Super Bowl alert: Lighthearted commercials arrive

Hello Super Bowl junkies, I’m Jeanine Poggi, Ad Age’s senior editor, kicking-off our countdown to Super Bowl LV. In the weeks leading up to the game, which will, as of now, air on CBS on Feb. 7, Ad Age...

Super Bowl alert: Lighthearted commercials arrive

Pepsi's sort of Super Bowl ad 

PepsiCo will plug its Rockstar energy drink with a pre-game ad that will run in the final ad break before kickoff. While cheaper than in-game ads, this commercial pod has been home to some fairly high-profile spots over the years, Schultz writes. In 2015, Chevy got plenty of attention with a pre-game commercial that duped viewers into thinking they lost cable service with an ad that simply blacked out TV screens. Rockstar won’t go to that kind of extreme, but his hoping to gain notice with an ad featuring rapper Lil Baby, as well as first responders, medical professionals, entrepreneurs and others. See the teaser here. (yes, even pre-game ads get teasers.) Pepsi’s in-game lineup includes Mtn Dew, Cheetos and Doritos.

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Join Michelob Ultra, Kimberly-Clark, M&M’s among other Super Bowl advertisers and creatives on Feb. 2 for a look at how brands are navigating the pandemic and addressing diversity in their ads for the 2021 game. Register for the event here