According to The Wall Street Journal, brands paid approximately US$7 million (AU$10.7 million) for their 30-second ads to air during this year’s Super Bowl LVIII — a significant hike compared to the US$42,000 (AU$65,000) they would’ve been forced to shell out for the inaugural Super Bowl in 1967. Even adjusted for inflation.
Considering how the clash between defending champions, Kansas City Chiefs, and unlikely Brock Purdy-led underdogs, San Francisco 49ers, has been projected to break viewership records thanks to the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce effect, US$7 million (AU$10.7 million) could very well be a bargain. But the real question is…have they made the most out of their time?
Check out the highs and lows of this year’s Super Bowl ads below.
Super Bowl LVIII Ads (2024): The Yays & Nays
The Best…
Dunkin’ Donuts
Piggybacking off last year’s tongue-in-cheek effort wherein Jennifer Lopez visited her husband Ben Affleck during his day gig at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru, Sadfleck™ flips the script in 2024 with a star-studded rebuttal.
Recruiting everyone from a reluctant Matt Damon and Jack Harlow to retired GOAT quarterback Tom Brady, the self-styled “DunKings” crash J-Lo’s studio session. Its charm lies in its self-awareness: they know they’re being corny and they’re leaning into it. A+.
BMW
Clever premise, simple yet effective execution. There’s only one Christopher Walken and there’s only one BMW. There’s also a cameo from Super Bowl LVIII Half-Time Show star Usher.
Squarespace
Legendary director Martin Scorsese is no stranger to taking the spotlight for a quick ad (his American Express promo is still one of our all-time favourites). And he plays his role perfectly as aliens make contact with Earth, once again proving he’s just as effective in front of the camera as he is behind it.
BetMGM
Vince Vaughn barring Tom Brady from a sports betting service because he’s “won too much” shouldn’t be as amusing as it is. And yet here we are. Brady’s indignant protests and ham-fisted attempt at sneaking through the proverbial gates only make the entire concept that much funnier.
Side note: we don’t see enough of Wayne Gretzky these days.
Michelob ULTRA
For the simple reason that we got to see Lionel Messi play more than the poor bastards over in Hong Kong did last week.
… And The Worst
Starry
Maybe I’m showing my age… but I don’t care for Ice Spice and wish she’d fade into cultural obscurity. I also don’t care for this nothing Super Bowl ad spot.
Booking.com
It’s a funny premise trapped in an unfunny commercial’s body. Way to squander one of television’s greatest ensemble comedy casts.
Mountain Dew
Meh. Points for the Parks & Recs reunion, though.
Microsoft
An anaemic attempt at humanising the AI revolution. Sorry, Microsoft. It still feels cold, impersonal, sterile, with hints of the looming dystopia we’ll soon be forced to endure.
Uber Eats
Much like the lingering presence of Friends within modern culture, the Don’t Forget Uber Eats Super Bowl LVIII ad overstays its welcome with an extremely thin punchline.
How many commercials are there during the Super Bowl?
There are typically between 80 and 100 commercials during the Super Bowl, some of which are released (or even leaked) in advance of the game.
According to Statista, that comes to approximately 50 minutes of commercials in total. As you can imagine, it’s an incredibly lucrative venture for networks.
How much does a Super Bowl ad cost?
Here’s how Super Bowl ads have been priced over the years as per SuperBowl-ads.com (source: Nielsen Media Research).
| Year | Price For 30-second Super Bowl Commercial (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1967 | $37,500 (NBC) | $42,500 (CBS) |
| 1968 | $54,500 |
| 1969 | $55,000 |
| 1970 | $78,200 |
| 1971 | $72,500 |
| 1972 | $86,100 |
| 1973 | $88,100 |
| 1974 | $103,500 |
| 1975 | $107,000 |
| 1976 | $110,000 |
| 1977 | $125,000 |
| 1978 | $162,300 |
| 1979 | $185,000 |
| 1980 | $222,000 |
| 1981 | $275,000 |
| 1982 | $324,300 |
| 1983 | $400,000 |
| 1984 | $368,200 |
| 1985 | $525,000 |
| 1986 | $550,000 |
| 1987 | $600,000 |
| 1988 | $645,500 |
| 1989 | $675,500 |
| 1990 | $700,400 |
| 1991 | $800,000 |
| 1992 | $850,000 |
| 1993 | $850,000 |
| 1994 | $900,000 |
| 1995 | $1,150,000 |
| 1996 | $1,085,000 |
| 1997 | $1,200,000 |
| 1998 | $1,291,100 |
| 1999 | $1,600,000 |
| 2000 | $2,100,000 |
| 2001 | $2,200,000 |
| 2002 | $2,200,000 |
| 2003 | $2,200,000 |
| 2004 | $2,302,200 |
| 2005 | $2,400,000 |
| 2006 | $2,500,000 |
| 2007 | $2,385,365 |
| 2008 | $2,699,963 |
| 2009 | $2,999,960 |
| 2010 | $2,954,010 |
| 2011 | $3,100,000 |
| 2012 | $3,500,000 |
| 2013 | $3,800,000 |
| 2014 | $4,000,000 |
| 2015 | $4,250,000 |
| 2016 | $4,500,000 |
| 2017 | $5,000,000 |
| 2018 | $5,200,000 |
| 2019 | $5,300,000 |
| 2020 | $5,600,000 |
| 2021 | $5,500,000 |
| 2022 | $6,500,000 |
| 2023 | $7,000,000 |
Why are Super Bowl ads so expensive?
Simply put: viewers. And lots of ’em. Meaning one of the biggest marketing opportunities in history, which is why you’ll see countless big-name brands like McDonald’s and Doritos just throw money at the sports event without question.
The Super Bowl is broadcast across 225 stations in more than 180 countries. The event is also streamed live on around 450 radio stations, so a brand is pretty much guaranteed the largest captive audience they can possibly ask for.
In the past, brands like Wendy’s, Budweiser, and GoDaddy have benefited greatly from advertising at the Super Bowl, so it’s perfectly reasonable that brands would want to leverage the big dance to make big announcements, refresh their messaging, introduce new products, or even just remind people they have cash to court celebrity appearances.
The most-watched Super Bowl of all time was Super Bowl LVII in 2023 when the Kansa City Chiefs faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles to 115 million viewers in the US alone. Serious numbers by any measure.
