Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, millions of people gather around the TV and wait with anticipation to see who will win, who will lose, and who will embarrass themselves. Of course, we’re talking about the commercials during the game. With a 30-second spot costing $7 million for this year’s big game (and upwards of $10 million when you factor in talent and production), brands are putting their best foot forward with so many people watching. Here, in no particular order, are a few of the most anticipated spots this year.
Quinta Brunson and TurboTax
We know what you’re thinking: Taxes aren’t exactly the sexiest or most exciting topic for a Super Bowl ad, but when you combine Emmy winner and “Abbott Elementary” star/creator Quinta Brunson with Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, chances are you’re going to get something extremely watchable. So far, the company has only released a short 15-second teaser.
Tina Fey and Booking.com
Get ready for a “30 Rock” reunion! Well, sort of. In Tina Fey’s new spot with Booking.com, she sends body doubles out into the world to check out hotels for her, with appearances by Fey’s former “30 Rock” co-stars Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer. Naturally, the whole ad winds up being stolen by Glenn Close.
Movie trailers
Every year, a few movies use the big game to give viewers a first look at upcoming blockbusters, and this year will be no different. Marvel fans can expect their first peek at “Deadpool 3”, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, while other big sequels like “Twisters” (yes, a sequel to the 1996 film “Twister”), “A Quiet Place: Day One”, and “Inside Out 2” are all set to premiere trailers.
Martin Scorsese and Squarespace
Does an iconic, Oscar-winning director need to make a commercial for a website-building company? Of course not. Are we glad he did? Absolutely. The gist of Scorsese’s new spot is this: aliens have arrived on Earth, but humans are way too busy staring at their screens to notice (an increasingly likely scenario). While it is still a commercial at its core, Scorsese’s touch elevates the whole thing to more of an amusing micro short film.
Christopher Walken (and Usher) and BMW
BMW’s new spot, featuring Christopher Walken, will have a lot of people realizing it probably gets old being someone EVERYONE wants to imitate. Of course, Walken handles it like the pro he is, even while everyone around him tries out their best “Walken voice” on him. Oh yeah, and Usher shows up at the end for a hot second.
Laurence Fishburne and DoorDash
While we’re not sure what DoorDash’s actual Super Bowl spot will look like, the brand has people talking for other reasons: Namely, the fact it’s promising to deliver every single product featured in an ad during the game to one lucky winner. That means every snack, every vehicle, every piece of software, and so on. Hope that person has a big garage.
Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Vince Vaughn, and BetMGM
What happens when you have two GOATs in one commercial? BetMGM plans to find out, with both seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and The Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky, sharing the screen. Vince Vaughn, who makes it clear he considers himself to share the same rarified air, also makes an appearance.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and State Farm Insurance
Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking it back to his action movie heyday in a new ad campaign with the insurance giant, complete with the movie legend escaping burning buildings, flying helicopters, and more. There’s even a pretty decent running gag about Arnold’s iconic accent.
Aubrey Plaza and Mountain Dew
“It’s me, America’s Sweetheart.” Those are the first words uttered by Aubrey Plaza in her new Mountain Dew big game ad, proving she’s in on the joke, and able to have as much fun as anyone when it comes to making it. She also gets to ride a dragon and have a mini “Parks & Recreation” reunion with former co-star Nick Offerman, so everybody wins here.
Jeremy Renner and Silk
While an ad for Silk plant-based milks might not normally make a list like this, it gets a spot following Jeremy Renner’s harrowing year. The actor nearly died following a snow plowing accident, which left him in the hospital for two weeks, before being forced to spend the next several months learning to walk again. Here, we see the Marvel star is all healed up, and even gets to have some fun with his real-life daughter, Ava.
