For every brand that has opted out after making an appearance (or two) during the Super Bowl – Kia, e.l.f., Verizon, NYX Cosmetics – many others are waiting in the wings and are willing to pay the reported $7 million-plus price tag for a shot at glory. Here’s a brief rundown of this year’s first-time Super Bowl advertisers.
Totino’s Pizza Rolls
Speaking of brands that seem like obvious Super Bowl advertisers who have never been there: Here’s Totino’s Pizza Rolls making its debut as well. (Maybe we all thought those Saturday Night Live parodies were real.) Either way, Totino’s commercial brings back comedy duo Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson (who were featured in the brand’s fall campaign) along with an ET-like creature, Chazmo.
Totino’s first began advertising during NFL games last year, with a campaign starring comedian Pete Davidson that took on “Big Pizza.” That campaign is credited with driving the brand’s second-highest sales month in its history. “We know Totino’s is well-positioned to win at game time, and the Big Game is the ideal moment for Totino’s Pizza Rolls to connect with fans and elevate their snacking experience with an incredible value and delicious taste,” said Doug Martin, chief marketing officer at General Mills, in a statement.
Häagen-Dazs
Staying on the food theme, Häagen-Dazs will make its first appearance at the Super Bowl with a Fast & Furious inspired spot from its new creative agency nice&frank.
“Our idea for this campaign because we had a very clear brief and then we had an amazing creative idea from the nice&frank team,” Rachel Jaiven, head of marketing at Häagen-Dazs, told Brand Innovators. “It really came from this idea about what makes Häagen-Dazs unique in the category, which is all about a smooth creamy texture. It really requires you to slow down a moment. You can’t binge this product. You really have to savor it.”
HexClad
All of those snacks have to be prepared in something. Here’s HexClad to make its name with a commercial that will run during the first half of the game. The ad, from Rosewood Creative, will feature brand co-owner Gordon Ramsay using HexClad cookware to make his signature Beef Wellington for a group of aliens. Their ambassador is revealed to be actor and comedian Pete Davidson.
Ritz Crackers
Considering how prevalent they will be on game day, it’s hard to believe RITZ Crackers have never been to the Super Bowl before. Apparently, it was just as mystifying to those at Mondelez, the snack brand’s parent company.
“On a day where our products will be served on party platters nationwide, it seemed only fitting for us to finally make an appearance on the big screen too. This ad buy marks a significant milestone in our journey to transform how fans view the RITZ brand through fresh and unexpected marketing strategies that speak directly to today’s consumer,” said Steven Saenen, vice president of marketing at RITZ, in a statement shared with Brand Innovators.
The brand’s debut will be a 30-second spot from The Martin Agency, directed by Jake Szymanski and produced by Gifted Youth and PXP.
Nestle’s Coffee mate
Still in the vicinity of snacks, Coffee mate is taking the world’s biggest opportunity to promote its new Coffee Mate Cold Foam product. “With 1 in 5 coffee drinkers craving whipped topping on their beverages, and cold coffee on the rise, we couldn’t think of a better way to introduce our most experimental product yet,” said Daniel Jhung, president of Nestlé USA’s Beverage Division, in a statement shared with Brand Innovators.
Coffee Mate’s will likely feature Shania Twain, whose voice was heard in a 10-second teaser that also depicted a young man sipping the cold foam creamer and getting a mustache on his face. To further the buzz, the brand teased the ad on Instagram with a photo of the product in an animal-print cowboy hat and label, leading some to speculate there may be others appearing in the ad as well.
Liquid Death
You’ve got to wash those snacks down somehow. Here comes Liquid Death. The brand had been known for campaigns that subversively hacked the big game. But, as so many before it have found, the brand has decided if you can’t beat them, join them. “[There’s]
no cheaper way to reach over 100 million unique people who actually want to pay attention to the commercials,” said CEO Mike Cessario, told Adweek.
Instacart
One needs to buy all of those groceries somewhere. Enter Instacart, with its first Super Bowl ad, created by TBWA\Chiat\Day LA in partnership with the company’s in-house creative studio and CMO Laura Jones. The ad features Heinz Wiener Dog, Isaiah Mustafa reprising his role as the Old Spice Guy and The Pillsbury Doughboy. The full ad reportedly features other notable characters, including the Kool-Aid Man, the Jolly Green Giant, Chester Cheetah and Mountain Dew’s “PuppyMonkeyBaby,” all competing to deliver milk to a family making pancakes.
Angel Soft
After all that eating and drinking, a trip to the restroom will be in order. Toilet paper brand Angel Soft will make its debut with a commercial just before the half-time show, encouraging viewers to hit the bathroom before the entertainment begins. “We asked consumers, ‘When would you want to go to the bathroom during the Super Bowl?’ And the halftime show was the answer,” said Laura Knebusch, Angel Soft’s SVP of CPG Marketing and Consumer Experience, in Adweek. “You can catch the end of what will hopefully be a very exciting second half, and you won’t have to miss Kendrick Lamar.”
Hims & Hers
In a plan that may backfire for an event known for its over-indulgence, health and wellness brand Hims & Hers will make its first appearance on the Super Bowl with a 60-second spot addressing the nation’s obesity epidemic. Well, actually, the spot is really about showing how the brand is a solution to the country’s broken health care system, according to Dan Kenger, Chief Design Officer at Hims & Hers, but it is told through the lens of the company’s ability to help customers get weight loss drugs.
“Our debut Big Game ad illustrates the stark contrast between the broken healthcare system of today and the future of healthcare that Hims & Hers is advocating for by providing access to life-changing solutions for the millions of individuals who are looking for a better, more personalized, more affordable way to take care of their health,” Kenger said in a statement shared with Brand Innovators.
Novartis
Staying in the healthcare sector, Novartis is using the Super Bowl’s high-profile platform to advocate for women to get screened for breast cancer. The spot, titled “Your Attention, Please,” features breast cancer advocate and musician/actress Hailee Steinfeld and comedian/actress and breast cancer survivor Wanda Sykes.
A teaser for the spot features a high-energy chant “I see you lookin’/Lookin’ at me” and shots of cheerleaders and New Orleans (and the famous Mardi Gras beads), before ending with Steinfeld saying, “Let’s give breasts the attention they deserve most.”
Bosch
Speaking of trying to make a name for oneself, German engineering and tech firm Bosch revealed at CES that it would make its Super Bowl debut as part of its efforts to expand deeper into the American market. “When you want to be a part of American culture, there is definitely one that you shouldn’t miss,” Boris Dolkhani, CMO of Bosch, told Brand Innovators at the press conference.
A recently released teaser for the spot features Antonio Banderas, an actor portraying the late Randy “Macho Man” Savage and a Bosch 800 Series French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator. The commercial will kick off a four-year campaign for the brand, as it looks to make headway into the U.S. market.
NerdWallet
If you need a way to finance those German appliances, perhaps NerdWallet can help. The company, which ranks and recommends financial products including credit cards, banking and investment accounts and insurance and loan providers, will make an appearance during the third quarter of the game with a spot from Deutsch. A teaser for the ad depicts a talking beluga whale freaking out a tourist named Richard.
“NerdWallet has been a national brand advertiser for about five years and we’re at a place in stage of our growth where most people have heard of us but maybe can’t quite play back the unique reason why they should be using us to get all of their financial products,” Alison McCoy, NerdWallet’s vice president of brand marketing, told Brand Innovators.
Duracell
Running out of transitions here, Duracell’s first Super Bowl ad will feature the brand’s new character, the Duracell Scientist. The character, who appears when people are about to make bad battery decisions, has been making the rounds in various campaigns, social efforts and an appearance at F1, but is now ready for his close-up on the biggest stage with a spot created in conjunction with VaynerMedia.
Cirkul
Water bottle brand Cirkul, a hit among Gen Z, will make an appearance during the first quarter with a commercial featuring actor Adam Devine. In the spot, directed by actor and director Peter Berg, Devine is apparently searching for Cirkul bottles as a solution for his wife’s hydration needs, but his phone’s AI derails his quest.
MSC Cruises
Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom will show up to endorse MSC Cruises in a 60-second spot highlighting the brand’s “European style with American comfort.” A teaser ad depicts Barrymore singing the Madonna classic “Holiday” – poorly – at a piano on a boat deck, while Bloom criticizes her performance. The teaser ends with a clue that the “Holiday Begins” on April 9, 2025, which is when the company launches its new flagship MSC World America in Miami.
Fetch
Rewards app Fetch will give away $10,000 every second during the last 2 minutes of the game and will reveal 120 winners via livestream.
