The matchup on the field for Super Bowl LVI is set, but some of the highly-anticipated commercials for the game are gearing up for surprise reveals.
As the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams prepare for the Super Bowl on Feb. 13, many advertisers are pulling out all the stops to entertain fans between moments of on-field action.
Along with the halftime show — which will feature an ensemble of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar — this year's ad slate hopes to attract viewers beyond regular football fans with A-list celebrities, polished vignettes and at least a few classic favorites.
And you don't have to wait until the big game to check out some of the best commercials, as many brands have already begun releasing their full ads online, while others are teasing a bigger reveal for their top-dollar slots on Feb. 13.
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How Much Does a Super Bowl Ad Cost in 2022 Anyway?
While NBC — the Super Bowl's broadcaster this year — does not report the price of every ad, an executive in September said sales were going at a "record pace" and recent 30-second spots at the time had sold for $6.5 million.
"As of today, we only have a few units left, and we’re purposely holding them back," said Dan Lovinger, executive vice president of advertising sales for NBC Sports Group, in a conference call on Sept. 8.
CBS in 2021 sold Super Bowl ads for an average of $5.6 million, Bloomberg reported last year.
Lovinger said the number of ads aired during the game would likely be between 80 and 90, similar to previous years.
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Amazon | 'Mind Reader' With Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost
Amazon's Alexa service can ship customers just about whatever they need. It's almost like it can read minds — but that might not work out well for celebrity pair Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, as the married couple imagines they'd reveal more than they'd like.
AT&T | 'A Lot in Common': Demi Moore and Mila Kunis High School Reunion
Mila Kunis and Demi Moore are famously connected, as both have married actor Ashton Kutcher (Moore 2005 to 2013, Kunis 2015 to the present). But who knew they had something in common long before that? As the two attend an awards ceremony for their shared high school alma mater, each painfully discovers they might not be the “most admired” alum from the school.
AT&T | 'Zac Efron Gig-ifies Fishing'
AT&T says its new internet speeds are changing the game — but it might not be as fast as the escalation of this back-and-forth fishing battle in a commercial starring Zac Efron.
BMW | 'Something Electric is Brewing' With Arnold Schwarzenegger
Actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger orders a simple macchiato in this teaser. But his thick hair and beard, golden body armor, pulsing lightning surrounding him and the name on his order, "Zeus," all suggest bigger things to come.
Booking.com | 'Idris Calls His Legendary Spokes-Blokes for Advice' (TEASER)
While the buzz around Idris Elba taking on the role of James Bond is still a fast-flying rumor, he's definitely set to appear in his first Super Bowl ad. To prepare, he calls a couple of commercial legends for advice: Jonathan Goldsmith, “The Most Interesting Man in the World” for Dos Equis beer, and Isaiah Musafa, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” for Old Spice. But their first ideas might not be exactly what he was looking for.
Bud Light Seltzer | Mayor of 'Flavortown'
"Flavortown" has never come across flavor like Bud Light seltzers with hard soda before, flavor expert Guy Fieri says as the mayor of the colorful, mythical town. And he makes sure to let everyone know.
Budweiser | 'A Clydesdale's Journey'
Budweiser's iconic Clydesdales (and cute dog companion) are making a dramatic return to this year's Super Bowl event. When one of the horses tries to leap over a fence, it sustains a scary injury, and must recover if it hopes to see its pup pal again.
The beer brand initially released a five-second teaser of footage to get fans excited for their return on gameday. For the first time since the company introduced Bud Light in 1983, Anheuser-Busch didn't run an ad for Budweiser during the Super Bowl in 2021, instead donating the money it would have spent to COVID-19 vaccination awareness efforts.
Cheetos & Doritos | 'Push It' With Charlie Puth and Megan Thee Stallion (TEASER)
An adventurer is climbing through the forest, when they accidentally drop their bags of Cheetos and Doritos, leading a slew of animals to begin munching on the snacks. Their eating becomes a great beat (in the spirit of Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It"), with singers Charlie Puth and Megan Thee Stallion lending their voices to a singing fox and bird, respectively.
Puth and Megan Thee Stallion each had their own live-action teasers leading up to the full-ad reveal. Puth entered into a very bizarre scene in his movie set trailer with Doritos-dust paw prints inside, and held up a bird feather at the end. Megan Thee Stallion arrived at the filming scene and was peppered with questions about whether she was allergic to animals.
E-Trade | 'The Search Is On' (TEASER)
Mirroring an "Avengers" scene, E-Trade appears to be summoning one of the greatest heroes in Super Bowl ad history: the talking baby. The first E-Trade baby appeared in a Super Bowl ad in 2008 but hasn't been seen since 2014, according to CNN.
Hellmann's | 'Mayo Tackles Food Waste' With Jerod Mayo and Pete Davidson
Hellman's elicits Terry Tate's "Office Linebacker" commercial in this tackle-heavy spot. The mayo company enlisted the former all-pro linebacker and current Patriots coach to "tackle" a special mission for the company, reminding people — including actor Pete Davidson and his mom — who may be about to throw out food that they can make something new with mayonnaise. (See the earlier teaser.)
Irish Spring | 'Welcome to Irish Spring' (TEASER)
With its first-ever Super Bowl spot, the soap brand shows a man arriving at a utopian spring — Irish Spring, of course. But what secrets await?
Kia America | 'Robo Dog'
Even the most casual commercial fans know advertisers aren't afraid to attract attention with cute dogs (see especially: Budweiser's puppies). This year, Kia is betting America will fall in love with a different kind of cute canine, "Robo Dog," who uses all its power to join a man in his electric Kia. (See the teaser.)
Lay's | 'Golden Memories' With Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd
As Seth Rogen prepares for a mysterious wedding, he reminisces with Paul Rudd over all the memories they've had together with Lay's by their side: falling airplanes, creepy kidnapper stalkers, a turf war?
The chip company had already released a few scenes from the quick-moving montage ahead of time, including the chanting, stalker fan and a "behind-the-scenes" moment, which you can see below:
Michelob ULTRA | Peyton Manning, Steve Buscemi (TEASERS)
Peyton Manning hasn't played an NFL game since January 2016, but the legendary quarterback appears to be gearing up for his debut in a new spot, and at the aptly named "Superior Bowl." In a second teaser, actor Steve Buscemi shines shoes and tends the bar, which has just a single tap of Michelob. The "Toy Story" classic "You've Got a Friend in Me" blares in the background of both teasers — possibly suggesting a building bromance?
Nissan USA: 'Thrill Driver - Official Trailer' (TEASER)
There are movie trailers for movies and commercials imitating movie trailers, but Nissan this year rolled out a movie trailer for its upcoming commercial. It's already looking to be a quality cast, too, with Eugene Levy, Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista.
PepsiCo | 'Road to Super Bowl LVI' With Mannings, Jerome Bettis, Terry Bradshaw, Victor Cruz
Peyton and Eli Manning continue their decades-long brotherly bickering as they snack and sip ahead of the Super Bowl. When a few NFL friends show up looking to head to the stadium in Los Angeles, a rambunctious road trip begins.
Planet Fitness | 'What’s Gotten into Lindsay?' With Lindsay Lohan, William Shatner, Dennis Rodman, Danny Trejo
Lindsay Lohan hasn't always had the easiest adulthood, but she's more self-aware than ever in this Planet Fitness ad, nailing "Jeopardy!" and leaving the paparazzi in the dust. As William Shatner, Dennis Rodman and Danny Trejo, among others, ask, "what's gotten into Lindsay?"
Planters | 'The Disagreement' With Joel McHale and Ken Jeong
Two former "Community" stars, actors Joel McHale and Ken Jeong, can't agree on the right way to eat the deluxe nuts: "all or one?"
Rakuten | 'Evil Laugh' With Hannah Waddingham (TEASER)
Hannah Waddingham of "Ted Lasso" practices her most sinister cackle in this teaser for the cash back company — but you'll have to tune in on gameday to "See who gets the last laugh," this video says.
Sam's Club | 'VIP' With Kevin Hart
There's no more important person than Kevin Hart with Sam's Club VIP, except perhaps every other fellow shopper. Good luck telling him that, though.
Enfamil | 'Expected: February 13. Born: 6 Weeks Early.'
Enfamil says its ad, which was posted online weeks ahead of the game, won’t actually appear in the Super Bowl — but that’s the point. The formula and nutrients company created this video to highlight its effort in supporting babies born prematurely, including Mekhi Becton, a tackle for the New York Jets. As the narrator says, “we believe every kickoff should be great; even an early one.”
