How 2020 Was the Right Year for These First-Time Super Bowl Advertisers

No one Adweek consulted can remember if Donald Trump has been in a Super Bowl ad before now. Regardless, his decision to advertise in the Big Game now certainly makes sense whether or not you support his re-election bid. Trump and another first-timer, presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, are not alone in making their Super Bowl debuts in 2020. In addition to hummus brand Sabra (which did not respond to a request for comment by deadline), the freshman class of Super Bowl 54 advertisers is a veritable who’s who of CPG, retail, entertainment and social media brands. Here’s a closer look at why they chose this year to advertise on the NFL's biggest night for the first time. Hard Rock: Celebrating a big moment in Miami Restaurant, hotel and casino chain Hard Rock International bought the naming rights to Miami’s Dolphins Stadium in 2016. With Super Bowl LIV playing out at none other than Hard Rock Stadium this year, it’s only natural the brand capitalized on the biggest event to date since with its first Super Bowl ad. “The time is right for an epic 60-second spot that showcases the entertainment and excitement of the Hard Rock brand,” said Jim Allen, chairman and CEO, Hard Rock International. Hard Rock also recently opened the nearby Guitar Hotel, which happens to be the setting for its Super Bowl ad. “The Big Game is a global sporting event that incorporates music and entertainment, two cornerstones of the Hard Rock brand,” Allen added. “As one of the most recognizable brands in the world, this is the perfect platform for Hard Rock to collaborate with immensely talented star power, including Michael Bay, one of the world’s greatest producers and directors, [and halftime show star Jennifer Lopez].” Walmart: Celebrating pickup options across the U.S. American retail giant Walmart now offers order pickup from 3,100 of its 4,700 U.S. locations, along with an expanded selection of products. The brand flirted with idea of a Super Bowl ad last year that ran right before kickoff. It featured memorable vehicles from movies like Batman, Ghostbusters, National Lampoon and Back to the Future that arrived at Walmart to retrieve online orders. This year, the brand is officially in because as Janey Whiteside, evp and chief customer officer, Walmart, said, “We now feel we’re at a point where enough of the population can get [curbside pickup], we want to expose the service and how broad it is to as many people as possible.” And while neither brand spoke of the other directly, it’s interesting to see ecommerce platform Amazon use its third consecutive Super Bowl buy to lure consumers into its own Alexa-enabled ecosystem in the meantime. Little Caesars: Celebrating delivery for the first time Pizza chain Little Caesars celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, which is the same year PepsiCo—and Super Bowl ad—veteran Jeff Klein, now Little Caesars’ svp of global marketing, joined the company. While he called Super Bowl advertising “a decision that doesn’t come without much internal debate,” he said the time was right for Little Caesars because it is offering a delivery option for the first time in its six-decade history. “What I always hope for is every year, you have a piece of news that makes you consider the Super Bowl as a platform,” Klein added. But the Super Bowl is also a big day for pizza overall. Klein did not disclose how many pizzas the chain typically sells on Super Bowl Sunday, but he said it is the busiest Sunday of the year and it is known internally as “Bums Against the Glass Day.” What’s more, he said, delivery should help insert the brand into big events like this going forward. “We will sell every pizza we can possibly make on Super Bowl Sunday,” Klein added. Pop-Tarts: Celebrating a new snack Toaster pastry brand Pop-Tarts is hoping to insert itself into the broader universe of snacking as it introduces Pop-Tarts Pretzel products. A brand rep said it “couldn’t think of a better opportunity to unveil the two new flavors … than the Big Game, one of the biggest snacking occasions of the year” with Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness. In addition to bringing “a lot of excitement to the snacking category overall,” Pop-Tarts hopes to “tempt new consumers who are looking for more snacking options” with the first-time ad buy. Facebook: Celebrating joy Social media platform Facebook says its first Super Bowl ad comes as the brand seeks to “highlight the joy that comes from people connecting over shared interests by reminding them that there is a Facebook group for everyone.” According to a Facebook spokesperson, the platform is advertising in the Super Bowl with stories inspired by real people to “highlight the joy that comes from people connecting over shared interests by reminding them that there is a Facebook group for everyone—whatever your interests, there are people out there that will share that with you, and we think that is worth celebrating.” The spokesperson said the Super Bowl is a natural fit because in part “people share their experience in the lead up, during and after the game with their community on Facebook and within Facebook Groups,” but she did not comment further on why the brand opted for this particular moment in time. Which, in theory at least, also includes user data scandals and accusations of eroding democracy. The common thread: Nostalgia According to Andrew Frank, vp analyst, Gartner, many of these ads are tapping into nostalgia to make new products or change seem more palatable. Even Cheetos, while not technically a first-time advertiser but a brand that has sat out for 11 years, is using MC Hammer’s 1990 Hit “U Can’t Touch This” to promote its new popcorn. “And then Walmart is one of the new ones—their ad is full of nostalgic imagery,” Frank said. “All of that strikes me as trying to make the new seem more familiar.” Pop-Tarts seems to have positioned Van Ness as a “Vanna White takeoff,” he added. White, of course, being the co-host of the game show Wheel of Fortune since 1983. “It was very much over-the-top with his personality,” Frank said. “Pop-Tart Pretzels, but it’s pitched in a very campy, game show-type mode.” So why all this nostalgia now? “Under stress, we regress,” Frank said. “I think people are nostalgic for a simpler time where perhaps there wasn’t so much feeling on edge. Edgy ads were out—most of them are light humor or, in some cases, heavy emotion like the Google ad, which is one of the most emotional ads I’ve seen. It definitely succeeded in transcending all the cultural divisions and I think all advertisers are trying to avoid that.” Jeep also leaned in on nostalgia this year in its Groundhog Day remake with Bill Murray. “I think there’s a trend going for something familiar and using a lot of clichés,” Frank said. “Little Caesars uses the sliced bread cliché, so that’s, again, a kind of common cultural touchpoint.” In prior years, it seems like ads took more chances, but he said brands are playing it safer in 2020. “I think people are seeking out the most familiar icons,” Frank added. “I think what we saw last year and the year before, ads that took chances got generally quite a lot of dialog, but they seemed to raise the temperature a lot, so this year it looks like they’re trying to lower the temperature and trying to be non-controversial.”

Super Bowl Commercials

How 2020 Was the Right Year for These First-Time Super Bowl Advertisers

They have new products and services—and lean on nostalgia

Lisa Lacy

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