve seen amid the pandemic.Ad Age’s definition of a Super Bowl commercial includes all national spots between the coin toss and end of play.Bookmark this page to keep up with every spot in the game as it is confirmed, complete with details on the agencies, creative and where it will run in the game. Find all of our Super Bowl ad coverage in one place with our Super Bowl Special Report.Most RecentMarketersCategoriesAgenciesAllAutoBeveragesTechFoodFinancial/InsuranceMiscellaneousWeb servicesAll72andSunnyBBDODavidFCBGoodby, Silverstein & PartnersIn-HouseKnownLucky GeneralsMarcus ThomasThe Marketing ArmThe Martin AgencyMediaMonksMiramarPinnaclePublicis GroupeRaindrop MarketingSaatchi & SaatchiThe Special GroupTBWA\Chiat\DayVaynerMediaVenables Bell & PartnersWieden & KennedyWovenWunderman ThompsonBeveragesAnheuser-Busch InBevBuy: Instead of running its usual ad for Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch will use that ad time for a corporate brand commercial.Creative: The brewer described it as its “first-ever corporate Super Bowl commercial which launches a campaign highlighting the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on communities and playing a role in our nation’s economic recovery.”Agencies: TBDBeveragesBud Light (Anheuser-Busch InBev)Buy: Bud Light will air two spots in the game.Creative: Bud Light debuted its spot promoting its new seltzer lemonade on Jan. 28. In the commercial, Bud Light flashes forward to “future time” to a group of people at a party reminiscing about the hardships the pandemic brought us, from do-it-yourself haircuts to busted wedding plans. The commercial plugs the new hard seltzer lemonade flavor by showing lemons falling from the sky as a symbol of all the “lemons” 2020 brought us. The second spot will promote the namesake brand. In its second spot, Bud Light resurrect some classic ad characters like “I love you man” guy, Dr. Galazkiewicz, the “Real Men of Genius” singer, plus Cedric the Entertainer, who last appeared in a Bud Light Super bowl ad in 2005.Agencies: Wieden+KennedyBeveragesMichelob Ultra (Anheuser-Busch InBev)Buy: Michelob Ultra will air two 60-second spots in the game.Creative: Michelob Ultra debuted its first ad on Jan. 25.The commercial shows what a variety of A-List athletes, including Serena Williams, Anthony Davis, Peyton Manning, Brooks Koepka, Jimmy Butler and Alex Morgan, do in their downtime. The message of the ad: You’re not just happy because you win, you win because you’re happy. The second ad will be dedicated to its new organic seltzer variety. The second ad, which dropped on Feb. 3, seems like a very star-studded spot. But, the celebrities are soon revealed to be fakes by the real Don Cheadle, who appears alongside his lookalike: his brother. The spot pushes its organic seltzer variety.Agencies: Wieden+Kennedy, FCBFoodM&M's (Mars Wrigley)Buy: M&M’s will air one, 30-second commercial during the first commercial break following kickoff. This is the brand’s sixth Super Bowl ad in the past decade, lasting running a commercial in 2019.Creative: M&M’s is suggesting its candies as a thoughtful way to apologize for life’s little irritations and bring people together. The Super Bowl spot shows people handing out packs of M&M’s to those they’re apologizing to for various transgressions. “Schitt’s Creek” star Dan Levy will make a cameo in the ad. M&M’s released a teaser for the spot on Jan. 27, titled “Reveal gone wrong.”Agencies: BBDO New YorkMiscellaneousWeatherTechBuy: WeatherTech will return to the game for its eighth consecutive year with two 30-second commercials. The company had purchased just one ad in the game.Creative: Once again, WeatherTech features its own employees in the commercials. In the first spot, these employees tell stories about why they are proud to work at WeatherTech. The second commercial, “We Never Left,” focuses on how WeatherTech’s manufacturing has always been done in the U.S.Agency: Pinnacle AdvertisingAutoToyotaBuy: Toyota will return with a 60-second ad. This is its fourth consecutive Super Bowl spot.Creative: Toyota tells the story of Paralympian Jessica Long who was adopted from a Russian orphanage by an American couple. The spot, called “Upstream,” depicts how the couple received the news that Long’s legs would need to be amputated due to a rare condition. “It might not be easy, but it will be amazing,” her future mother says. The story is told by showing scenes of Long swimming through each scene, including as a childAgency: Saatchi & SaatchiFinancial/InsuranceTurboTaxBuy: TurboTax will return to the Super Bowl for the eighth consecutive year with one spot.Creative: TBD. In 2020, TurboTax looked to unite viewers by pointing out something they all have in common: taxes. In the spot, a diverse cast dances to the lyrics, “All people are tax people.” The spot features various races, demographics and people from all walks of life, including two deaf women who sign the lyrics.Agencies: Wieden+KennedyFinancial/InsuranceKlarnaBuy: Buy now, pay later firm will air a 30-second commercial in the fourth quarter. This is Klarna’s first Super Bowl ad.Creative: It’s Western-themed ad starring Maya Rudolph shows how people can split up their payments without paying interest.Agencies: MiramarFoodPringles (Kellogg)Buy: Pringles will return to the Super Bowl with a 30-second commercial airing in the first quarter. This is its fourth consecutive spot.Creative: Pringles' commercial, which debuted on Jan. 28, suggests the act of stacking different flavors of Pringles together is so engaging that people might ignore a lunar pod’s return from space. People in a NASA-like mission control room don't notice two astronauts stranded at sea because they are stacking Pringles.Agency: Grey GroupBeveragesMtn Dew (PepsiCo)Buy: The soda brand will return to the Super Bowl with a 30-second ad.Creative: Mtn Dew will use its Super Bowl ad to introduce its new watermelon-flavored variety. WWE star and actor John Cena stars in the ad challenging viewers to count the number of Mtn Dew Major Melon bottles appearing in the spot for a chance to win $1 million. The brand provided the first glimpse of the flavor in a teaser released on Jan. 26 and released a second teaser on Feb. 1.Agencies: TBWA/Chiat/Day New YorkWeb ServicesFiverrBuy: Fiverr, an Israeli-based freelance platform, will air one 30-second spot in the third quarter of the game. This is its first Super Bowl ad.Creative: Fiverr spotlights Four Seasons Total Landscaping, the Philadelphia-based small business that was the sight of a Donald Trump press conference during the election. The spot is an evolution of its recently launched campaign, “It Starts Here,” which will focus on the role Fiverr has played as a resource for businesses during the pandemic.Agencies: PublicisFoodCheetos (Frito-Lay)Buy: Cheetos will return to the game for the second consecutive year with a 60-second commercial airing in the third quarter.Creative: Cheetos’ latest music-themed Super Bowl spot, which debuted on Feb. 1, uses Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" to illustrate how to try to convince someone else you didn't swipe their snack. In the spot, Ashton Kutcher wonders where his bag of Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix has gone. It appears his wife Mila Kunis is to blame. Cheetos released two teasers in January.Agencies: Goodby Silverstein & PartnersFoodDoritos (Frito-Lay)Buy: Doritos will air return to the game with a 60-second ad running in the first quarter.Creative: Matthew McConaughey is shown having some difficulties with everyday life because he’s flat. The viewer doesn’t know why he’s become #FlatMatthew, though the actor says he hasn’t been feeling quite like himself. Spoiler alert — he ultimately puffs back up to his normal self thanks to Doritos 3D Crunch. The ad debuted on Feb. 2.Agencies: Goodby Silverstein & PartnersFoodChipotleBuy: In its first Super Bowl buy, Chipotle will air a 30-second commercial in the second quarter.Creative: Chipotle released its commercial on Jan. 25, that features a young boy asking, what if a burrito could change the world. The goal of the campaign is to kick start Chipotle’s efforts to help young farmers. As part of the campaign, on Super Bowl Sunday Chipotle will waive delivery fees on its app and site for orders of $10 or more and it will donate $1 from every Super Bowl Sunday delivery order—including those made through third-party apps—to the National Young Farmers Coalition.Agencies: Venables Bell & PartnersWeb ServicesVroomBuy: The online car retailer will air a 30-second floater spot, marking its first Super Bowl ad.Creative: Vroom released its ad on Jan. 12, making it the first Super Bowl LV to drop its in-game commercial. The spot dramatizes the pains of buying a car at a traditional dealership.Agency: AnomalyMiscellaneousScotts Miracle-GroBuy: Scotts Miracle-Gro will air one 45-second spot in the second quarter. It upped its buy from 30-seconds. This is its first Big Game buy.Creative: Scotts Miracle-Gro shows how Martha Stewart, Carl Weathers, “The Office” star Leslie David Baker, NASCAR racer Kyle Busch, Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell, John Travolta and his daughter Ella, used their backyards in the pandemic. The ad debuted on Feb. 2. The campaign includes a chance for 42 people to win their dream lawn and gardens.Agencies: VaynerMediaWeb ServicesDoorDashBuy: DoorDash will air a 60-second commercial. This is the company’s first Super Bowl ad.Creative: Sesame Street muppets, including Cookie Monster and Big Bird, along with “Hamilton” star Daveed Diggs, will star in the commercial. The spot celebrates the local neighbors who provide offerings available through DoorDash – including items like ramen, milk, shampoo, birdseed, mango smoothies, paper towels, and, of course, cookies.Agency: The Martin AgencyFinancial/InsuranceE-TradeBuy: E-Trade will air a 30-second spot in the third quarter of the game.Creative: The online broker will use the Super Bowl to encourage viewers to get their financial health in shape. On Jan. 26, the company released a teaser showing a young boy in his bedroom trying to bicycle-crunch his stomach into shape as the text, “Kick your finances into shape,” appears on screen. E-Trade last ran a spot in the 2018 game.Agencies: MullenLoweFoodHellman's (Unilever)Buy: Hellmann’s will be the first mayonnaise brand to advertise in the game with a 30-second spot airing in the third commercial break of the second quarter.Creative: The ad will feature Amy Schumer, who also shows up in a 15-second teaser that dropped on Jan. 26. The spot will focus on Unilever’s goal of reducing food waste by showing the ways mayonnaise can be used to freshen up leftovers.Agencies: Wunderman ThompsonEntertainmentWalt Disney StudiosBuy: Walt Disney Studios will return to the Super Bowl with an undisclosed buy.Creative: TBD. Last year, the movie studio promoted its Marvel film, “Black Widow.”Agencies: TBDWeb ServicesIndeedBuy: Indeed will air a 60-second spot in the first quarter of the game. This is the online job site’s first Big Game commercial.Creative: The online job site will use the Big Game to showcase the emotional journey of job seekers. The spot will feature real people looking for a job, and their challenges and wins along the way.Agency: 72andSunnyAutoGeneral MotorsBuy: General Motors will air two, 60-second commercials in the game, one for Cadillac and another corporate spot.Creative: In the corporate spot, Will Ferrell is not happy that Norway ranks way ahead of the U.S. when it comes to electric vehicle adoption. Ferrell goes on a mission to “crush those lugers” and picks up Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina along the way to the Norwegian country. But ends up in Sweden, while Thompson and Awkwafina find themselves in Finland. The Cadillac ad will plug the Lyriq, a crossover that marks the luxury brand’s first electric vehicle that is expected to hit dealers in the first half of 2022. GM released three teasers on Feb. 1.Agency: Leo Burnett, McCann WorldgroupCPGTideBuy: Tide will air a 60-second spot in the second quarter. This is Tide’s fourth Super Bowl ad in three years.Creative: “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander appears as a computer-generated image on a hoodie that has been pretty dramatically soiled. The commercial debuted on Jan. 28.Agencies: Woven CollaborativeWeb ServicesDraftKingsBuy: DraftKings will air two 15-second spots in the second and third quarters of the game.Creative: The two commercials, which will feature DraftKings host Jessie Coffield, will offer viewers a chance to enter a free pool to make predictions on fourth-quarter action to give them a taste of the DraftKings experience.Agency: In-HouseWeb ServicesUber EatsBuy: Uber Eats will air a 60-second spot in the third quarter of the game. This is its first Super Bowl ad.Creative: “Saturday Night Live” vets Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprise their roles from the famous “Wayne’s World” skit and films. The spot includes a cameo from Cardi B. The company teased its Big Game plans in a skit during “Saturday Night Live” on Jan. 30.Agency: The Special GroupWeb ServicesAmazon StudiosBuy: Amazon Studios will return to the Super Bowl with an undisclosed buy.Creative: The studio will promote the upcoming “Coming 2 America,” which will stream on Prime Video starting on March 5. The sequel stars original cast members Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, John Amos and Louie Anderson. The movie was originally planned to be released in theaters in 2020, but was disrupted due to the pandemic.Agencies: TBDWeb ServicesAmazonBuy: Amazon will return for its sixth consecutive Super Bowl with a 60-second ad airing in the fourth quarter.Creative: Amazon’s Alexa will take a human form in Michael B. Jordan in this year’s Super Bowl commercial, which debuted on Feb. 2. Amazon teased its return with an Instagram post on Jan. 31, featuring an image of Michael B. Jordan and #AlexasNewBody.Agencies: Lucky GeneralsWeb ServicesShift4 PaymentsBuy: Shift4 Payments, an integrated payment processing and technology solutions company, will air a 30-second spot in the game. This is its first Super Bowl commercial.Creative: The spot will promote its partnership in the first all-civilian mission to space.The company’s founder and CEO, Jared Isaacman, will command the mission and will use the Super Bowl to introduce it and its purpose to the public, to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Agencies: KnownTelecomVerizonBuy: Verizon will air one 60-second spot in the game, making this its fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance.Creative: Verizon will once again highlight its 5G technologies. The fully animated spot will take a light-hearted, entertaining approach meant to showcase how 5G benefits gaming.Agencies: McCann WorldgroupFinancial/InsuranceRocket Mortgage (Quicken Loans)Buy: Rocket Mortgage returns to the Super Bowl with two, 60-second commercials airing in the second and third quarters.Creative: Both spots will star comedian Tracy Morgan. The company released a teaser with Morgan on Feb. 1. One spot will focus on Rocket’s technical prowess; the other will highlight mortgage brokers.Agencies: HighDiveFinancial/InsuranceState FarmBuy: State Farm will air its first Super Bowl commercial, a 30-second ad, in the first-half of the game.Creative: State Farm released two teasers on Feb. 2. The first features Jake, alluding to a newcomer to the State Farm brand ambassador roster, joining Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, who will be playing Sunday, and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, who would have been in the game had the Packers not lost in the NFC Championship game. The second teaser shows a mockup game planning board with photographs of State Farm partners Rodgers and Mahomes. Jake covers a third mystery spot with a post-it that reads “Book Super Star!!” Last year, State Farm ran a spot that introduced a new version of brand spokesman Jake in the pre-show before the Super Bowl. that introduced a new version of brand spokesman Jake in the pre-show before the Super Bowl.Agencies: The Marketing ArmFinancial/InsuranceRobinhoodBuy: The trading app will air a 30-second ad, marking its first Super Bowl commercialCreative: The company will use the Big Game to lean into its mission of democratizing trading, even as that is being called into question following controversy around trading of GameStop and other stocks that saw meteoric rises. The spot encourages anyone to think of themselves as investor because they make small investments in themselves every day, from getting up early to run to investing in our education.Agencies: MediaMonksTelecomT-MobileBuy: T-Mobile will return to the Super Bowl with at least one commercial, Matt Staneff, chief marketing officer, announced on Twitter on Feb. 2.Creative: TBD. According to T-Mobile’s Twitter account, “There will be some football, maybe a cowboy , definitely some fire, throw in some music. And...it’s not what you think.”Agencies: TBDTechLogitechBuy: The Swiss digital product company will air a 60-second spot, marking its first Super Bowl ad.Creative: Lil Nas X will star in Logitech’s commercial, which debuted on Feb. 2, as part of a larger brand partnership between the two. The ad is part of the marketer’s new brand campaign “Defy Logic” that focuses on creators, artists and activists.Agencies: TBDTechDexcomBuy: Dexcom, a glucose monitoring system for diabetes management, will air a 30-second commercial in the first quarter of the game. This is its first Super Bowl ad.Creative: Nick Jonas stars in the spot, which debuted on Feb. 2. Jonas goes on a rant about how we have self-driving cars and drones that deliver packages, but many people with diabetes still using painful finger pricks to monitor their glucose levels. It also features real Dexcom users.Agencies: Marcus ThomasWebSquarespaceBuy: Squarespace will air one ad in the Big Game.Creative: Dolly Parton put a new twist on her classic “9 to 5” song for Squarespace’s Super Bowl commercial, which was released on Feb. 2. The country superstar re-recorded the track as “5 to 9,” turning it into a anthem for the after-hours passion projects and side hustles.Agencies: In-houseCPGSkechersBuy: The footwear brand plans to air a 30-second spot in the second quarter of the game.Creative: Once again, Skechers’ spot stars former quarterback Tony Romo and his wife Candice Romo. It shows the Romos living a life of excess, including sky-high sandwiches, mile-tall mattresses and monster-wheel trucks.Agencies: In-HouseCPGDr. SquatchBuy: Dr. Squatch, a mostly direct-to-consumer men’s personal care brand, will air its first 30-second commercial.Creative: Dr. Squatch’s Super Bowl ad features a Nordic-looking spokesguy who looks like he could easily join the Fellowship of the Ring—though he also lets his daughter braid his hair. It features things you’d expect from YouTube men’s personal care ads, including bleeps, sight gags, fast-paced attitude and a naked (from the waist up) guy showering in the forest.Agencies: Raindrop MarketingAutoJeepBuy: Jeep will air one ad in the second-half of the game.Creative: Not disclosed. Jeep-owner Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has a history of putting out big-production, celebrity-filled Super Bowl ads under Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois.Agency: TBDFoodJimmy John'sBuy: Jimmy John’s will make its first Super Bowl foray with a 30-second ad.Creative: Brad Garrett stars as “The King of Cold Cuts,” Tony Bolognavich, who is lamenting the rise of Jimmy John’s—or “Jimmy’s John’s,” as Garrett’s character calls it.Agencies: Anomaly LAFinancial/InsuranceGuaranteed RateBuy: Guaranteed Rate will join the Super Bowl fray with a 60-second commercial.Creative: The “Believe You Will” spot opens with shots of athletes including UFC’s Dustin Poirier and Rose Namajunas, NHL’s Seth Jones, Nascar’s Ryan Newman and U.S. figure skater Starr Andrews. Then, it shifts to a message around the dream of buying a home or refinancing, showcasing the brand.Agencies: In-houseMiscellaneousBass Pro Shops and Cabela’sBuy: Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s will make its Super Bowl debut with a 60-second spot in the gameCreative: The commercial celebrates the outdoors as a place consumers can turn to during these “trying times.” The spot, inspired by Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris, shows consumers planning their journeys, before switching to images of forests and lakes, mountains and a sunrise.Agency: In houseEntertainmentWalt DisneyBuy: Disney will return with an undisclosed buy.Creative: The Mouse House will use its in-game ad to promote its Disney streaming bundle of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.Agencies: TBDWeb production by Corey Holmes.

Super Bowl commercials in 2021 and who's buying them

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