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Super Bowl commercial rush with YouTube’s AdBlitz: What’s trending in the commercial world as SB LIV nears

Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner, and the list of commercials that will star on the biggest stage is growing by the minute. It’s a rush to Miami-which is the perfect time to see what’s trending on AdBlitz , a YouTube exclusive. Not all …

Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner, and the list of commercials that will star on the biggest stage is growing by the minute. It’s a rush to Miami—which is the perfect time to see what’s trending on AdBlitz, a YouTube exclusive.

Not all the Super Bowl spots that make the largest impact happen during the game

One of this year’s top pre-Super Bowl hits, Secret Deodorant is making a big splash (or kick, in the case) with its ‘The Secret Kicker’ spot. But it won’t be turning heads during the commercial breaks in the game. Instead, the spot will air during the FOX Super Bowl Pregame Show. The 60-second ad stars U.S. soccer players Carli Lloyd and Crystal Dunn, and delivers a powerful message about equal opportunity for women while “kicking inequality.”

AdBlitz Tally: Over 13 million views

Alexa, Portia, and Ellen have people’s attention

Amazon has had success with its creative spots that feature Alexa, with last year’s “Not Everything Makes the Cut,” starring Forrest Whitaker and Harrison Ford taking second place in the Ad Meter rankings. And this year looks like the familiar cloud-based voice service might again be a top contender. The teaser with Portia, Ellen, and a very patient Alexa teases at more than what the room temperature will ultimately be.

AdBlitz Tally: 5.3-plus million views

There’s no such thing as a bad Sam Elliott monologue

The longtime actor lends his iconic voice and presence in the Doritos teaser aptly titled “Monologue,” a 60-second narration that makes the audience quickly realize that Sam Elliott’s reciting of Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ is quite the ear treasure. And now, the question remains: what’s the thumping, Sam?

AdBlitz Tally: Almost 7.2 million views

The wait was worth it

Porsche is back in the Super Bowl Sunday ad space for the first tie since 1997—the year Pepsi took top spot in the Ad Meter rankings with an ode to the Village People—and the buzz generated from the company’s 2020 spot has been as electric as the star of the show: the fully-electric powered Taycan. Titled “The Heist,” the company shows off the new model while paying homage to the 70-plus year history that is Porsche automotive creation.

AdBlitz Tally: Nearly 7.4 million views

Don’t forget the trailers

The Big Game isn’t just about beers, cars, candy, and soft drinks—it’s also the opportune time for Hollywood to showcase some of the things audiences will tune into once football season is over. One of the most viewed trailers so far has been the Amazon original series, “Hunters,” starring Al Pacino.

AdBlitz Tally: Over 1.2 million views

WATCH Chrissy Teigen, John Legend star in Genesis brand’s first Super Bowl ad

Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend, will introduce Super Bowl viewers to “new luxury” on Sunday night. Genesis, a brand of luxury vehicles under the Hyundai umbrella, released its first Super Bowl commercial Tuesday night, with Teigen and …

Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend, will introduce Super Bowl viewers to “new luxury” on Sunday night.

Genesis, a brand of luxury vehicles under the Hyundai umbrella, released its first Super Bowl commercial Tuesday night, with Teigen and Legend serving as main characters at a party filled with “old luxury” stereotypes. The 60-second commercial starring the celebrity couple will air in the second quarter.

“We all believed that John and Chrissy best represent the kind of pure honesty and approachability that old luxury never had,” said Innocean USA’s Bob Rayburn, the executive creative director of the agency that created the spot. “Most luxury advertising acts like once your income reaches a certain level, your sense of humor gets surgically removed. As a vibrant young luxury brand, Genesis wanted to take a more humorous approach, John and Chrissy embody that flawlessly.”

Check out the full commercial below.

WATCH Microsoft ad profiles 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers

Microsoft is using its Super Bowl advertising time to profile and congratulate San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers, who will become the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl when her team faces the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. In …

In a new 60-second ad unveiled Tuesday, Microsoft follows Sowers’ journey from a girl who has dreams of one day “being on a real football team” to her role with the 49ers. Microsoft has featured the 49ers assistant in other television ads that have aired throughout the season.

“It was unreal,” Sowers said Monday, of the moment she first saw herself in a commercial. “It was almost a point where I had to think about if I was really, truly watching what was happening because it was like my whole life was kind of coming full circle.”

Watch the full spot below.

WATCH Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross put a new twist on classic scene from ‘The Shining’ in MTN DEW Zero Sugar Super Bowl spot

MTN DEW Zero Sugar is out to prove that some things can be as good as the original and has brought in two new offseason residents at The Overlook Hotel to do it: Award-winning actors, Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross. The two star in the PepsiCo …

The two star in the PepsiCo brand’s 30-second Super Bowl LIV spot, a nostalgic nod to the “The Shining” that adds a new twist on a classic introduction.

Ironically, although he downplays it a bit, Bryan Cranston does a pretty decent Jack Nicholson impersonation. When Ad Meter spoke to the actor about his role in the Super Bowl spot, Nicholson’s uniquely iconic voice and persona were mentioned, followed by a brief pause—and then ,it happened. “You can’t help but talk like him,” he smoothly exclaimed in classic Nicholson-ese.

The interesting thing, however, was the eventual answer to the question was no. It was something that he and the director Tom Kuntz—who won an Emmy for Commercial of the Year in 2010—both agreed would be a wise sidestep. “I told Tom that I didn’t want to do an impersonation of (Jack),” Cranston candidly recalled. “And he said, ‘Oh no. We don’t want you to do that either.'”

The idea instead would be to recreate the infamous “Here’s Johnny!” scene— including a set design that even used a few props from the original set to make everything as realistic as possible—and rely upon the actor’s talents to pull off a difficult challenge: make the product the star while not going overboard, or over time.

That left the possibility of things falling flat, but it also avoided any flashy takes that would overshadow the buildup. And it was that type of pre-production coordination between actor, director, and everyone involved, that allowed the story to be told authentically…and in 30 seconds.

The time crunch, as the Breaking Bad star humorously noted, certainly would have been a nightmare for the film’s original director Stanley Kubrick (whom he studied and admired). But it was something Kuntz was able to manage, and Cranston benefited from it.

“I leaned on Tom a lot,” he explained, “to keep me focused on the tempo and the timing of it, and how sometimes compressed that storytelling is—different from doing film or television, or even the stage.”

How the efforts are received on the biggest stage—Super Bowl Sunday—will ultimately reveal how much of a shining moment all of it is.

Check out the EXCLUSIVE behind-the-scenes photos with Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross:

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WATCH Hyundai unveils star-studded Super Bowl LIV ad for ‘Smaht Pahk’

Hyundai will spend 60 seconds Sunday night introducing the country to “smaht pahk.” In a star-studded, Boston-themed ad that will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl LIV and was released Monday morning, actor John Krasinski introduces the …

Hyundai will spend 60 seconds Sunday night introducing the country to “smaht pahk.”

In a star-studded, Boston-themed ad that will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl LIV and was released Monday morning, actor John Krasinski introduces the 2020 Hyundai Sonata’s “remote smart parking assist” feature as fellow celebrities Rachel Dratch, Chris Evans and David Ortiz look on.

Naturally, there’s also plenty of Boston banter along the way.

Barney Goldberg of INNOCEAN USA, the advertising agency that produced the spot, told USA TODAY Sports that the agency and Hyundai went through 344 scripts for the ad before landing on this one.

“We had a writer who has Boston roots, and he started saying ‘smart park’ in a Boston way, which would be more like ‘smaht pahk,'” said Goldberg, who is INNOCEAN’s executive creative director. “That became the beginning of the idea.”

Here’s Hyundai’s full Super Bowl LIV commercial:

WACTH Porsche’s new Super Bowl LIV teaser takes the audience on an iconic chase

Making the first Super Bowl commercial appearance since 1997, Porsche has revved up its engines in a fast-paced, go-get-em teaser for the upcoming spot in Super Bowl LIV. Titled “The Heist,” the German sports car maker takes the audience from the …

Making the first Super Bowl commercial appearance since 1997, Porsche has revved up its engines in a fast-paced, go-get-em teaser for the upcoming spot in Super Bowl LIV.

Titled “The Heist,” the German sports car maker takes the audience from the Porsche Museum— where one new car, the 2020 Taycan, is snuck out for a spin—to Heidelberg, the Black Forest, and the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart.

On the heels (check that: wheels) of the sleek white Taycan are some truly iconic classics: The legendary 917 K race car, 918 Spyder hybrid supercar, and of course, the Porsche 911 (modified 2020 model).

It’s only a matter of a few museum workers figuring out who’s driving what before we’re off in the newly released—and very “electric”—teaser:

“The spotlight and buzz around ads at this event make it a perfect venue for reaching new fans – in a fun way that connects with the game’s themes of performance and competition,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

The “buzz,” mind you, isn’t being fueled the way car lovers would expect from the company’s 70-plus years of automotive design. The Taycan is a fully-electric powered car, a new area for the company. However, that doesn’t downplay the expectations with Porsche.

“A Porsche is always a driver’s car, and the playful chase in ‘The Heist’ draws a clear line through decades of models to the Taycan. They all share the same soul,” Zellmer added.

Will audience members enjoy the ride?

Make sure to keep an eye out for the full ad, created Cramer-Krasselt, during the first quarter of the Big Game on February 2.

To have your opinion heard on this spot—and all Big Game commercials—register now to be a USA Today Ad Meter panelist.

Ad Meter rewind: 5 of the best spots of 2013

Taking another trip down Ad Meter Memory Lane, we’re turning back the clock to 2013, the last time the San Francisco 49ers played in the Big Game. Super Bowl XLVII-the battle of brothers John and Jim Harbaugh-was a close one, with the Baltimore …

Taking another trip down Ad Meter Memory Lane, we’re turning back the clock to 2013, the last time the San Francisco 49ers played in the Big Game.

Super Bowl XLVII—the battle of brothers John and Jim Harbaugh—was a close one, with the Baltimore Ravens holding off a third-quarter rally by the 49ers to edge out a 34-31 victory. It was the first Super Bowl loss in 49ers history.

From the commercial side of things, a 34-minute blackout in the Superdome allowed for plenty of time to focus on the ads. The cost of a 30-second spot in 2013? Approximately $4 million. That was a record-high buy in at the time. Based on 2020 numbers, though, companies would be saving themselves over a million.

Of those that did take the Super Bowl expense plunge that year, based on Ad Meter rankings, here were five of the best:

Anheuser-Busch: Horse and trainer reunited, 7.76

The top spot in 2013 went to Budweiser’s “Brotherhood,” a feel-good tale between man and horse (Clydesdale, to be exact). It was a three-year journey squeezed perfectly into 60 seconds and scored by Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide.” And the ending? It was hard to find any “nay”sayers when considering that type of cinematic buildup.

Tide: Miracle Stain, 7.75

That looks like Joe Montana! One unique stain on a 49ers jersey captivated people and created a fan frenzy around the sports world in this 2013 Tide ad. Unfortunately, the man’s wife—a Ravens fan—didn’t think it was right to leave the stained shirt lying around, so she washed it. (Looking back, she could say the Ravens won twice that night.)

RAM: Farmers, 7.43

Narrated by the iconic voice of the late Paul Harvey—the longtime ABC broadcaster—Ram Truck’s nod to the American Farmer in 2013 was another epic tale that almost seemed like a short film.

Doritos: Fashionista Dad, 7.27

A bag of Doritos was all it took for this little girl’s dad to change his plans for the day—from football to an all-out princess extravaganza. Even the man’s friends had no problem making the switch once they saw what was being served at the party.

Kia: Spaces Babies, 6.74

While the Super Bowl XLVII crowd wondered when the lights might come back on, the dad in this Kia ad was wondering how he was going to answer his son’s not-so-simple question: Where do babies come from? His response was eloquent, outlandish, and played out in a hilarious inner-thought montage.

Want to be part of this year’s Ad Meter voting? You register now to be a panelist.

WATCH Budweiser teaser a perfect build to newly released Super Bowl LIV spot

The King of Beers turned the cameras during its first teaser, giving a few lucky viewers a powerful (and unexpected) peek at the stars of its Super Bowl LIV spot: themselves. The ad, created by DAVID Miami and directed by Oscar-winning director …

What that meant, exactly, was anyone’s guess…until now.

The ad will air in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV.

To have your opinion heard on this spot—and all Big Game commercials—register now to be a USA Today Ad Meter panelist.

WATCH NOW Ad Meter looks at recent Super Bowl LIV commercial teasers, campaigns

While it hasn’t reached anything close to the decibels at a Chiefs’ home game, with Super Bowl Sunday less than two weeks away, the commercial buzz is steadily increasing. Since last week’s update, there have been a few significant companies that …

A few others are getting into the mix ahead of the game, while one car brand is getting viewers in the mood for…safties.

Until the next commercial break, here’s some of the latest.

(Don’t forget, if you want to have your opinion on Super Bowl commercials heard, you can register now to be an Ad Meter panelist.)

Snickers is taking a comical approach to help “Fix the World”

The company has released two teasers this week, aiming at a few current cultural dilemmas—such as the selfie stick, adult children living with their parents, and talking on speakerphone in public. The spots, created by BBDO New York and AMV BBDO, are smaller parts to the, ahem, “hole” picture that will be revealed in the full ad.

Pop-Tarts’ first Big Game appearance hints at a…twist

The company released its first teaser this past week, with television personality Jonathan Van Ness at the craft services table looking for something to snack on (other than pretzels!). Phil Schaffer, senior director of marketing for Pop-Tarts, discussed the release:

“When it comes to ‘bringing out your best’, nobody does it better than Jonathan Van Ness – so it was only natural for Pop-Tarts to enlist him to help ‘fix’ the classic pretzel and introduce Pop-Tarts Pretzel,” he said. “Already a loyal brand advocate, Jonathan’s upbeat personality is a natural fit to help Pop-Tarts unveil our latest craveable flavors.”

The spot, created by MRY, will run after the first half’s two-minute warning.

Two points for Volvo

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It’s happened nine times in Super Bowl history, and Volvo Car USA is giving fans a reason to cheer for number 10 during Super Bowl LIV. The company is celebrating its incredible safety record (“one million lives saved by Volvo safety innovations, including the three-point safety belt”) by giving away $1 million in cars should a safety occur during the Big Game.

Olay nears launch into space on Super Bowl night

The company unveiled another teaser this past week, this time giving the audience an inside look at the difficulty of space travel—especially when it comes to the food. (You can read more about the #MakeSpaceForWomen campaign here.)

Ad Meter will have more updates soon, so don’t forget to check out the site each day for All Things Super Bowl LIV Commercials!

Continuing the mission: Olay returning to Super Bowl with ad featuring a star-studded, all-female cast

Olay is blasting into the cosmos on Super Bowl Sunday, forgoing the expected small steps by man to instead focus on the giant leaps taken by some inspiring women. The P&G brand’s spot will feature an impressive all-female crew aboard the Olay Space …

Olay is blasting into the cosmos on Super Bowl Sunday, forgoing the expected small steps by man to instead focus on the giant leaps taken by some inspiring women.

The P&G brand’s spot will feature an impressive all-female crew aboard the Olay Space Shuttle, with stars Lilly Singh and Busy Philipps on the launch, alongside retired astronaut, Nicole Stott. A few familiar faces back on Earth round out the cast, as Taraji P. Henson takes the reins at Mission Control, while Katie Couric keeps the viewing audience informed over the airwaves during the journey.

The lady’s mission: #MakeSpaceForWomen

Check out the newly released teaser:

A nod to last year’s all-female spacewalk, the creatively worded campaign looks to impact women of all ages while aiming to close the gender gap in technology fields and inspire the next generation of scientists, programmers, engineers, and beyond.

“We recognize that many industries have yet to reach gender parity,” Eric Rose, Olay’s Associate Brand Director, said in a statement, “which is why we’re using our Super Bowl ad to feature fearless women who have been trailblazers in their own industries as a way to inspire people everywhere to get involved and support Operation #MakeSpaceForWomen. Olay believes that when we make space for women, we make space for everyone.”

To help spread the mission (back on the ground), Olay has teamed up with Girls Who Code and will donate $1 (up to $500,000) each time someone tags @OlaySkin and uses the campaign’s hashtag between January 15 and February 3.

It’s the second straight appearance for Olay during the Big Game, following last year’s “Killer Skin” ad, a comedically spun, 90s-era horror homage that featured Sarah Michelle Gellar. Like in 2019, the company’s overall vision will work to shift another dynamic, too: Although women make up nearly half of the NFL’s total fan base, the stars of the biggest ads on its biggest day aren’t as equal, with just over a quarter of past spots having starred women.

The reality of such lopsided numbers didn’t deter Olay or its creative partner, Badger & Winters, during the new campaign, though. Instead, they took the challenge head-on.

“The Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest night, which is why we wanted to go big as well,” Madonna Badger, Chief Creative Officer of Badger & Winters, added. “With ‘Make Space for Women,’ we loved combining a bit of word play with the very serious world of science and technology—a world, by the way, that continues to exclude women in large numbers. We’re very excited to partner with Olay to help change that and thrilled to be working with so many talented women behind the camera.”

The 30-second spot is slated for blastoff during the fourth break of Super Bowl LIV. Assuming the ladies can find the keys, look for the ad to echo Busy Phillips’ inspiring thoughts:

“As a mother of two girls, I’m so proud to star in a Super Bowl ad that reinforces the idea that they—and all girls—can do anything.”

For more details about the campaign, check out Olay’s website here.