As millions of football fans across the country gear up to watch the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LIV, some viewers are looking forward to one thing: the commercials.
As the most widely watched sporting event in the world with around 100 million Americans tuning in each year, the Super Bowl is a hugely important marketing opportunity for brands.
In light of the massive audience, the event has spawned a fierce competition between ad agencies over who can create the most buzz-worthy commercials with cheesy celebrity skits, adorable animals antics and tear-jerking tributes.
Fox Sports saw unprecedented demand for its 77 national spots this year – selling out all of its advertising inventory for Super Bowl LIV over two months ahead of the game.
The broadcaster raked in an estimated $400million in ad sales, with the price for a 30-second slot a record $5.6million.
In recent years it’s become standard for companies to release Super Bowl ads online ahead of the main event and whet viewers’ appetites for what’s to come.
DailyMail.com rounded up a list of commercials that are already making a splash on social media.
Doritos – Sam Elliott remixes Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
Sam Elliott remixes rapper Lil Nas X’s record-breaking 2019 hit Old Town Road in a Doritos ad
Elliott enters an old saloon and recites song lyrics in his trademark drawl
Doritos made an unexpected remix of rapper Lil Nas X’s record-breaking 2019 hit Old Town Road for one of its ads on Sunday – bringing in Sam Elliott to perform a cover.
The 75-year-old actor is seen entering an old saloon and reciting the song’s opening lyrics in his trademark drawl as fellow patrons scowl.
The base line of the original version of Old Town Road begins to play, shaking the bar as Elliott stands up and exits the saloon without a word.
Planters – Mascot Mr Peanut Falls to his death
Planters shocked customers last week when it killed off Mr Peanut in a teaser for a Super Bowl ad which shows the mascot and actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh getting into a car crash
The trio are seen hanging onto a branch on the edge of a cliff before Mr Peanut sacrifices himself by letting go and falling to his death
Planters shocked customers last week when it killed off its 104-year-old mascot Mr Peanut in a teaser for a Super Bowl commercial.
The ad shows Mr Peanut and actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh getting into a scary car accident in the NUTmobile that leaves them hanging over the side of a cliff.
Mr Peanut, who was introduced as the brand’s mascot in 1916, saves his road trip companions by letting go and plummeting to his death.
On Monday Planters announced that it is putting the campaign on hold in light of the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
Hyundai – Chris Evans and John Krasinski embrace their Boston roots
Massachusetts-born actors Chris Evans, Rachel Dratch and John Krasinski adopt thick New England accents in a Hyundai ad introducing the Sonata’s new Smart Parking feature
The commercial shows Evans and Dratch marveling at Krasinski’s shiny new sedan
Krasinski employs the Sonata’s new Smart Park feature to get the car into a tight parking spot
Massachusetts-born actors Chris Evans and John Krasinski adopted thick New England accents in a Hyundai ad introducing the Sonata’s new Smart Parking feature.
The commercial shows Evans and comedian Rachel Dratch watching as Krasinski steps out of his shiny new sedan and watches it park itself in a tight spot.
A postman standing nearby raises alarm that no one is at the wheel to which Evans responds: ‘That’s all right, he’s got Smaht Pahk!’
Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, AKA Big Papi, then appears nearby and calls the feature ‘wicked smaht’.
Michelob Ultra – John Cena drags Jimmy Fallon through a workout
WWE superstar John Cena inspires late night host Jimmy Fallon to get in shape in Michelob’s new Super Bowl commercial
Fallon complains about the struggles of staying fit as he and Cena drink Michelob Ultras at a bar after a workout
WWE superstar John Cena inspires late night host Jimmy Fallon to get in shape in Michelob’s new Super Bowl commercial.
The 60-second ad begins with 45-year-old Fallon trying to work out with 42-year-old Cena – though it’s not going so well.
Fallon gives up and the pair retreat to a nearby bar, where Cena convinces Fallon to get back in the gym as the pair sip on Michelob Ultra beers.
Mountain Dew – Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis parody The Shining
Bryan Cranston channeled Jack Nicholson’s iconic ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene from the The Shining in an ad for Mountain Dew
The ad’s final shots show Mountain Dew pouring out of the doors of an elevator, in a twist on the original film’s waves of blood
Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross recreated the iconic ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene from the 1980 film The Shining in an ad for Mountain Dew.
Cranston channels Shining star Jack Nicholson’s demented hotel caretaker Jack Torrance as he carries an axe around a hotel and ominously calls ‘Come out, come out, wherever you are….’
He then taps on the door as Ross hides behind with a bottle of Mountain Dew, saying ‘I’ve got new Mountain Dew Zero Sugar.’
Cranston then proceeds to attack the locked door with an axe, before poking his face through the hole in the door and putting his own spin on the movie’s iconic line: ‘Here’s Mountain Dew Zero!’
A terrified Tracee stops screaming and takes the drink while casually saying: ‘I am thirsty’.
The ad’s final shots show Mountain Dew pouring out of the doors of an elevator, in a twist on the original film’s waves of blood.
Budweiser – Heartwarming real-life footage challenges complaints about ‘typical Americans’
One of this year’s Budweiser ads challenges common negative stereotypes of ‘typical Americans’ with heartwarming real-life footage of people helping each other
Budweiser has a penchant for pulling at heart strings in Super Bowl ads – often using adorable puppies and, of course, its herd of majestic Clydesdales.
One of this year’s ads is no different, featuring heartwarming real-life footage of people helping each other as a narrator reads off common complaints about ‘typical Americans’.
‘America, look beyond the labels. You might be surprised by what you find,’ the brand wrote in a Facebook post with the full commercial.
However, the ad has been met with criticism in North Carolina for including protest footage from the 2016 Charlotte Uprising civil unrest which some say opened old wounds.
Google Assistant – Elderly man asks device to record memories of his late wife
Google released a tear-jerking commercial which features an elderly man reflecting on happier times before his wife passed away as he asks Google Assistant to show him old photos and remind him of his favorite memories
Google released a tear-jerking commercial which features an elderly man reflecting on happier times before his wife passed away.
The man is heard asking his Google Assistant device to show him photos of the pair together and to record sweet memories from when she was alive.
At the end, Google Assistant pulls up a record of all the man’s notes. The oldest one, from May 2017, reads: ‘Loretta always said, don’t miss me too much, and get out of the dang house.’
Cheetos – MC Hammer shows how to avoid mundane tasks with Cheetos Popcorn
MC Hammer appears in a commercial promoting Cheetos Popcorn. The 90s hip-hop star recites his famous line ‘Can’t Touch This’ as he pops up in various situations where people avoid performing mundane tasks because their fingers are covered in orange dust
Cheetos bought a Super Bowl slot for the first time in 10 years – hoping to make a splash by featuring MC Hammer.
The 90s hip-hop star brings back his iconic line ‘Can’t Touch This’ to promote the brand’s new Cheetos Popcorn.
Hammer is seen popping out of various objects behind people as they avoid performing mundane tasks like doing office work, helping carry things and holding babies because their fingers are covered in orange dust.
Microsoft – Kate Sowers is celebrated as the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl
Microsoft’s Super Bowl commercial celebrates San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers, who will become the first woman to coach in the big game on Sunday
Microsoft’s Super Bowl commercial sends an uplifting message by celebrating San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers, who will become the first woman to coach in the big game on Sunday.
The ad shows Sowers, who is also the first openly gay person to coach in the Super Bowl, reflecting on her childhood love of football and her rise through the NFL coaching ranks.
At the end, she tells the camera: ‘All it takes is one, and then it opens the door for so many,’ before text on the screen reads: ‘Thanks Katie for being the one.’
Little Caesars – ‘Sliced Bread Inc’ CEO Rainn Wilson panics over delivery service
Little Caesars seizes on the age-old saying ‘best thing since sliced bread’ in its first-ever Super Bowl commercial promoting its new delivery service
Office alum Rainn Wilson stars as the disgruntled CEO of ‘Sliced Bread, Inc’ who implodes in the wake of Little Caesars announcing that customers can now get pizzas delivered
Little Caesars seizes on the age-old saying ‘best thing since sliced bread’ in its first-ever Super Bowl commercial promoting its new delivery service.
The ad stars Office alum Rainn Wilson as the disgruntled CEO of ‘Sliced Bread, Inc’ who implodes in the wake of Little Caesars announcing that customers can now get pizzas delivered to their door.
Wilson delivers the same intensity and incompetence fans loved from his Office character Dwight Schrute as the Sliced Bread headquarters descends into chaos after Little Caesars took over as ‘the new best thing’.
Amazon Alexa – Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi wonder about life before Alexa
Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi welcome viewers into their home in a Super Bowl commercial for Amazon Alexa which questions what people did before the device existed
Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi welcome viewers into their home in a Super Bowl commercial for Amazon Alexa.
The power couple are seen using Alexa as they get ready to leave their house before DeGeneres asks de Rossi: ‘What do you think people did before Alexa?’
The ad then launches into a fake history lesson featuring old-timey maids, court jesters, newsboys, friends, secretaries and people with names similar to Alexa who are asked to do everything the device does.
The long-winded lesson cuts off as DeGeneres and de Rossi get in their car and the latter comments: ‘Yeah, I don’t know what people did before Alexa.’
Sabra – Drag queens, Real Housewives and T-Pain show how versatile hummus is
Drag queens Kim Chi and Miz Cracker are set to become the first drag performers to star in a Super Bowl commercial promoting Sabra hummus
Another teaser for the Sabra ad featured feuding Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Giudice and Caroline Manzo coming together to enjoy a bowl of hummus
Sabra hummus set out to show how versatile its dip can be by featuring a wide range of celebrity characters in its Super Bowl commercial.
A teaser for the ad made headlines last week after it was revealed to be the first time drag queens have appeared in a Super Bowl commercial.
The teaser featured Kim Chi and Miz Cracker, who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race, getting ready for a performance.
‘I hope this doesn’t give me helmet hair,’ Miz Cracker says as she tries to pull a helmet over one of her massive wigs.
Another teaser featured feuding Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Giudice and Caroline Manzo coming together to enjoy a bowl of hummus.
Rapper T-Pain is expected to make an appearance in the full commercial airing during the Super Bowl.
‘We’re bringing a diverse group of personalities to the table and demonstrating just how incredibly versatile, relevant and relatable hummus is today. We think we’ve got something for everyone,’ said Jason Levine, chief marketing officer for Sabra.
Avocados From Mexico – Molly Ringwald moonlights as a shopping network rep
Tide – Charlie Day and Emily Hampshire air their dirty laundry
Pringles – Rick and Morty get trapped in a Pringles commercial
Turbo Tax – Taxpayers dance to ‘All people are tax people’ rap remix
Weathertech – CEO thanks vets who cured his dog’s cancer