Buick's debut Super Bowl ad and GM's return to the game after staying away in 2015 stars New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and actress/model Emily Ratajkowski in a pitch for the new Cascada luxury convertible, Buick's first droptop in 25 years.
The spot, via Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett Detroit, continues the "Experience the New Buick" campaign begun in 2014 to humorously challenge the brand's reputation as a car for older drivers, or "false familiarity" as Buick and Burnett put it.
The Cascada itself was less expected to sell high volumes than to help polish the Buick brand halo, the U.S. VP for Buick and GMC, Duncan Aldred, said before the game. In that respect it was deployed at Super Bowl 50 for the same reason that Acura brought its NSX supercar back to the game ("What He Said") and Audi featured the A8 ("The Commander").
Instead of pre-releasing its Super Bowl ad like so many others in 2016, Buick held the spot back and posted only a teaser online instead. It made a repeat trip in 2017 ("Not So Pee Wee Football").
Director: Erich Joiner, whose Super Bowl oevre also includes Bridgestone's "Performance Football" and "Performance Basketball" in 2012, Bud Light's "Meeting" in 2009 and AT&T's "Gilligan's Island" in 2003 . Production company: Tool.
Leo Burnett Detroit chief creative officer: Steve Chavez.
Buick Director of Marketing: Molly Peck.
BRAND: Buick
YEAR: 2016
AGENCY: Leo Burnett
SUPERBOWL: 50
QUARTER AIRED: Q1