Why Super Bowl 2022 commercials star so many A-list celebs

This year, Hollywood’s biggest night has far fewer gowns and Oscars—and a lot more football. For the first time since 1993, the Super Bowl returns to Los Angeles and it seems to be bringing all of Tinseltown with it. The Big Game has long been a time for celebrities to rally behind brands, but this year’s commercials feature a particularly long list of A-list names. That roster of famous faces in ads already released includes Halle Berry, Mary J. Blige, Scarlett Johansson, Anna Kendrick, Lindsay Lohan, Matthew McConaughey, and Zendaya. Some brands wrangled ensemble casts, such as Uber Eats’ campaign that features Jennifer Coolidge, Gwyneth Paltrow, Trevor Noah and Nicholas Braun; Nissan’s with Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dave Bautista and Danai Gurira; and Michelob Ultra’s starring Steve Buscemi, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams and a gaggle of sports personalities. And more surprises are surely in store. The creators of some of this year’s star-studded ads weigh in on why there seems to be more big-screen talent showing up for the big day. Brand visibility “It was a tidal wave of celebrities this year,” said Bryan Buckley, director at Hungry Man, who helmed three big talent Super Bowl spots this year, including for BMW and Verizon. “I think what you're seeing is a couple of things: one, if I had to guess, is that obviously, movies aren't pulling what they did economically, so [celebrities] have to find a way to sort of supplement that income. Commercials open up an avenue of income that didn't exist before." For BMW's Super Bowl spot, Buckley directed actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Greek god Zeus, adjusting to life in Palm Springs among the normies. Prior to the announcement of the campaign, Schwarzenegger posted what appeared to be a traditional movie poster for his role in the ad. The post received over 1.7 million likes and had the media wondering if the star had taken on a new role, before it was revealed that the post was a teaser for his Super Bowl appearance. Partnering with advertisers also gives talents a chance to grow their own stage. “Celebrities are brands, right?” added Buckley. “And so if they can align with a brand as their own brand, it’s a no-brainer for them.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arnold Schwarzenegger (@schwarzenegger) The big return BMW hasn't aired a Super Bowl ad since 2015. Uwe Dreher, BMW’s VP of marketing for North America, previously told Ad Age that for its comeback, BMW wanted a “little bit of a Hollywood movie told in one minute” with “a compelling story that makes sense, that is also providing a little bit sense of humor.” The spot came from agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners. The agency's chief creative officer, Margaret Johnson, speculates that the return of advertisers that previously abstained from the game, as well as the participation of big-pocketed industries, could be a contributing factor for the influx of celebrity appearances. “I think there are a lot of car companies that have sat out for a couple years and now are back,” she said, pointing out that BMW’s spot expanded this year’s celebrity roster. Moreover, she's also seeing a flood of tech firms, and “tech companies have a lot of money," she said. "And so as a result, they probably have the funds to put celebrities in their spot.” The Amazon ad featuring Scarlett Johansson, she noted, was one she found particularly effective. Brand engagement Johnson also worked on Frito-Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Doritos ad featuring Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth. She explained that it’s increasingly important to feature recognizable faces (in this case, voices) because a Super Bowl campaign is no longer limited to what airs between plays. “It's about the 360,” said Johnson. “You want to have a celebrity at the helm just because you can then use their following to help amplify the message you're trying to get out there, so that you can get that interactivity, especially with younger consumers." In addition to the 7.3 million and 27.5 million followers Megan Thee Stallion has on Twitter and Instagram, respectively, the singer boasts over 30.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify—an additional target in Frito-Lay’s campaign. Her branded cover of Salt-N-Pepa’s track “Push It,” called “Flamin’ Hottie” in this rendition, was released as a single from the artist. “When you see all these different elements to [the campaign]...you get engaged with the song and the teasers that make you then want to go and look and search for the spot because you love the pieces," added Chris Bellinger, VP of creative and digital for Frito-Lay North America. "So it really is targeting consumers in the platforms that they're naturally engaging with and then using that to help connect all the dots through the 360 event." Brand collaboration Frito-Lay’s other Big Game spot, for its classic chip products, features Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd recalling fond memories of their friendship—which all happen to include Lay’s chips. Bellinger noted that the comedic campaign was part of a push back to normalcy after a year of ads focused on the unpleasant nature of life amid the pandemic. It also provided another forum for Rogen and Rudd's own creativity. Bellinger added that more celebrities seem open to being in brand marketing because of advertisers' increased willingness to collaborate and get the stars' creative input. Rogen co-wrote the spot with director Evan Goldberg, who worked with the actor on films such as “Superbad” and “This is the End.” “Commercials are becoming their own little mini forms of art and short films in themselves and you're seeing more extended cuts that are existing," said Bellinger. More and more, he added, "the days of sending a script over and [stars] just saying, ‘Okay, great, I’ll do it,’ are gone. I think now [they're] into co-creation and really wanting to work together, even helping to write the script or develop the concept and feeling like they're really a part of that creative process.”

Why Super Bowl 2022 commercials star so many A-list celebs

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