Remember when the family fight started over the “lost” remote in the Tubi commercial a few years ago, or the Dunkin’ Donuts’ “DunKings” commercial with Ben Affleck and Tom Brady?

All these ads caught your attention, and the rise in the significance of Super Bowl advertisements has been happening for years. The use of nostalgia to create comfortability and attention, paired with celebrity cameos, leads to intriguing and entertaining advertisements. 

A few years ago an advertisement might not have been a company’s top priority, but now, brands will do anything to secure the most entertaining features.

Brand deals are huge for celebrities and many influencers, along with A-listers have a high price. Typically, half a brand’s budget will go to the cameo according to Mr. Andrzejewski or Mr. A., Cathedral’s film-making teacher.

You are more likely to be interested in an ad featuring someone you recognize, whether that be a household name like Harrison Ford or an influencer such as Alix Earle.

Mr. A. mentioned a personally memorable Super Bowl commercial that he felt hit its target audience. Chrysler put Ford in as their big cameo for their ad. “When you have someone that says ‘I love a Chrysler,’ that’s crazy from a guy named Ford.”

Mr. A said that the commercial appeals to Chrysler’s older audience that knows very well who Harrison Ford, big-time movie star of Star Wars and Indiana Jones fame, is. 

The Super Bowl, along with many other televised sporting events, is meant for all ages. Brands are trying to stay “on trend” and grab a younger audience’s attention by using social media influencers and personalities in their commercials. 

Probiotic soda brand Poppi featured Alix Earle, Jake Shane, and Robert Rausch in their SB advertising campaign this year. When asked, Mr. A. knew none of these names, but he knew about Poppi. 

Corporations want to appeal to their audiences. Poppi is a brand targeted towards younger adults and teens, using bright colors and a health focus. For their campaign, it makes total sense as to why they would use these newer, relevant figures. 

Certain commercials went the route of using talent with totally different audiences in their ads. Bud Light featured Post Malone, a Grammy award-winning artist, and Shane Gills, a stand-up comedian, for one of their SB commercials this year. They have fans alike but also appeal to different people within the music industry and comedy scene.

Uber Eats used Martha Stewart, a TV personality and businesswoman, with Charli XCX, an electro-pop artist. People love Uber Eats as it’s accessible and simple to work with. Using someone known in the food industry, along with another person who appeals to a food delivery audience, creates a wide variety of viewers for the company. 

The past is a powerful tool and a way to play on people’s emotions. The familiarity in a commercial grabs someone’s attention and increases the likability.

Along with this comes using a possibly older A-list celebrity, someone that people of all ages can recognize. Yet brands want to stay relevant and with the trends, sometimes overly trying to appeal to an audience that doesn’t fit their brand. “Not every movie is made for everybody,” said Mr. A. when referring to brands appealing to certain demographics. 

Super Bowl commercials, according to some, are all they care about, along with the halftime show. Brands can try to appeal to a wide variety of audiences or be extremely targeted. The decisions from corporations will make all the difference in revenue and promotion.

The rise to create the most versatile and entertaining advertisements has been nothing short of quick, and brands must be wise as they have one time a year to make their commercial count.