Super Bowl Ads Rent A-Listers To Be Safe While Bleeding Millions

KEY POINTS

•Super Bowl LX advertisers chose comedy and celebrities to avoid backlash amid a charged political climate.
•The average 30-second ad slot sold for $8 million, with some costing above $10 million on NBCUniversal.
•Bud Light, Hellmann’s, Fanatics Sportsbook, Instacart, Novartis, and others featured star-studded comedic ads vying for attention.

Super Bowl LX's ad strategy? Play it sooo safe Hollywood stars and beer escapes measured in millions. Bud Light’s 'Keg' ad starring Shane Gillis, Post Malone, and Peyton Manning chases runaway beer kegs downhill, because what’s more presidential than flailing after booze? Hellmann’s got Andy Samberg crooning 'Sweet Caroline' in a deli with Elle Fanning, probably hoping mayo sales skyrocket. Fanatics Sportsbook roped in Kendall Jenner to mock the 'Kardashian Curse,' suggesting athletes really do need bad luck mascots. Instacart starred Ben Stiller and Benson Boone in an unintentionally calamitous musical about the perfect banana. Meanwhile, Novartis asked NFL players to tell you to 'relax your tight end,' which is strangely specific advice. Not to be outdone, the Budweiser Clydesdale helped a bald eagle learn to fly—then got misty-eyed, proving even giant horses suffer from performance anxiety. And all this amid NBCUniversal charging $8 million per 30 seconds, sometimes $10 million, with CMOs sweating ROI like they’re auditioning for a desperate drama.