Hollywood A-listers, half-naked hearthrobs and a whole heap of emotion is being deployed in this year’s Super Bowl ads as the annual marketing frenzy gets underway.
This year’s commercials are battling to snag the attention of some 110million viewers estimated to tune in to Sunday’s big game and are spending $5million or more for just 30 seconds of airtime alone.
Hugh Jackman and Chris Hemsworth for ‘Crocodile Dundee’
Margot Robbie is another name in the trailer that sent Tourism Australia’s digital engagement skyrocketing
Hugh Jackman and Chris Hemsworth teased the internet this week by sharing video from Tourism Australia, who released a fake reboot of the pair in the 1986 Australian-American action comedy film.
The marketing scheme has already paid off – as the brand’s digital engagement has since skyrocketed, according to ad company Amobee.
Chris Pratt for Michelob Ultra
A shirtless and chiseled Chris Pratt will appear in Michelob Ultra’s ad where the sexy star suggests that, to be fit, ‘you gotta love Michelob Ultra.’
Danny DeVito for M&Ms
A talking red M&M is heard telling his edible friend, ‘I’ve had three people try to eat me today… sometimes I wish I was human.’
Danny DeVito will be seen dunked in a pool of chocolate in a funny M&M ad released Monday.
Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman for Pepsi Co.
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman staged a lip sync rap battle in commercials for a new spicy flavor of Doritos chips and a new flavor of Mountain Dew respectively.
David Harbour for Tide
Tide detergent’s ad was an instant hit as Stranger Things actor David Harbour tore apart every other ‘typical’ ad.
After a series of scenarios that lead viewers to believe it was a run of the mill car or beer ad, Harbour finally revealed that ‘it’s a Tide ad’.
Chadwick Boseman for Lexus
Luxury car company Lexus released their ‘Long Live the King’ commercial featuring Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman plays the role of the Black Panther in the eye-popping ad promoting the sleek 2018 LS 500 luxury sedan.
Budweiser disaster relief
Budweiser will win over the hearts of viewers once again. This year’s commercial is focused on disaster relief after the slew of hurricanes and beyond that affected Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and California.
Tiffany Haddish for Groupon
Tiffany Haddish pleads with the public to support local businesses.
The commercial then cuts to a wealthy man who plots to crush small businesses, only to double over after players nail him with a kicked football.
Groupon insists the man isn’t hit in the groin, although the ad video is ambiguous.
Peyton Manning for Universal Parks & Resorts
Peyton Manning stars as the ‘vacation quarterback’ in the Universal Parks & Resorts commercial.
‘This is your moment… you are more than a team, you are family,’ Manning is heard encouraging a group of theme park-goers. ‘Now lets get out here and play!’
Bill Hader for Pringles
Bill Hader appears in Pringles’ first Super Bowl ad, as seen in the chip company’s teaser.
‘More people will see me in this than they have in the last three movies I’ve made,’ actor and comedian Hader muses in the teaser for the first Super Bowl spot.
Febreze
An ad for Febreze air freshener goes all in for toilet humor.
It presents a pseudo-documentary about a boy whose ‘bleep doesn’t stink,’ alluding to a profane phrase that commonly refers to people who are full of … themselves.
Amazon Alexa
In another hilarious commercial, Amazon virtual assistant Alexa loses her voice and the company CEO Jeff Bezos gets word about the tragic matter over the news.
Various celebrities appear in the commercial including Rebel Wilson and Gordon Ramsey.
Cardi B also appears, and hilariously taunts one user after asking her how far away Mars is.
Doritos Vs Mountain Dew Ice
A hilarious advert shows actor Peter Dinklage face off in a rap battle with Morgan Freeman. The Game of Thrones actor lip syncs to Busta Rhymes to promote the spicy snack while Freeman mouths Missy Elliott to promote the soft drink.
Keanu Reeves for Squarespace
Keanu Reeves stands up on a motorcycle moving at high speeds through the desert in a Squarespace ad set to the tune of the Adventures in Success, the 1983 song from Will Powers. The actor performed his own stunts in the ad.
Coca-Cola’s The Wonder of Us
The beverage giant’s commercial was shot in Mexico. It features people holding and drinking varieties of Coke including Coke Zero and the stevia-flavored Coke Life.
Shown in the advertisement are women, men and a person who uses the ‘they’ pronoun. A biracial couple, a lesbian couple and a person in a wheelchair also appear in the spot.
‘There’s a Coke for he, and she and her and me and them,’ a voiceover states.
Cindy Crawford briefly reprises role in Pepsi ad
Coca-Cola competitor Pepsi took a long look at its history – from hippies and drive-in theater patrons drinking it on through to today. Model and actress Cindy Crawford briefly appears in the role. Crawford, 51, starred in multiple Pepsi ads in the early 1990s.
Matt Damon stars in Stella Artois ad
The Downsizing star hawked the beer company’s limited-edition chalice in its 30-second spot. The company says that a single purchase of the chalice will go towards its partnership with Water.org to help provide five years of access to clean water for a single person in the developing world.
PETA releases depressing ad starring James Cromwell
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a rather depressing ad showing an imagined scenario in which a meat industry executive visits a church to confess his sins. The executive details how he lied to the public about how animals for consumption have been treated. The priest, played by actor James Cromwell, refuses to forgive the exec’s sins and says: ‘We have to draw the line somewhere’ The ad concludes with text: ‘Go Vegan.’
HBO buys first SuperBowl spot in 20 years
The premium cable channel has purchased a spot to advertise season 2 of Westworld, which is set to debut at some point in 2018. The last time HBO purchased a Super Bowl spot was in 1998.