Super Bowl 2023 ads: The best commercials so far
Super Bowl LVII is only a month away, which means brands have already begun vying for consumer attention with memorable, star-studded ads.
On 12 February 2023, two teams will face-off at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as an estimated 100 million people watch.
The sports spectacle isn’t the only entertaining aspect of the night, however, as viewers will also tune in for Rihanna’s halftime performance and the commercials.
And while we don’t yet know which teams will be playing, it looks like brands are expecting a massive turnout, as Fox Sports revealed in September 2022 that it had already nearly sold out its commercial inventory. At the time, Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, estimated that Fox had five or fewer 30-second spots left to fill, according to Variety.
From a PopCorners campaign featuring Bryan Cranston as his Breaking Bad character Walter White to a Doritos love triangle featuring Jack Harlow, these are some of the best Super Bowl ads this year, so far.
PopCorners
Cranston, who starred as a chemistry teacher turned drug dealer in the AMC show, teased his upcoming cameo on Instagram on 4 January. “Breaking soon. 02.12.23,” Cranston captioned an Instagram photo of himself dressed as White and holding a bag of PopCorners.
The chip company shared the same photo along with the caption: “Say. Our. Name.”
Doritos
Doritos has also waded into the pre-Super Bowl ad space with a new campaign, with the chip company sharing a teaser of its game day ad on 9 January. In the photo, which was shared to Instagram, fans eagerly crowded around a car for a glimpse of an unidentified celebrity, who happened to be holding a Dorito in his hand.
In the caption, the company wrote: “A bag of Doritos BBQ, paparazzi and a mysterious person walk into a bar…”
Doritos later revealed that the “mysterious person” was none other than Harlow, when it released another brief teaser last week. In the clip, the rapper is greeted by a mob of fans before closing the car door and picking up a bag of Doritos. However, before he is able to block out the yells from the fans, Harlow hears one photographer shout a question about a love triangle.
“Is it true about the love triangle?!” the reporter asks, prompting Harlow to contemplate the question before replying: “Maybe” and taking a bite of his chip.
“The real love triangle is us, @jackharlow, and Doritos BBQ,” Doritos captioned the video.
Pringles
In the lead-up to the Super Bowl, chip companies appear to be dominating the ad space, as Pringles has also teased its game day commercial.
On Tuesday, the company shared an Instagram photo of an unidentifiable woman dressed in a hot pink feathered outfit reaching her hand into a can of cheddar cheese Pringles. “#StuckInPringles tick tock, tick tock… 2.12.23,” the brand captioned the video.
According to Forbes, the ad by Kellogg is a sequel to the company’s campaign last year, which saw a hand get stuck in a can of the chips, forcing its owner to go about life with the Pringles can attached to their arm.
Crown Royal
Similarly to years past, campaigns for alcohol brands will take up a number of pricey ad spots during this year’s big game, with AdAge reporting that liquor company Diageo will make its Super Bowl debut with an ad for Crown Royal whisky.
The ad is set to be directed by Jake Scott, whose father, Ridley Scott, directed Apple’s 1984 Macintosh commercial, according to Forbes.
The 1984 ad, which was titled “1984,” showed a woman throwing a sledgehammer through a screen at a Big Brother-like figure after running from police in a dystopian world. The ad, which is largely considered one of the best Super Bowl ads ever, concluded with the words: “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like 1984.”
Coors Light or Miller Lite
It is not yet clear which beer company will be featured in an ad during this year’s game, as Molson Coors, which owns both brands, is reportedly letting the brands battle it out ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
In the lead-up to the big game, which will mark the first time Molson Coors has a Super Bowl ad in more than three decades, the company is advertising both brands on billboards and print ads, with the ad for Miller Lite reading: “The big game hasn’t tasted this great in 30 years,” while the nearly identical ad for Coors Light reads: “The big game hasn’t been this refreshing in 30 years.”
FanDuel
Sports-betting site FanDuel will star Rob Gronkowski in its 2023 Super Bowl ad, which will see the retired NFL star participate in a “kick of destiny”.
A teaser for the campaign promises to be amusing, with a FanDuel employee informing Gronkowski that bettors can win a $10m payout if he can kick a field goal.
“Wait, I don’t kick, I catch,” Gronkowski tells the employee, who seems unconcerned by the difference.
