Taylor Swift Effect Forces Drastic Change in Super Bowl Ads For 1st Time in 50 Years

Okay, so Super Bowl LIX is on deck, and it’s gonna be HUGE. We’re talking over 100 million people glued to their screens, making it one of those rare events that basically stops the world. Brands are dropping millions to try and become the next meme. Some say it’s worth it for the hype; others think it’s a crazy wager– but hey, no risk, no reward, right?

Now, let’s be real: those ads between the NFL games can be a love-hate thing. We’re all guilty of rolling our eyes when the game pauses for a commercial break, but then bam! Here comes some hilarious ad with a celebrity or some tear-jerking story. And with Taylor Swift bringing in all the extra viewers, due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs‘ Travis Kelce, brands are stepping up their game with wider appeal. But things might be changing. More brands are starting to get clever, ditching the big TV spots for influencer collabs and cool online stuff. Could this be the year we see ads that are actually fun and interactive instead of just loud?

What to expect out of the Super Bowl 2025 ads?

Forget the usual barrage of beer and betting apps. This year, we’re seeing a bunch of advertisers actually caring about our well-being. Seriously! We’re talking ads about breast cancer awareness, fighting obesity, and boosting body confidence. Novartis is jumping into the Super Bowl pool for the first time with a celebrity-packed ad spreading awareness for breast cancer. Hims & Hers, that health startup, is tackling the obesity crisis head-on, and Dove’s back with a message about letting girls rock in sports without feeling self-conscious. Could it be because Taylor’s relationship with Kelce has brought forth a different set or audience and more eyes to the game?

Now, before you think the Super Bowl’s gone completely healthy, let’s keep it real. There are still a ton of advertisers, like 17 out of 51, who are fast food, snacks, and alcohol brands hogging up commercial time. So, it’s not a total health-fest, but it’s definitely a step in a new direction.

What’s changed in the advertisements this year?

The commercial lineup is looking kinda different this year. Forget the political soapboxes and virtue signaling because those preachy cause ads seem to be taking a breather. Plus, that whole digital gold rush from the pandemic? Yeah, Netflix and Amazon Prime are skipping this party. And get this – Temu, that Chinese shopping app that was everywhere last year is MIA, too. Trade wars, maybe? Who knows!

But here’s the real shocker: the gambling ads are taking a chill pill! Remember when DraftKings and FanDuel were battling it out for your attention? Now, it’s pretty much just FanDuel holding down the fort. Crypto’s also ghosting us after that FTX fiasco. Still, don’t think the networks are hurting – Fox sold out all its ad slots, with some costing a bonkers $8 million.

A look at Super Bowl ads through the years.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Super Bowl ads haven’t always been the big-budget spectacles they are today. Back in the day, like the ’60s and ’70s, they were pretty basic. We’re talking simple pitches with a price tag to match—a measly $37,500 for 30 seconds in the first Super Bowl. Fast forward to 2024, and you’re looking at dropping a cool $7 million for that same half-minute! Talk about inflation! Back then, the ads were more like an afterthought, secondary to the game.

But then the ’90s rolled around, and bam! The Super Bowl ad game changed forever. We’re talking iconic Budweiser frogs and catchy Pepsi jingles that were just as entertaining as the game itself. And in the 2000s? Forget basic – advertisers started throwing money at cinematic masterpieces with A-list celebs, tugging at our heartstrings and tackling real-world issues.

We saw Britney Spears sparkling for Pepsi, NSYNC with their famous door-to-door commercial in an anti-underage drinking campaign for Anheuser-Busch, and Betty White getting tackled in a Snickers ad. It was costing around $2.2 million for 30 seconds of airtime, and some of the hottest brands were getting into the game. With so many viewers tuning in, especially now that the Super Bowl LVIII has averaged 123.7 million across all platforms, the ROI was there. It’s wild to think how far these ads have come, huh?