Hello!
Jeff Bridges caught Twitter's attention last week when he tweeted a teaser of a Super Bowl ad. Today, Stella Artois released its full spot, starring Bridges as "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski and Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw. What happens when two famous characters deviate from their normal drink orders? Find out in the spot.
Celebrity takeover
This year's Super Bowl will have no shortage of celebrities. Here's a quick rundown of everyone involved (that we know of so far): Cardi B, Steve Carell, Lil Jon (Pepsi) Christina Applegate (M&Ms) Zoe Kravitz (Michelob Ultra: Pure Gold), Chance the Rapper, Backstreet Boys (Doritos), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Olay), A-Rod (Planters), Kristin Chenoweth (Avocados from Mexico), Michael C. Hall (sort of/not during game but on Broadway for Skittles the Commercial: The Musical), Luke Wilson (Colgate), Michael Bublé (Bubly), Ludacris (Mercedes), Serena Williams (Bumble), Jason Bateman (Hyundai); 50+ NFL stars (NFL); Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeff Bridges (Stella Artois); Harrison Ford, Forrest Whitaker, Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer (Amazon).
It's an impressive list that will likely only grow throughout the week.
Speaking of stars
You may have caught in that obnoxiously long list of stars that the NFL will feature 50+ in one ad. It's got just about every living legend and current star you could hope for—Mean Joe Greene, Franco Harris, Peyton Manning, Deion Sanders, Patrick Mahomes and so many more. Oh, and Peter Berg of Friday Night Lights fame directed the spot. The NFL gave Adweek an inside look at the campaign, which celebrates the centennial anniversary of the league.
During filming of the commercial, 10 NFL stars revealed to us what their favorite Super Bowl spots are. Arizona Cardinals star Patrick Peterson picked every Doritos commercial ever aired in the Super Bowl, while Larry Csonka, Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith all chose Mean Joe Greene's "Hey, Kid. Catch" spot. See all of their picks here.
Amazon confirms it will be in the game
After its massive hit last year when Alexa lost its voice, Amazon is back with another celebrity-filled spot. On Friday, the brand released a number of teasers featuring stars like Harrison Ford, Forrest Whitaker, Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer. They're part of a super secret "beta testing program."
Teasers and full ads galore
Just this morning, we have an impressive list of new creative for the game. Pringles joins Michelob in the "sad robots" category with an Alexa-like device who can't consume the stackable chips. Zoe Kravitz does ASMR, whispering about Michelob Ultra's organic beer (this one will surely catch a lot of viewers' attention). In Pepsi's full spot, Steve Carell finally addresses when a waiter or waitress asks, "Is Pepsi OK?" if someone orders a Coke. Lil John and Cardi B chip in to confirm why it's always OK to have a Pepsi. We also got another look at Olay's ad with a second teaser that features a nostalgic/horror combo with Sarah Michelle Gellar that we're optimistic about.
Advertising ruins everything
That's according to Skittles, which released one of the songs in its Broadway musical starring Michael C. Hall. The Dexter star sat down with Adweek to explain why on earth he'd star in a 30-minute musical about candy.
What does it take to oversee ad sales for six Super Bowls?
CBS ad sales chief Jo Ann Ross has seen just about everything, from brand blowups to blackouts. For the magazine's second feature, she tells all about her experiences running the biggest advertising day of the year.
Crikey, what a good idea
For the magazine, we also did a deep dive into the effectiveness of Australia Tourism's fake Crocodile Dundee trailer. Spoiler: It was very effective.
You're not you when you're hungry
How did Snickers turn a human need into a successful Super Bowl campaign? Two of BBDO's brightest minds behind the campaign reveal how they developed the concept.
