This year, Hyundai plans to offer up a little something for everyone, including two celebrity appearances, in its four Super Bowl 50 spots.

The ads, created by Innocean Worldwide, touch on humor, fear, compassion and love, and aim to capture the brand's "We make things better" motto while also highlighting new capabilities and technologies. 

"[Super Bowl Sunday] is a day that you need to be out in front, and there needs to be a universal truth in your ads, and you need to give something for everyone," Tim Blett, COO at Innocean USA, told Adweek. 

For Super Bowl 50, getting something for everyone meant pulling out all the stops. The brand tapped three all-star directors and two big-name celebrities, Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart, to bring the creative work to life. 

In "First Date," a young man arrives to pick up his date, when Hart pops up at the door. Hart offers to let the young man borrow his new car (the new Hyundai Genesis), which comes equipped with the Hyundai Blue Link Car Finder feature. The car finder allows Hart to keep track of his daughter's whereabouts and humorously reveal himself to the male suitor throughout the evening. Peter Berg of Pony Show Entertainment, known for directing films including Friday Night Lights and Lone Survivor, directed the spot. (Berg also directed the brand's "Ryanville" spot.)

The second 60-second pregame spot, "Better," is part of Hyundai's larger branding campaign. Directed by Fredrik Bond of MJZ Productions, the spot opens on a newborn baby. It follows the boy as he grows up and continues to try and make the world a better place. 

"Hyundai was born to make things better. It's in our blood as well as our brand strategy," Dean Evans, CMO, Hyundai Motor America, told Adweek. "If you're going to make people be more fond of you, you've got to make them feel something inside."

The two 30-second spots running during the game both use humor and show off new technologies. The first, "The Chase," opens with a man and woman dashing through an eerie forest, clearly being chased by large, growling animals. Directed by Aaron Stoller of Biscuit Filmworks, the ad shows off the voice-activated remote starter on the new Elantra and how it can be a real lifesaver when you think you're being chased by vicious bears. (Spoiler alert: The bears aren't as scary as you might think.) 

"Ryanville," the second in-game spot, stars Ryan Reynolds and is slated to run in the second quarter. The ad, featuring the all-new Elantra, opens on two women driving through their neighborhood. They come across a Ryan Reynolds in various scenarios including dog walking and using a jackhammer on the side of the road. The driver, obviously distracted, takes her eyes off the road and relies on the car's safety features to prevent an accident. 

The brand, which is celebrating its first year as an official sponsor of the NFL, announced it would return to the Big Game after choosing to sit out last year. This marks Hyundai's eighth appearance in nine years.

The brand will also set up a war room of 15 to 20 Hyundai and Innocean employees to track social-media trends during the game and will have a series of on-site activations in San Francisco in the nine days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. 

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

Axe has enjoyed such a positive reaction to its "Find Your Magic" campaign, launched earlier this month, that it's bringing a 30-second version of the anthem TV commercial to the Super Bowl.

After years of most appealing to bros with comical—often derided as sexist—ads about how Axe would turn them into chick magnets, the Unilever brand unleashed a more grown-up take on masculinity with "Find Your Magic," created by 72andSunny in Amsterdam.

The new work is all about shedding traditional notions of masculinity and embracing one's individual sense of how to be a man. The 60-second launch spot even included such non-Axe-like visions as a man in high heels, and another in a wheelchair.



In the two weeks since launch, "Find Your Magic" has "already inspired tens of thousands of people around the world to celebrate individuality and champion inclusivity," the brand says. Thus, the leap to the Super Bowl to extend the message to 100 million-plus people.

"I am encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response the Axe message has received," said Matthew McCarthy, senior director of Axe and men's grooming at Unilever, said in a statement. "The Super Bowl is a great place to share this powerful stance on individuality and masculinity, and the scale allows us to bring more men and women into the conversation."

The Super Bowl spot will be a :30. You can see the 60-second version above. This will be Axe's first Super Bowl spot since 2014's "Make Love, Not War" spot, created by BBH. 

Well, we predicted it. Death Wish Coffee Co. has won Intuit QuickBooks' annual "Small Business, Big Game" contest and will get to air a commercial on Super Bowl 50—the only small business advertising nationally on the Feb. 7 telecast.

Intuit's agency, RPA, created the spot, which you can see below. It presents an eye-catching scene of fierce Vikings on stormy seas as a metaphor for the strong coffee's powerful punch.

Prettybird's Isaiah Seret directed it; Oscar winner Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi) was the cinematographer. Irish actor Diarmaid Murtagh plays the lead role. MPC New York handled visual effects.



"It's incredibly gratifying to create a Super Bowl spot for a small business—the unsung heroes of the communities where we live and work every day," RPA chief creative officer Joe Baratelli said in a statement. "And Death Wish Coffee has an incredible brand personality and a great team driving the company. We were able to create a spectacle of Vikings sailing to battle to show off the fiercely caffeinated coffee and ultimately help QuickBooks with its mission of fueling small business success."

The spot will air during the third quarter. 

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

CREDITS
Client: Intuit 
Brand: QuickBooks 
Title: "Storms A-Brewin'" :30  

Agency: RPA
EVP, Chief Creative Officer: Joe Baratelli
SVP, Group Creative Director: Adam Lowrey
SVP, Group Creative Director: Nathan Crow
Copywriter: Eric Aldama
Art Director: Lauren Geschke
  
SVP, Chief Production Officer: Gary Paticoff
VP, Executive Producer: Carolyn Casey
Assistant Producer: Namrata Abhyankar
Associate Director, Business Affairs: Jennifer Ross
  
EVP, Management Account Director: Tom Kirk
VP, Account Director: Hope Bubnar
Account Supervisor: Robin Boden
Senior Account Executive: AJ Puzzo

Production Company: Prettybird
Director: Isaiah Seret
Co-Founder/Executive Producer: Kerstin Emhoff
Vice President/Executive Producer: Ali Brown
Head of Production: Tracy Hauser
Director of Photography: Claudio Miranda
Producer: Julie Sawyer
  
Service Production Company: Unit + Sofa
Executive Producer: Fady Salame
Executive Producer: Martin Sobotka
Line Producer: Tereza Kalova
  
Edit: Exile
Editor: Matt Murphy
Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver
Producer: Brittany Carson
Assistant Editor: Tara Wall
Assistant Editor: Dustin Zimmerman
Assistant Editor: Ryan Seegers
    
VFX/Finishing: MPC NY  Managing Director Justin Brukman
Executive Producer: Camila De Biaggi
Managing Director: Justin Brukman
Head of CG: Victoria Osborn
VFX Producer: Bindy St. Leger
    
Music: Extreme Music   
Composer: Thomas Bergersen
Composer: Nick Phoenix
Title: Protectors of the Earth
Publisher: Two Steps from Hell
    
Telecine: MPC LA
Color Executive Producer: Meghan Lang
Colorist: Mark Gethin
    
Sound Design: Machine Head
Executive Producer: Patty Chow Dewey
Creative Director/Sound Designer: Stephen Dewey
Additional Sound Design: Kip Smedley
  
Mix: Lime
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Engineer: Loren Silber
Assistant: Mark Nieto
  
Music Supervisor: Jon Oda

Acura is returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012, and it's bringing Van Halen along for the ride. 

The 30-second spot, created by Mullen Lowe L.A., provides a look at the new Acura NSX, which is officially being released on Feb. 25. Leila Cesario, national manager of Acura advertising, said the brand wanted to capture its American roots while also getting car enthusiasts psyched about its new product. 

"This vehicle is a simple expression of our brand, and we're really proud of its American roots," Cesario told Adweek. "It made sense to communicate this on the biggest American stage with a huge American rock band."  

Van Halen's "Runnin' with the Devil," which is being used in an ad for the first time, captures that sense of excitement perfectly, while red, white and blue lights add to the patriotic mood the brand is aiming for. 

The spot, called "What He Said," marks a shift away from Acura's last Super Bowl ad (the brand's first Big Game appearance), which starred Jerry Seinfeld and took a more humorous approach. "What He Said" is a continuation of Acura's newly launched "Precision crafted performance" motto and aims to highlight the attention to detail that went into building the new NSX. 

"We wanted the representation of manufacturing the product," Cesario said. "It's a pinnacle expression of precision crafted perfection. And we wanted to build on the excitement that we feel a lot of our consumers feel about the product."  

As part of its digital campaign strategy, Acura will be one of the first brands to test Twitter's newly launched ad unit, Twitter Conversational Video, leading up to game day. A 60-second version of the spot will also be released online, giving viewers a more in-depth look at how the car is built and designed.  

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

From orchestrating a huge halftime show to crafting TV ads, working digital platforms in real time and activating on-the-ground campaigns, PepsiCo is the undisputed king of Super Bowl advertisers.

This year, Pepsi is the title sponsor of the halftime show, which features a performance by Coldplay, and Doritos will run its 10th and final "Crash the Super Bowl" contest as well as tech-savvy campaigns around San Francisco's Levi's Stadium. And new platforms like Snapchat are shifting more of the conversation to digital, where Frito-Lay and Pepsi are spending 40 percent of the company's investment in this year's game.

We spoke with Pepsi CMO Seth Kaufman and Frito-Lay CMO Ram Krishnan about what the brand has in store for Super Bowl 50.

Adweek: PepsiCo is historically a massive Super Bowl advertiser. What's new this year?
Seth Kaufman: We are activating, not just leading up to the game and [during] the game, but also on the ground, across more brands than we have before.

As an example, Mountain Dew hasn't been in the Super Bowl for 15 years. Mountain Dew Kickstart has been a highly successful innovation—almost $400 million in retail—which is coming together with three awesome things: Dew, juice and caffeine. We're going to have some fun with that in the creative we're bringing to life, both in teasing it as we go in and also on [Super Bowl Sunday].

Ram Krishnan: What's new is how we're approaching the Super Bowl. We're not approaching it as a single day—we're approaching it as the end of a NFL season-long activation that we kicked off last August. That's a little different to how we've approached it in the past.

If you think about Crash the Super Bowl, we ask consumers to submit their ads—then we ask them to vote for the top ads, [and] consumers pick which one will actually air.

Adweek: How much of a role will digital play in your budget compared to TV?
Krishnan: Close to 40 percent of our investment will be on digital because that's where consumers are having conversations. That's not to say that we're ignoring the television screen—obviously, we're spending big dollars on the Super Bowl game day. But that itself is not enough to have a two-way conversation with a consumer.

Adweek: Which platforms will be a big push?
Krishnan: Twitter is always the platform of choice during a live event. Last year the Super Bowl [generated] 29 million tweets, but I don't think we'll stop at one platform.

Kaufman: At the end of the day, consumers are on multiple platforms during this time. So, if we can build custom stories, it really enriches the experience.

Adweek: The tie-in with Snapchat and the NFL this year is interesting. Will you do anything on that channel?
Kaufman: It's certainly one of the channels that we'll be using. If you look across all of our brands, different brands have different targets, and different targets overindex in different markets.

You will see activation from us across a whole host of platforms, including that one, which we all know is becoming more and more important.

Adweek: What are you doing around Levi's Stadium in San Francisco?
Kaufman: We're doing something on the ground at Pier 70, which is a tech-forward, multisensory experience where there will be concerts and really great ways to engage with our different brands.

With NFL Experience, we'll be doing things like a mixology event where consumers can experience our brand with new ingredients. Our high-tech Pepsi Spire fountains will be all over the city—in the stadium, at the Pier 70 activation, in various places throughout the broader metropolitan area.

Krishnan: We [also] have a presence in the NFL Experience. It's basically the 10 years of Crash the Super Bowl, and consumers can relive the Doritos ads and put themselves in the ad and share it with their network.

The other thing we have going on is a huge presence at the stadium. We'll have the Tostitos Cantina, and we'll have quite a bit of product within the stadium.

Adweek: For Doritos, this is the last year of the Crash the Super Bowl campaign. What's the biggest thing you've learned about the competition over the past 10 years?
Krishnan: I've learned to trust the consumer. We finished in the top five USA Today Ad Meter every year for 10 years, and we finished in the No. 1 spot for four years.

Technology has been a great equalizer for creating content—literally anyone with a smartphone now can create content.

The third learning is about geographical boundaries or lack thereof. When Crash the Super Bowl started, it was U.S.-centric. We have submissions this year from 29 countries, and we only sell Doritos in 34.

Adweek: Was Crash the Super Bowl always meant to run for a set number of years? And what do you plan to do next year?
Krishnan: People wait until the last minute to load their creative, so the entire brand team and I were basically not breathing until we see the submissions come in. We didn't know that when we launched this in 2006 that this program would last 10 years.

As far as what comes next, I don't think we have the exact idea of what's next. But we've come to the realization that consumers change, and the brands have to evolve with time.

When you think about the Gen Z consumer, who are now our bull's-eye for Doritos, they're not looking for brands to act as enablers, they're already creating content—a lot have their own YouTube channels. That's part of the reason that we're evolving the program.

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

Celebrities doing weathercasts is nothing new, but Skittles got into the action Thursday by recruiting Broncos star DeMarcus Ware to offer a real forecast for Super Bowl Sunday—and his prediction included a Skittles-branded rainbow over Santa Clara, Calif., for the Feb. 7 game against the Carolina Panthers.

The linebacker, 33, did the forecast on Denver's Fox31. See it here:



The stunt comes with an actual weather-related contest that Skittles is organizing for game day. If a rainbow does actually appear over the Bay Area that day, fans who have used the hashtags #SkittlesRainbow and #Contest in the days leading up to the game will be eligible for free Skittles.

And if you're wondering if Skittles is favoring the Broncos here, think again. "Fans in the Charlotte area would be advised to keep an eye on their local newscasts today. You never know when a rainbow might pop up," the brand tells us.

Skittles will also air a 30-second commercial from DDB Chicago, starring Steven Tyler, during the game. Olson Engage organized the weathercast stunt. 

If @DeMarcusWare's forecast is right, you may get FREE Skittles! #SkittlesRainbow#Contesthttps://t.co/DavrFhdqrMpic.twitter.com/ZwlTg4q088

— Skittles (@Skittles) January 29, 2016

Olson is fond of getting quirky TV appearances for Skittles endorsers. Last fall it got Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch to do a five-minute segment with Allison Waggoneron shopping channel Evine—in which the pair chatted about the glory of Skittles, and Lynch tried to sell you 36 packs for $14.86.

What with all the bad news involving leading brands—from Volkswagen's diesel-emissions scandal and Chipotle's food-safety issues to FanDuel and DraftKings' insider-trading blowup—it's little wonder Americans have grown more cynical about marketing. Meanwhile, audiences continue to splinter, clients are asking their agencies to do more with less, and the price of a 30-second spot has hit the stratosphere (again). It all means that the stakes for Super Bowl-bound brands have never been higher.

BBDO global CCO David Lubars, veteran of many Big Game campaigns, described a worst case scenario: "Either you're not noticed, or you're noticed for the wrong things. Going under the radar is a waste of $5 million." Here, top creatives predict themes we're likely to see when football's biggest event celebrates its golden anniversary.

1. Humor and empowerment

"We're going to see a shift from somber, doom-and-gloom themes to focus on more uplifting and humorous messages," predicted David&Goliath founder David Angelo, whose agency has produced its seventh straight Super Bowl ad for Kia. StrawberryFrog founder and CEO Scott Goodson, whose shop created SunTrust Bank's commercial for this year's game, agreed: "TV is filled with politicians talking about how the country is falling apart. The work that will last will make people feel better about themselves and where the country is going."

Humor will continue to be key, said Angelo: "Look for witty [ads] rather than broad humor that treats everyone like they're drunk or stupid." Already, it is clear Snickers, Bud Light and Avocados From Mexico will go for laughs.

2. Products over concepts

Brands want to get noticed, but they also have to be practical. "It's almost too expensive now to just entertain people," said Noel Cottrell, chief creative of Fitzgerald & Co, who worked on E*Trade's famous talking baby campaigns. This year, "we will see less entertainment for entertainment's sake and more 'what we do and how it works,'" he said. First-time advertiser LG Electronics enlisted Liam Neeson to promote its OLED TV technology, while Persil will introduce its ProClean detergent to a national audience.

3. Second screen comes first

This being "the year of mobile" has become a running joke in the agency world. And yet, Super Bowl 50 will, in fact, test marketers' command of all platforms like never before. "Last year, everyone was working feverishly to try and crack the preroll," said Martin Agency ecd James Robinson, who worked on a Godfather-themed spot for Audi in 2008. "This year, it's about using the second screen." TBWA\Chiat\Day New York ceo Rob Schwartz added: "The TV set has now become the second screen. This is the year the full ecosystem comes to life." Droga5 group creative director Matt Ian, who has worked on past Big Game campaigns for Volkswagen, recalled Newcastle's strategy last year "to own the game without being in the game" as being "just the beginning of the way this event evolves from an advertising perspective."

As Angelo put it, "The work should be less about the spot than the total Super Bowl experience. Each touch point needs to be as rewarding as the ad itself."

4. Déjà vu all over again

"All advertising mines the past for touchstones and inspiration," said Robinson. "But this year, everyone's doing it." Viewers should expect at least one brand to travel to a galaxy far, far away. Any Star Wars-themed campaign will likely invite comparisons to Deutsch's 2011 spot for Volkswagen, "The Force." But as Robinson pointed out, "Oversaturation has never stopped us before."

5. Skip the sermonizing

The consensus is that the tone this year will be lighter. "We're not going to have a stern lecture from Clint Eastwood at halftime," predicted Schwartz. He believes the most memorable spots will convey "a sense of movement and optimism." Robinson of The Martin Agency added: "I would love to see the end of the massively over-sincere and grim ad."

This story first appeared in the Feb. 1 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

While Twitter will likely remain marketers' go-to platform to build Super Bowl social buzz, Snapchat, Facebook, Google and Instagram are all hustling this year to grab a greater share of ad dollars. In the past two years, marketers have devoted serious effort trying to replicate Oreo's "Dunk in the Dark" 2013 viral hit, but this year could be a game changer—and they may find their Oreo moment elsewhere.

For one, Snapchat is a hot commodity on Madison Avenue, while Google and Facebook have more robust ad offerings. "If you want more bang for your buck, Twitter is a safe place—but if you want to be highlighted for doing something novel and unique, Snapchat's really your opportunity to stand out," said Meghan McCormick, social strategy director at Deutsch New York. Here's a breakdown on what the social giants have in play for Super Bowl 50.

Facebook

On game day, advertisers such as Butterfinger and Mini USA plan to take advantage of Facebook's massive video platform–users now watch 100 million hours of video per day, noted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in last week's Q4 earnings call. The brands will turn their TV spots into autoplay video ads and full-page mobile ads. "We can target specifically people that we think will be in the market," explained Tom Noble, head of marketing for Mini USA.

For fans, Facebook just launched Sports Stadium, an ad-free hub that pulls together scores, game information and posts from teams and publishers. With 1.59 billion users on Facebook, it's a good bet that an ad play will soon follow.

Snapchat

The social darling scored Pepsi and Budweiser, which will advertise in its NFL Live Stories—a string of photos and videos that's sure to be seen by millions during the game. "Snapchat will essentially curate content from users throughout Super Bowl Sunday, and then at some point, our interstitial [ads] will be included in that Story," said Azania Andrews, senior director of digital connections at Anheuser-Busch InBev.

But Snapchat's lack of data and analytics has kept some advertisers from going all in. "I'd rather use my money to target people who are either interested in the brand or are likely to be in market to shop for a car right now," said Nguyen Duong, director of digital strategy at Innocean USA, which created four Super Bowl spots for Hyundai this year.

Instagram

This year, Instagram comes into its own as a bona fide advertiser. After opening up the advertising spigot to all brands last summer, expect plenty of Super Bowl advertisers to sync up data-heavy Facebook and Instagram promos that target specific groups of consumers—like football fans—while TV ads run.

But Deutsch's McCormick warned that the flood of Super Bowl ads could dilute the photo-sharing app's creativity. "Brands are really struggling to show up on Instagram in a way that feels authentic," she said. "If I see a car commercial on TV and then see a sponsored car ad in my Instagram feed, that's going to feel pretty intrusive."

Google

After sitting on the sidelines for years, Google hopes to grab a bigger portion of Super Bowl budgets this year with a new ad format called Real-Time Ads. Before kickoff, buyers upload their creative and can then choose to instantly run it as a YouTube or display spot during the game. Website maker Wix is already on board. But Michael Dossett, RPA's supervisor, digital content strategy, questioned how quick the new process will actually be.

"The buying experience is not all that different than what you have today," he said. "In reality, people don't go to YouTube or online [to] look at display banners as a source of content related to a real-time moment."

This story first appeared in the Feb. 1 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

In one of his first major decisions after becoming CBS Entertainment president in September, Glenn Geller tapped Late Show with Stephen Colbert—and not one of CBS's fledgling prime-time dramas like Supergirl or Limitless—for its high-profile post-Super Bowl slot.

"We loved the idea of having a big, live event after the Super Bowl—something that could be topical, have comedy and where anything can happen," Geller said. "It felt like Stephen could utilize what makes him so great. One-hundred million people are going to watch the Super Bowl, and we would love for them to see what Stephen does on a nightly basis."

But Colbert's postgame Late Show represents only one piece of CBS' 13-plus hours of Super Bowl Sunday programming, as the network looks to keep audiences glued to the screen throughout the day.

CBS will air seven hours of pregame content starting at 11 a.m., leading up to a kick-off show at 6 p.m. and the game itself at 6:30. After Colbert comes local news, followed by The Late Late Show with James Corden, which ends the day's programming. "There's always a lot of pressure associated with the Super Bowl, but I think we're ready for it," says Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports and executive producer of Super Bowl 50 coverage.

Last year, NBC's Super Bowl telecast was the most-watched TV program ever, with 114.4 million viewers and a 49.7 rating in adults 18-49. McManus claims he isn't concerned about topping that. "That's more of an industry thing than anything else," he says. "Basically, it's bragging rights, and if you don't get it, it's still going to be the most-watched telecast of the year."

Ratings aside, CBS aims to rake in more ad revenue than NBC did, as 30-second slots this year are going for as much as a record $5 million, up from $4.5 million last year. CBS Corp. CEO and chairman Les Moonves has held back a few positions to sell at a premium.

For his part, McManus is tasked with making sure every one of those commercials and sponsor segments airs, and planning for contingencies like the blackout that hit New Orleans' Superdome in 2013, when CBS last aired the game.

"We'll be better prepared this time around than we were last time," he said. But most of all, McManus said, "we have to avoid being so hyped up that we forget that in the end, it's just a football game."

While most of the attention goes to in-game ads, CBS is also aggressively selling spots around its other game-day content.

"What better opportunity than for some of the food-delivery folks to start advertising early in the afternoon,getting people ready to say, 'Hey, I'll buy a pizza!'?" says Dan Donnelly, evp, managing director for sports at SMG. E-commerce could also benefit early, as consumers prepare to spend money later in the day after watching Super Bowl ads.

After the game, brands and viewers should also find a friendly home in Colbert. "To warm up on the couch to a heavy, hour-long drama, I'm not sure if that's exactly what the mass audience wants at that point," Donnelly says. "It's a bold move to go with Colbert, but not a risky move, because the audience already loves him. And it's going to be a lot of fun after the game. I think it's going to work out very, very well."

This story first appeared in the Feb. 1 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

On the eve of Super Bowl 50, the biggest global sports and media event of the year, I have good news and bad news. First the good news: Our recent global We Know Sports Fans study of 2,000-plus sports fans across the U.K., U.S., Japan, Spain and Brazil reveals 86 percent would welcome more sponsorship in sports experiences. Now the bad: 80 percent said that sponsors never consider fans when activating, and only 17 percent believe brands are interested in them.

Mike SundetIllustration: Alex Fine

While fans are willing to start a dialogue, brands aren't doing enough to truly connect by building memorable platforms that appeal to what fans actually care about. While 67 percent know their favorite team's major sponsors, only 55 percent would consider sampling that sponsor's product. Brands aren't always getting a strong ROI because their experiences aren't connecting with fans in a meaningful way. The closer we put fans to the experiences they care about, the more they engage and the more brands grow.

Most current sports sponsorship focuses too much on an old model—creating an association, then riding the coattails of a property, versus putting the fan at the center and adding value to the fan experience. Our research shows some clear opportunities.

Marketers should be leaning heavily into social connection—58 percent believe sharing with others enhances fan experience and over half agree content created by other fans enhances it. Brands creating a place where sports fans can connect will enhance a memorable experience.

They should also understand ritual connections—63 percent cited "rituals with other fans" as important to the live experience. From songs and cheers to the Wave and beyond, brands that create, amplify and participate in those rituals will be remembered as creating a positive experience—which lingers much longer than a cheap foam finger.

As in most cases, marketers have to exercise millennial respect. Millennials (ages 16-35) are more open to music, merchandise and social sharing than other demographic groups. They enjoy fan-created content (64 percent, to nonmillennials' 46 percent) and share at a much higher rate (63 percent to 44 percent). Millennials are 13 percent plus more open to general advertising presences at sports events. Enlisting the millennial consumer as a brand ambassador means they'll likely share and amplify their positive experiences.

Creating life memories for fans is crucial—73 percent said being with fellow fans most enhances their experience. While being in-stadium is best, viewing parties and other external events can have impact. During the recent Men's and Women's World Cups, massive crowds came out to watch together in the U.S. And American Express created a memorable, shareable experience for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, giving fans a place to connect with the sport and with fellow fans at viewing parties around New York.

Finally, live experiences win—82 percent agree that being close to the game enhances fans' love of the sport; 69 percent say entertainment at sports events further enhances it. Music was cited as the best form of entertainment. There are countless opportunities for brands to enhance live experiences for fans while extracting value.

Agencies, brands, leagues, properties, content partners and media need to develop new ways of working together to make sure fans never feel like an afterthought. A new approach demands new principles:

Data and intuition: Don't do what's always been done. Understanding what your target audience cares about ensures lasting ROI. Looking at numbers isn't enough. Proper data leads to insights that drive your brand's objectives.

Fan and brand led: Sports properties matter, but if platforms aren't focused on fans, you're already losing. Experiences matter more than messaging. Putting fans first and your brand a close second gives them an experience that provides a value.

Partnership vs. sponsorship: Sponsorships need a long-term view. Being a better partner leads to more access and new opportunities to meaningfully connect.

Activation vs. association: The numbers prove that simply being connected to a sports property doesn't increase sales or brand loyalty. Create an engagement that enhances or evolves the fan experience and people will never forget your name.

Ownership vs. exposure: It's the difference between an experience and a media buy. The very nature of exposure doesn't allow for personalization or a strong connection between property and brand. Creating owned equity is the brand bond you need to build a platform.

Creativity and innovation vs. volume: More than ever, fans walk by static brand placements and the messages don't connect. Build something different, interactive and exciting, and you can do more with one activation than millions of branded logos spread out across a property.

Sports fans have spoken. They feel brands see them as walking wallets. Show them you're a fan, too, by building platforms that bring people closer to the experiences they love. When it's done right, they will thank you. You can spike the ball now.

Specs
Claim to fame Mike Sundet, svp and director of sports and entertainment at Momentum Worldwide, is a sports junkie, four-time Ironman and music enthusiast.
Base St. Louis
Twitter@msundet

This story first appeared in the Feb. 1 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Once again, the anticipation around ads in the Super Bowl rivals that of the game itself—and brands are looking to capitalize on that excitement by rolling out their spots, or at least teasers, early.

Already, several commercials—including Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen for Bud Light, Marilyn Monroe for Snickers and Wix's tie-in with the forthcoming film Kung Fu Panda 3—have people talking.

Despite the record $5 million price tag, brands are lining up to be part of the event for the first time—among them, Amazon,LG Electronics and Apartments.com. Advertisers like Snickers and Kia that had big hits last year are betting that lightning will strike a second time. And as always, celebrities will have a starring role.

Aside from Schumer and Rogen, this year's lineup includes Alec Baldwin and Dan Marino for Amazon, Key & Peele for Squarespace (replacing a somnolent Jeff Bridges last time around), Christopher Walken for Kia (following Pierce Brosnan) and Liam Neeson for LG.

Here's a look at 10 ads already generating plenty of chatter days before kick-off. To check out all the spots and teasers as they are rolled out, follow our Super Bowl Ad Tracker at Adweek.com.

Bud Light

Last year, Bud Light relied on '80s nostalgia in a Super Bowl ad featuring a life-size game of Pac-Man. This time around, the brand has comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen suiting up—Spanx and all—for a politically themed spot. Marking Wieden + Kennedy's first work for the brand, the ad is part of a campaign that will extend throughout this political season. The "Bud Light Party" campaign accompanies the brand's newly designed packaging and a fresh tagline, "Raise one to right now." Cheers!

LG Electronics

A first-time Super Bowl advertiser, LG is jumping in full-force with a futuristic spot highlighting its OLED TV technology. Liam Neeson, who stole the show last year with his Clash of Clans performance, is featured, playing a man from the future in a dynamic, 60-second production. The buzz, though, focuses on filmmaker Ridley Scott's return to the game for the first time since his iconic "1984" ad for Apple. This year, Scott takes on executive producer duties while his son, Jake Scott, directs.

Snickers

Marilyn Monroe belts out a husky version of "Happy Birthday" in this year's Snickers spot, from BBDO New York, the latest in the "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign. It's slated for the first quarter. A teaser features the star's famous serenade of President John F. Kennedy—but instead, she fetes the Super Bowl as it turns 50. Last year, the brand delighted viewers with an hysterical Brady Bunch-themed ad starring Danny Trejo as a hungry Marcia Brady. Will Marilyn be as popular as Marcia?

Kia

Jaguar and General Motors were among the automakers that opted out of last year's Super Bowl—but Kia stayed in the game. This marks the seventh straight year the brand has bought in. On the heels of its wildly popular spot last year starring Pierce Brosnan, Kia aims to keep the buzz going with Christopher Walken and a trusty, colorful sock puppet. Created by David&Goliath, the 60-second ad in the third quarter will promote the 2016 Optima mid-size sedan.

Squarespace

Last year, Jeff Bridges lulled viewers to sleep in a rather curious ad for Squarespace. In this year's game, comedy is key for the advertiser, joining many other brands—among them, Bud Light, Shock Top and Toyota—going for laughs. Squarespace and its agency Anomaly turned to comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele—better known as Key & Peele—for this spot. While the brand is keeping details under wraps, viewers can expect plenty of funny business here.

Honda

Coming this spring, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline pickup boasts an audio system that uses so-called "exciters" to turn the entire truck bed into a giant speaker. Honda will promote the feature in a 60-second ad from RPA featuring a farmer who evidently has been using it a lot around his sheep, which belt out Queen's "Somebody to Love." (The song got a lift after being featured on NBC's The Voice.) Says Honda's assistant vp of marketing Tom Peyton: "It was the only song the sheep knew."

Apartments.com

To introduce itself to the Super Bowl audience, first-time game advertiser Apartments.com enlisted Jeff Goldblum and Lil Wayne. From RPA, the 60-second ad, titled "MovinOnUp," will air during the second commercial break. CMO Becky Carr said the brand decided to buy into the game based on data showing that more Americans rent than own. No word yet on the storyline here, but a teaser—featuring Lil Wayne buzzing George Washington into his apartment—sure grabbed our attention.

Avocados From Mexico

Last year, in its first Super Bowl spot, Avocados From Mexico journeyed back in time for the "First Draft Ever." This year, the brand sets out on an adventure to space, making delicious avocados available to the entire universe. Happy Days actor Scott Baio stars in the 30-second ad, created by GSD&M, which also did last year's spot. A teaser reveals Baio aboard a spaceship, trying his best to solve a Rubik's Cube, presumably on his way to the final frontier with a payload of avocados.

Amazon

In Amazon's first Super Bowl ad, Dan Marino and Alec Baldwin plan an epic Super Bowl party where Marino wants cheerleaders but Baldwin's not so sure. So the former gridiron star turns to "Alexa," the sound of the voice-command device Amazon Echo, for help. Created by Leo Burnett Toronto, the ad spotlights Alexa's capabilities—among them, instructions for building a "snack stadium." While the advertiser hasn't revealed much else pregame, fans can follow the campaign using #BaldwinBowl.

Wix

For its second Super Bowl ad, Wix shifts from football stars Brett Favre and Terrell Owens to a cuter, cuddlier cast. A partnership with DreamWorks Animation, the spot will feature characters from the forthcoming Kung Fu Panda 3. Teasers have character Po and friends looking for ways to promote Mr. Ping's Noodles that don't involve sponsoring the halftime show or skywriting. Building a website with Wix.com turns out to be the answer to their dilemma.

This story first appeared in the Feb. 1 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Are you going all in with a TV buy on the Super Bowl without a proper accompanying data-driven digital strategy to really take advantage of that flood of viewer interest? If so, you're not going to have a very happy Sunday, says Adobe.

The company on Monday released the latest amusing spot in its ongoing "Do you know what your marketing is doing?" campaign from Goodby Silverstein & Partners. This one centers on a sad-sack CMO on Super Bowl Sunday, who has bought time on the big game, and is watching it all unfold—along with the beginning of the end of his marketing career—in a bar. (Either this guy doesn't have a family, or any friends, or he's been such a cranky-ass stress case these past few weeks that no one wants anything to do with him tonight.)

It should go without saying that it doesn't go well. The spot, after all, pushes Adobe Marketing Cloud solutions, which give marketers the tools for online measurement and activation to go along with a TV buy. 

Adobe has punked the Super Bowl for a number of years now, going back to 2013, when it unveiled a GS&P spot the day after the game, showing a chimpanzee and a horse humorously questioning the value of a Big Game buy. But in fact, Alex Amado, Adobe's vp of experience marketing, tells Adweek that the company isn't anti-TV advertising at all.

"This spot isn't 'anti-TV advertising,' it's 'pro-data,' " he says. "We're big fans of TV advertising, especially around key events like the Super Bowl, as it remains one of the few ways to get truly massive reach at a very focused moment in time. But those moments have become so expensive that marketers need to make their TV ads part of a broader marketing strategy that is heavy on digital, appropriately targeted, and ultimately driven by data."

Amado adds: "Our message this time was really, 'If you aren't using data and insights to drive your marketing, it's just a gamble.' "

This is evident from the very first frame of the spot, when our doomed CMO is holding what looks like a poker chip and he fidgets restlessly at the bar. The dismayed reaction of his fellow bar patrons, at the end of the spot, to what sounds like a Caribbean-themed cream cheese commercial is pretty perfect.

"This ad is saying that any marketing investment that isn't informed by data could be an unnecessary gamble with your company's money," says Amado. "Marketers today have access to more data and insights than ever before, but they need to be disciplined about harnessing it and understanding what it's telling them. With this ad, we're reminding marketers to 'look at the data' to gain meaningful insights before they run any big marketing plays—and that they're ready to take advantage of the brief attention and focus a big ad placement will give them, or else they just might risk losing in the Big Game."

Simon Bruyn, copywriter at GS&P, says the spot serves as a warning.

"We all know how expensive the Super Bowl has become for advertisers, yet so often brands buy up media without understanding if it actually makes sense for them," he says. "Given the high stakes, we wanted to remind marketers about the Adobe Marketing Cloud solutions available to help them with their big decision, and possibly save them a ton of money, and embarrassment."

The spot is running online, particularly on sites where content and commentary around the Super Bowl ad will be featured. It will get a heavy paid push across online channels including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. And it will also get a few national and local U.S. market TV placements, including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Saturday Night Live and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. 

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

CREDITS
Client: Adobe

Spot: "The Gambler"

Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Creative
Partner: Rich Silverstein
Creative Directors: Will Elliot, Patrick Knowlton
Art Director: Andrew Livingston
Copywriter: Simon Bruyn

Production
Director of Content Production: Tod Puckett
Senior Producer: Benton Roman

Account Services
Account Director: Theo Abel
Account Manager: Chelsea Bruzzone
Assistant Account Manager: Aliza Niewood

Brand Strategy
Group Brand Strategy Director: Bonnie Wan
Brand Strategist: Etienne Ma

Communication Strategy
Director of Communication Strategy: Christine Chen
Group Communication Strategy Director: Dong Kim
Senior Communication Strategists: Caitlin Neelon, Victoria Barbatelli
Communication Strategist: Tara Hughes
Junior Communication Strategists: Catherine Kim, Elyse McAvoy

Research, Analytics
Group Research, Analytics Director: Margaret Coles
Research, Analytics Director: Cassi Husain

Business Affairs
Business Affairs Manager: Heidi Killeen

Production
Company: Reset
Director: J.C. Chandor
Managing Director: Dave Morrison
Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall
Producer: Greg Schultz
Director of Photography: Masanobu Takayanagi
Production Designer: Noel McCarthy

Editorial
Company: Work Editorial
Editor: Rich Orrick
Assistant Editor: Arielle Zakowski
Executive Producer: Marlo Baird

Telecine
Company: Company 3
Colorist: Tom Poole

Visual Effects, Finishing
Company: Method Studios
Lead Flame: Aidan Thomas
Executive Producer: Robert Owens
Visual Effects Producer: Jennie Burnett Fischer

Music
Company: Butter
Composers: Max Schad, Andrew Sherman
Executive Producer: Annick Mayer
Creative Director: Andrew Sherman

Sound Design
Company: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Koven
Producer: Kristina Iwankiw
Executive Producer: Ceinwyn Clark

Mix
Company: Lime
Mixer: Rohan Young

There's been a somewhat surprising scarcity of animal-themed Super Bowl teasers—and actual spots—this season. (RIP, Budweiser puppy.) But Honda and RPA have rounded up some talented sheep to help change that.

The automaker on Monday released its 2016 Super Bowl spot, advertising the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, coming this spring. And one feature of the truck in particular will have prospective buyers—and barnyard animals everywhere—singing its praises. Quite literally.

See the spot, directed by Hungry Man's Bryan Buckley, here:



Yes, the new Ridgeline, has a truck-bed audio system that uses so-called "exciters" to turn the whole bed into a giant outdoor speaker. Honda is pushing that single feature in the Super Bowl campaign, including the 60-second spot in which sheep belt out Queen's "Somebody to Love," choir style, when the farmer isn't around.

"It's a very unique feature," Honda's avp of marketing, Tom Peyton, told Adweek last week in an interview. "Nobody else has it. And it's a little tough to communicate—although we will in some advertising later this spring, when the truck's at the dealers. It's not actually speakers. It's 'exciters' that makes the whole bed a speaker. It's pretty cool. … It would make a great tailgate vehicle."

That particular Queen song got a nice revival in December, when Jordan Smith performed it on NBC's The Voice in December. But Peyton also deadpanned: "It was the only song the sheep knew."

The humor is broad and cartoony, which Peyton says is just right for the environment. "We aren't the first come out with dogs or horses or puppies [on the Super Bowl]," he says. "But it is the one property where people truly tune in to see the commercials. And this is certainly playing to that type of content they're looking for."

Honda has only sat out a couple of Super Bowls over the past decade, and Peyton says it remains a solid investment if you have something special to sell.

"You only make the trip to the big game if you have a message that is noteworthy," he says. "And we firmly believe our return to the midsize truck market with a new, restyled Ridgeline is a great opportunity to get that message out. And we certainly think an investment in the Super Bowl is worthwhile." 

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

CREDITS
Client: American Honda Motor Co.
Title: "A New Truck To Love"

Agency: RPA
EVP, CCO: Joe Baratelli  
SVP, ECD: Jason Sperling  
Creative Director/Art: Brent Singer  
Sr. Art Director: Matthew Pullen  
Sr. Art Director: Amy Servidea  
Sr. Copywriter: Chris Bradford  
Sr. Copywriter: Audrey Attal  
SVP, Chief Production Officer: Gary Paticoff  
VP, Executive Producer: Isadora Chesler  
Sr. Producer: Eva Ellis  
VP, Director of Business Affairs: Maria Del Homme  
EVP, Management Account Director: Brett Bender  
VP, Group Account Director: Adam Blankenship  
VP, Management Supervisor: Cathy O'Gorman  
Account Supervisor: Jacob Gentry  
Account Executive: Chris Varela  
Account Executive: Christina Contreras  
SVP, Group Strategic Planning Director: Christian Cocker  
Associate Director, Strategic Planning: Nargis Pirani  
Sr. Strategic Planner: Elissa Murch  
Program Manager: Melissa Heitman  
 
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Bryan Buckley
Executive Producer: Mino Jarjoura
Director of Photography: Scott Henriksen
Producer: Emily Skinner
Production Designer: David Skinner
Costume Designer: Michelle Martini

Editorial: Union Editorial
Editor: Jim Haygood
Managing Partner: Michael Raimondi
Executive Producer: Lisa Johnson
Executive Producer: Joe Ross
Assistant Editor: Drew Johnson

VFX & Design: The Mill
Executive Producer: Leighton Greer
Sr. Producer: Chris Harlowe
Production Coordinator: Mary Hayden & Samantha Hernandez
Shoot Supervisor: Robert Sethi, Felix Urquiza & Glyn Tebbutt
Executive Creative Director: Phil Crowe
Creative Director: Robert Sethi
2D Lead Artist: Glyn Tebbutt
3D Lead Artist: Felix Urquiza
Animation Lead Artist: Blake Guest
Animation Supervisor: Jacob Bergman
2D Artists: Ben Smith, Ashley Forbito, Jake Albers, Jale Parsons, Peter Sidoriak, Sam Evenson, Tommy Smith
3D Artists: Matthew Fuller, Justin Murphy, Philippe Moine, Matthew Kavanagh, Dave Vander Pol, Richard Bailey, Alice Panek Temp, Tracie Cotta, Jason Jansky, Tamara Garabedian, Jenna Kind, Ziye Liu, Katie Yoon, Anthony Thomas, Majid Esmaeili, Sean Comer, Steven Olson, Martin Rivera
Matte Painting: Andy Wheater, Gillian George

Color: The Mill
Executive Producer, Colour: Thatcher Peterson
Colour Producer: Diane Valera

Production Coordinator, Colour: Jackson Rodgers
Colorist: Adam Scott

Music: "Somebody to Love"
Written by Freddie Mercury
(c) 1976 Queen Music LTD.
All Rights controlled by EMI Music Publishing, administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Performed by Queen.
Courtesy of Hollywood Records.

Re-Record & Sound Design: Beacon Street Studios
Executive Producer: Adrea Lavezzoli

Mix: Lime Studios

Re-recording Mixer: Dave Wagg
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan 

Taco Bell is keeping its Super Bowl plans so under wraps that not even the celebrities in its ad know what they're selling. At least that's what the brand wants you to believe in its first teasers that launched today.

NBA player James Harden; TV personality and so-called "alien expert" Giorgio A. Tsoukalos; and Bryan Wilson, a Texas attorney famous for his viral YouTube ads, star in three teasers promoting Taco Bell's Super Bowl ad.

The problem is that none of them actually knows what the ad is about. "Apparently it's about a mystery product that I even don't know about," says Tsoukalos in a 30-second clip. "It almost seems like it's a conspiracy."

In addition to the teasers, Taco Bell has set up a cryptic site where people can pre-order the mystery product, which costs $2.99. Folks who order this week can pick up their food from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday before the brand's TV spot airs. The item will then be sold nationally on Monday, Feb. 8.

The new 30-second campaign promises to be one of the taco chain's "biggest launches to date," and some are speculating the new menu item could be a Quesalupa—a cheesy chalupa.

This isn't the first time Taco Bell's marketing has built mystery around a product. In 2013, the brand used social media to tease a new Doritos Locos flavor and famously wiped out its social media accounts to launch a mobile ordering app in 2014.

Check out the three teasers below:

Hyundai squeezes not just one but—by our count—13 Ryan Reynolds into the first of its two in-game Super Bowl commercials, which rolled out online Monday. And to go along with the celebrity spot, the second spot features another big-game staple: talking animals.

See both spots, created by Innocean Worldwide, here:

"Ryanville" is the stronger of the two ads, and makes good use of its celebrity subject, with perhaps a sly implicit commentary on celebrity obsession generally. It advertises the 2017 Hyundai Elantra and its Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection technology. It was directed by Peter Berg of Pony Show Entertainment and features the song "Whatta Man" by Salt-n-Pepa featuring En Vogue.

A 30-second version of "Ryanville" will air during the second quarter of Sunday's game.

The other spot, "The Chase," directed by Aaron Stoller of Biscuit Filmworks, will air in the first quarter. It features a comically urgent use of the voice-activated Blue Link Remote Start feature on the Elantra—and some amusing bear banter to cap it off.

Hyundai will also air two 60-second spots during CBS's pre-game show on Sunday. "Better" follows a boy from birth to adulthood as he strives to make the world a better place. And "First Date," which will air in the pre-kick time slot, features Kevin Hart using Hyundai's Blue Link Car Finder feature to make sure his daughter gets home safely.

Berg also directed "First Date." "Better" was directed by Fredrik Bond of MJZ Productions.

The creative across the four spots is intentionally varied. "[Super Bowl Sunday] is a day that you need to be out in front, and there needs to be a universal truth in your ads, and you need to give something for everyone," Tim Blett, COO at Innocean USA, told Adweek last week.

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

CREDITS
Client: Hyundai
CMO: Dean Evans,
Sr. Manager Advertising: Monique Kumpis

Agency: Innocean Worldwide

"Ryanville"
CCO: Eric Springer
GCD: Barney Goldberg
CD: Bob Rayburn
AD/CD: Shane Diver
CW/CD: Max Godsil
DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED PRODUCTION: Carol Lombard
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Nicolette Spencer
PRODUCER: Jimmy Romero
HEAD OF ACCOUNT SERVICES: Marisstella Marinkovic
GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Michelle Agnew, Nicole Timerson
ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Allison Morrissey
MEDIA: Ben Gogley, James Zayti
HEAD OF STRATEGY: Frank Striefler
PLANNING DIRECTOR: Kathleen Kindle
PM: Suzanne Cheng
BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Lisa Nichols

"The Chase"
CCO: Eric Springer
GCD: Barney Goldberg
CD: Bob Rayburn
ACD AD: David Mesfin, Chris Lynch
ACD CW: Nick Flora
DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED PRODUCTION: Carol Lombard
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Brandon Boerner
PRODUCER: Melissa Moore
HEAD OF ACCOUNT SERVICES: Marisstella Marinkovic
GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Michelle Agnew, Nicole Timerson
ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Allison Morrissey
MEDIA: Ben Gogley, James Zayti
HEAD OF STRATEGY: Frank Striefler
PLANNING DIRECTOR: Kathleen Kindle
PM: Suzanne Cheng
BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Krista Horn

For its first Super Bowl ad last year, Avocados From Mexico journeyed back in time to imagine what the first, prehistoric Super Bowl draft was like. This year, the brand takes a trip into the future for its "#AvosInSpace" campaign.

In the 60-second spot created by GSD&M, a group of aliens follow a tour guide around a spaceship, learning about "ancient" artifacts from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Those include a Rubix's Cube, Chia Pet, airplane and the infamous blue and black (or white and gold) dress, which according to the alien tour guide "caused a civil war."

Take a look at the full ad here:

While the creatures of the future turn up their noses at some of our strange practices, like our use of emojis, they all end the tour gathered around one of the most amazing artifacts: A big bowl of guacamole made with Avocados From Mexico avocados.

This is the brand's second year running a Super Bowl spot and GSD&M's second year handling creative. Director of brand marketing for Avocados From Mexico, Kevin Hamilton, told Adweek that after the success of its first Super Bowl spot, the decision to return to the Big Game was an easy one. The brand didn't hold back this year either. 

"We poured a lot more into the ad in terms of time and budget this year. We really wanted to create something that was a bit over the top in terms of creative treatment," Hamilton told Adweek.

The campaign aims to not only highlight the fact that the product is available all season long, but also get consumers to recognize that the Super Bowl is one of the biggest avocado days of the year. "The Super Bowl really suits us," Hamilton said. "We've always been a part of the Super Bowl, but now we're just informing people on what they were already doing." Mainly, making big bowls of guacamole.

Outside of the 60-second spot, the brand is also launching AvosInSpace.com. The website gives avocado lovers a chance to win a trip to Mexico and a one-year supply of avocados.

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

What a difference a year makes. In 2015, the NFL used its Super Bowl commercial time to talk about domestic violence. This year, it's celebrating domestic bliss.

The league's new Super Bowl campaign, from Grey New York, launched Monday with a long-form music video based on a fun bit of trivia—that winning cities see a rise in births nine months after a Super Bowl victory. The video features actual Super Bowl babies—from the now 49-year-old offspring of 1967 Green Bay Packer fans to Seattle Seahawks toddlers born in 2014—singing a version of Seal's "Kiss from a Rose," with new and comical lyrics.

A 60-second version, directed by Lance Acord and Chris Wilcha of Park Pictures, will air during the third quarter of Sunday telecast on CBS. A number of 10-second teasers will introducing the featured Super Bowl babies. (Additional profiles of the babies and their families will live at youtube.com/nfl.) 

The NFL and Grey worked to find Super Bowl-induced offspring from eight championship teams in all. (The others were the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.) Seal himself makes a cameo, standing on a hilltop overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge with the 1989 Super Bowl babies of the 49ers.

"For 49 years, our fans have rallied around their favorite teams on Super Bowl Sunday and passed their pride and passion down to the next generation," said NFL CMO Dawn Hudson. "We are excited to celebrate our football families by shining the spotlight on Super Bowl Babies, those fans born into a lifelong love of their team and the game."

"I was honored to be part of one of the biggest sporting events on the planet and to work with the NFL on such a fun family campaign," Seal said in a statement. "An event like this brings so many people together, and to have a song I wrote 25 years ago still be so loved is very special for me." 

The lyrics are a bit tough to make out here and there, so check them out below:

"Super Bowl Babies" lyrics

Ba dada da da da da da da, bada da

What makes the Super Bowl so Super? A day we adore.
It is a day, so super, it's why we were born.

And in the end
When our team won
Mom and dad looked at each other
One thing led to another that night

[We're all] Babies,

It all happened on the night that a Super Bowl was played, ooh

That's why we're here singing this sweet serenade
And now Super Bowl Fifty is here

There's so much reason for cheer tonight

Ever since we were in diapers, we've watched every game
Cheering so loud. We goo-goo'd. We ga-ga'd. We waaaaah'd
[babies crying]
Baby! We were all just little twinkles, twinkling in our daddy's eye
Til that Super Bowl Sunday night

And when at last

Nine months have passed

They welcome to the world, us newborn baby boys and girls

[We're all] Babies,

It all happened on the night that a Super Bowl was played, ooh
A day when history and our families were made
And now Super Bowl Fifty is here
So much reason for cheer tonight

We're all Super Bowl Babies, oh yeah
We're all Super Bowl Babies, oh yeah

When there were no more jalapeno-chili-bacon chicken wings
Mommy and dad, they cuddled. Canoodled. All night. Baby.
On that night our moms and dads were so filled with desire
[filled with desire]
Here we stand, a baby choir.

[We're all] Babies,

It all happened on the night that a Super Bowl was played, ooh

That's why we're here singing this sweet serenade
And now Super Bowl Fifty is here

So much reason for cheer tonight

Ba dada da da da da da da, bada da Ba dada da da da da da da, bada da
And now Super Bowl Fifty is here
So much reason for cheer tonight

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

CREDITS
Client: NFL
Creative Agency:  Grey NY
Chief Creative Officer: Andreas Dahlqvist
Executive Creative Directors: Leo Savage and Jeff Stamp
Group Creative Director: Joe Mongognia
ACD/Copywriter: Patrick Conlon
Art Director: Will Gardner
Location Production: Park Pictures
Directors: Lance Acord and Chris Wilcha
Executive Producer: Townhouse23
Executive Producer: Misha Maher
Assistant Producer: Scott Cohen
Editorial Exile, Kirk Baxter and Nate Gross
Music/Sound Design by Human

Heinz's Big Game spot is going to the dogs—literally. 

The company today released its 2016 Super Bowl spot from creative shop David in Miami. The 30-second ad, part of a larger campaign called "Meet the Ketchups," is meant to introduce Heinz's family of condiments to consumers and will air during the third quarter.

Of course, the company decided the best way to introduce said condiment family was to show a bunch of weiner dogs in hot dog costumes running to a family dressed in Heinz condiment costumes. 

See the absurd effort, plus a 60-second version, here: 

"We tried to find something simple, visual and fun to communicate that hot dogs can't resist the great taste of Heinz," said Anselmo Ramos, founder and chief creative officer of David. "So what better way than to introduce the extended Heinz Family than with a 'weiner stampede' during the Super Bowl? Heinz is an iconic American brand associated with great-tasting food and fun moments between family and friends, and its ads should reflect that."

This is the third time the brand has gone to the Big Game. Its last effort, from Cramer-Krasselt, was all about ketchup. Cramer-Krasselt CEO Peter Krivkovich revealed late last month that the company had given its Super Bowl creative duties to Miami-based David. 

"Everyone knows and loves Heinz Ketchup, but they may not realize that we offer a range of products for almost any taste," said Michelle St. Jacques, vp of marketing, condiments and sauces at the Kraft Heinz Company, in a statement. "We are launching this campaign during one of the most-viewed events of the year so that everyone can see that great taste runs in the entire Heinz family." 

CREDITS
Agency: DAVID Miami
Founder, Chief Creative Officer: Anselmo Ramos
CD (Copywriter): Russell Dodson
CD (Art Director): Antony Kalathara
Copywriter: Juan Pena
Art Director:  Ricardo Casal
Planner: Paul Ramirez
Head of Global Production: Veronica Beach
Sr. Producer: Yamaris Leon
Managing Director, Head of Account Services: Paulo Fogaca
Account Director Carlos Rangel
Account Supervisor: Juan Nunez
Head of Business Affairs Manager: Ann Marie Turbitt

Production: 
Production Company: Biscuit
Director: Jeff Low
DP: Dan Holland
Executive Producer: Colleen O'Donnell
Line Producer: Kwok Yau
Casting Agent: Hannah Birkett
Secondary Prod Co: AFS
SecondProd contact: Brin Kushner

Editorial Company: Cut + Run
Edit house contact: Carr Schilling
Editor: Jay Nelson
Assistant Editor: Brandon Iben
Post Producer: Gail Butler

Animation/Graphics Co.: The Mill
Telecine Place:The Mill
Online Place: The Mill
With Whom: Tim Byrd
Record Mix Place: Eleven Sound
With Whom: Jeff Payne
VFX & Design: The Mill LA
Senior Executive Producer: Sue Troyan
Executive Producer: Enca Kaul
Senior VFX Producer: Kait Boehm
Production Coordinator: Chris Lewis
Shoot Supervisor: Tim Bird
Executive Creative Director: Phil Crowe
Creative Director: Tim Bird, John Leonti
2D Lead Artist: Tim Bird
3D Lead Artist: Nick Lines
2D Artists: Peter Hodsman, Rob Winfield, Remedy Huynh, Sarah Marikar, Anthony Petitti
3D Artists: Danny Yoon, Jacob Bergman, Katie Yancey, Ruel Smith, Fabian Elmers, Monique Espinoza, Jason Jansky, Charles Stoniolo
Colour: The Mill
Executive Producer, Colour: Dee Allan
Colour Producer: Natalie Westfield
Production Coordinator, Colour: Evan Bauer
Colourist: Fergus McCall
Colour Assist: Elias Nousiopoulos + Nate Seymour

Original Music:
Exec Producer: Suzanne Hollingshead
Sound Design Company: Eleven Sound
Sound Designer(s): Jeff Payne

Licensed Music:
Song Title: Without You
Licensor for Publishing/%: Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. 100%
Licensor for Master: Sony Music Entertainment
Term/Media: I year, TV, US and Canada  |  Internet and Industrial, World. Unlimited versions and lifts.
Territory: US and Canada

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

Liam Neeson is here to save the day again. This time, he isn't rescuing kidnapped offspring in Europe à la Taken, or battling an opponent on Clash of Clans. Instead, he's protecting the special technology found in LG's OLED TVs.

In the ad, Neeson plays a mysterious man from the future. He visits his present-day self, played by his son, Micheal Neeson, alerting him to an important mission he must complete.

Take a look at the full ad below:

"It's a dynamic short film," said Ridley Scott, executive producer for the ad, in a statement. "It's about the race to be on the vanguard of innovation and to be able to create tomorrow's technology." 

Ridley Scott teamed up with his own son to create the 60-second spot, LG's first Super Bowl commercial. Jake Scott brought his previous Super Bowl experience to the table, having directed spots for Budweiser including "Puppy Love" and "Lost Dog." Ridley Scott, who has not worked on a Super Bowl ad since Apple's iconic "1984" spot, served as executive producer for LG's ad.

"The objective was to create a world you've never seen before or a world that was unique and specific to the OLED," director Jake Scott said in a statement.

The spot highlights some of the cutting-edge technology found in the new LG Signature OLED TVs, made with OLED technology that creates a lifelike picture, and equipped with full HDR capability.  

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

In the olden days, the Super Bowl was the place where the greatest brands dared to place ads. It was the arena of boldness. Of daring. The most hard-core advertising forum of all.

In 2016, however, the data is clear: This revered platform feels like a heck of a smart place for a brand to show up. This year, my agency, StrawberryFrog, worked with our client, SunTrust Bank, to be one of the brands going big in the Super Bowl. And here's why:

On a regular night, telling people at a dinner party to crowd around the television to watch an ad is like telling them you have the bird flu and are about to sneeze. But not on Super Bowl night.

Super Bowl 50 on CBS is designed to capture hearts and minds and 260 million eyeballs. They will come for the game—but also for the commercials, because the ads are seen as entertainment in and of themselves. With the fragmenting of TV viewing and the consumer having choice overload, appointment TV viewing is a stronger tool than ever for marketers.

The Super Bowl is an American social and cultural phenomenon; no one wants to be left out of the loop. Leading up to the game, during the game, and for days after the game, the event is the focus of social discussion and debate. The Super Bowl makes more sense than ever because it gives brands a huge platform.

You need to keep the mood of the nation in mind. We are living in conservative times. People are fearful, anxious. Alongside ads that are silly, humorous, wacky, we will deliver a profound ad that moves people. That is why our team, our clients and partners have created the "onUp movement" for SunTrust Bank and launching it during Super Bowl 50 with an innovative commercial called "Hold Your Breath." It is an optimistic second-by-second reminder that worrying about money can cause you to miss life's moments. It is, I believe, one of the first interactive ads that will engage people from the first second and keep them engaged until the end, getting them to participate in the ad and then go to onUp.com where they can take a "mental wealth" quiz.

Platforming gives brands a bigger role

It is exactly this powerful platform that gives brands like SunTrust the opportunity to stand out. Platforming a brand lets you punch above your weight, connect with the power of culture, hang with other American icons and, in the end, create mass awareness and engagement. I saw this firsthand when Karin Drakenberg and I brought Heineken to James Bond and when our agency did the Casino Royale global Heineken campaign. And we saw this later, when we brought Pampers to the Super Bowl.

Think about it. Between the screaming baby and the millions of daily interruptions and flashes of messaging that seem to enter and exit our brains in the blink of an eye, the many different ways we watch programs, and don't forget the tiny social media messages that pop up incessantly, brands today need bigger platforms to break through and bigger ideas to galvanize the public, make waves and get people to remember them. How many hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on client messages that never register?

Would Barack Obama, for example, ever have become president if he didn't get the platform to speak to the American public at the Kerry convention in 2004? Would we have known who he was? Would he have had the awareness? The cachet? Now, think about how this platforming can be applied to your own brand.

Super Bowl and spiraling fragmentation

The Super Bowl platform makes even more sense when you look at the devolution of traditional television. There's a downward spiral in regular TV ratings that continues with no end in sight. The Super Bowl stands out as a powerful platform for brands that want to accelerate their trajectory and make an impact with American consumers.

Against this are the numbers that underscore the rapid changes in how TV viewers are consuming content. Americans are increasingly watching TV shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other services. Some 40 percent of households now have subscription video service, Nielsen reported at the end of 2015. In an era of fragmentation, the Super Bowl is the only program remaining that has a mass American ritual component.

Our purpose-driven Super Bowl 50 campaign for SunTrust Banks will break during the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Getting here required a lot of research aimed at uncovering the cost and benefits of the Super Bowl. Working closely with our clients who think big and our media partner, 22squared, we uncovered tremendous insights. Per Jenny Reed, vp, media director, 22squared, using the "Super Bowl as a launch platform for the SunTrust campaign provides the opportunity to not only instantly reach 46.6 percent of their core target, but many others to aid in jumpstarting the movement support at a national level that will then fuel the local support. "

There is tremendous power in being associated with positive culture. It's a completely feel-good time when people are surrounded by friends and family and enjoy watching and discussing commercials and what they mean. Another benefit of the Super Bowl is that many of those tuning in to the commercials are the very same hard-to-reach consumers who don't watch commercials the rest of the year.

"The Super Bowl continues to maintain its status as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most unique platforms to engage with typically hard-to-reach audiences," said Ed Klein of 22squared. "Over 20 percent of the millennial target will be there, providing unrivaled reach numbers. And nearly 40 percent of all U.S. affluent households will be there, 28 percent above typical channels. In addition to the more traditional TV viewership, the Super Bowl has continued to evolve as a social and digital platform. The Super Bowl audience last year produced nearly 14 million tweets, and 65 million fans were on Facebook, participating in live-feed conversations."

Millennial Super Bowl viewership far outpaces closest competitors

For Millennials, perhaps the most adept audience at avoiding advertising, the Super Bowl far eclipses the closest competitors in viewership and represents a rare occasion when the ads truly become a central part of the event itself.

I spoke with Chris Boothe, CEO of one of our longtime media partners, Spark, and he told me that the game delivers an avalanche of viewers from this coveted generation: "Super Bowl XLIX most recently delivered a 35.81 live-plus-same-day rating (versus an average 1.02 prime-time number for the top 5 markets), reflecting a mind-boggling 34.6 million total millennial viewers (ages 18 to 34) in a span of just under four hours. To juxtapose the Super Bowl viewership with two popular hit shows, the current season of Fox's Empire totaled 45.1 million viewers over the course of 10 episodes, while AMC's The Walking Dead has collected 58.5 million viewers (ages 18-34) for the entire current season. When compared with the Super Bowl, it took seven episodes of Empire (36.1 million) and five for The Walking Dead (37 million) to surpass the Super Bowl XLIX millennial total audience."

But what about hard-to-reach affluents? Or C-suite management? Opinion formers? Or women? Isn't Super Bowl a male-dominated, football-loving sporting event? No, this is a social and cultural event that unites and has some of the highest engagement numbers with hard-to-reach audiences. It has cultural relevance, the phenomenon probably dating back thousands of years to the Roman Empire. It's like the scene from Ridley Scott's Gladiator when the Roman Forum reveals an audience made up of the Roman elite, royal family members as well as men, women and children in the bleachers and the cheap seats—all sitting together, eating marzipan and taking in the spectacle. Food tastes have changed, but much remains the same. 

"Contrary to many long-held beliefs, the Super Bowl attracts an impressively large number of female viewers," Boothe told me. "Super Bowl XLIX saw a total of 34.8 million female viewers (ages 18-49). This reflects a 25 percent increase of female viewers when compared to prime-time broadcast viewership among the same demo, which averaged a 1.85 rating. Millennials, females and, in a sense, all viewers enjoy the Super Bowl as a competition on two levels: who wins the big game but also who has the best commercials. The data is clear—the Super Bowl is an investment that delivers superb results for marketers."

For CEOs and CMOs and marketers wanting to make a bigger impact. Super Bowl 50 is the biggest awareness opportunity, and it doesn't require much to sustain. It offers awareness that starts building for weeks before the game and is big with social. For brands delivering bigger brand ideas, the Super Bowl is the kickoff to the year. It enables brands to have local activities across markets and make all those diverse efforts work even harder.

"It's the one venue in which the commercials are every bit as important to viewers as the programming," notes my colleague, Shayne Millington, ecd of StrawberryFrog.

Once you understand the power of the platform and why it's the smart choice now, then you need to focus on the ad itself. And then, the decision comes down to what kind of ad you want to make—wacky, absurd, celebrity endorsements, straight product pitches—or an opportunity to deliver an important galvanizing message to America.

Scott Goodson (@scottfrog) is founder and chairman of agency StrawberryFrog.