Brands Advertising in Super Bowl LII Played It Safe, Largely Avoiding Sex and Politics

But they still have a way to go on equality and inclusivity

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If you noticed something missing from the slate of ads that ran during Super Bowl LII, you weren’t the only one.

Conspicuously absent were the well-placed watermelons of Carl’s Jr’s heyday or GoDaddy’s “supermodel meets real-life nerd” fantasies. Even Cindy Crawford played second fiddle to her teenage son in Pepsi’s reimagining of its own 1992 classic featuring the fashion icon.

But it wasn’t just a lack of sex that left a lackluster taste in the mouths of many agency creatives.

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