NEXSTAR (DALLAS) — Half the fun of the Super Bowl is watching the commercials. And as we’ve seen in recent years, you often don’t have to wait for breaks in the action. Businesses have been releasing them in advance of the big game in hopes of garnering excitement and attention for their expensive spots.
This year, the landscape will be a little different. Major brands like Coke, Pepsi and Budweiser have announced they won’t produce their traditional Super Bowl Sunday ads. In the case of Budweiser, the company says it’ll donate the cost of the spot to help COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts.
The big brands sitting this one out is opening doors for a number of companies that had strong years during the pandemic — and also some first-time Super Bowl advertisers.
Here’s a look at a few of the already-released ads that are winning over audiences:
Tide – Jason Alexander Hoodie
“Seinfeld” favorite Jason Alexander appears in this Tide commercial as both a face-making hoodie and person behind the wheel of a car. The spot promotes Tide’s Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10x detergent.
Michelob Ultra – Happy
Some familiar faces appear in this 60-second beer spot that asks, “are you happy because you win, or do you win because you’re happy?” Celebs in the ad include Peyton Manning, Anthony Davis and Peyton Manning.
Bud Light – Last Year’s Lemons
We can all agree that 2020 was a lemon of a year. Bud Light brings the concept to life for its seltzer lemonade beverage. In the spot, people in various scenes are attacked by falling lemons. Thanks, 2020.
