A woman meets her future selves in Criteo's regional Super Bowl ad

Ad tech company Criteo is a newcomer to the Super Bowl this year, with a spot airing regionally on NBC in New York, San Francisco and Chicago during the game. 

The company aims to start a conversation among mainstream consumers about the future of the internet, as people prepare for a cookieless future and more control of their data. So instead of getting too technical, it goes down the sci-fi route.

The spot was created out of New York creative shop Technology Humans and Taste and directed by Floria Sigsmondi of Believe. It features a woman getting coffee who's accosted by several versions of herself, from 20 years into the future and even further ahead. These avatars appear out of a digital ether, looking more and more outlandishly futuristic and indeed dystopian (one of them appears to be on fire, which can't be a good sign). Thankfully, she's brought back to the present by her macchiato order. 

The end message is that "everyone will try to tell you what the future holds," but "Criteo is creating an open internet that helps you choose what's best for you." 

The campaign will be supported by digital ads.

"As we navigate web3 and the metaverse, changing attitudes about data privacy and the expanding powers of the walled gardens, it’s time for consumers to join the conversation," said Brendan McCarthy, chief marketing officer at Criteo, in a statement. "While tongue-and-cheek in its nature, the campaign aims to raise awareness for the importance of protecting a greater choice of content and services online as a fundamental part of how consumers access and experience the web.”