Super Bowl Food Fight: Glut of Grocery Commercials Will Push Viewers to Eat, Eat, Eat

by

Hope you’re hungry.

This coming Sunday on Fox, as football enthusiasts and casual viewers gather to watch Super Bowl LIX, they should ensure they’re well-fed because they’ll encounter a variety of advertisements during the game. These will include beer from two distinct breweries, yogurt, ice cream, coffee creamer, and cold-brew coffee; two types of potato chips, Doritos included, as well as candies from Nerds and Reese’s; two kinds of soft drinks; hot sauce; a product from Dunkin’ Donuts; a new dessert item from Taco Bell; mayonnaise from Hellmann’s used in a deli sandwich; two different pizza items; and novel water options from Liquid Death and Cirkul.

In addition to this, you’ll see advertisements from three distinct food-delivery services. One of these, Instacart, will showcase popular grocery items such as Green Giant and the Kool-Aid Man. Meanwhile, HexClad will highlight cookware, while Angel Soft toilet tissue will make an appearance after all the consumed food is processed. Lastly, telehealth provider Hims & Hers will focus on obesity, demonstrating potential consequences of overeating for extended periods.

Giving someone an upset stomach is quite possible, as Ronnie Goodstein, an associate professor of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, points out. He notes that a large portion of the products advertised aren’t beneficial to your health and are often related to unhealthy, junk food items.

Just as one might lose track of the snacks consumed during a late-night binge – chips, pretzels, pizza, and so on – spectators of the Super Bowl might find themselves forgetting what they’ve eaten once the football extravaganza concludes. With countless ads featuring similar elements such as celebrities and humor, it can all start to blend together, making much of the food seem indistinguishable.

Over the past decade, the proportion of Super Bowl commercials focusing on consumer goods categorized as “human consumables” has dramatically risen, as per Kim Whitler, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business who oversees a research team studying over 500 Super Bowl ads from 2015 to 2024. Food advertisements, excluding those intended for pets, represented approximately 21% of all Super Bowl ads in 2015, which rose to 32% by 2024 – a near doubling or around a 50% increase, Whitler points out. This percentage is even higher than what was seen in 2023.

If multiple items within the same product category are marketed to the same audience, there’s a possibility that it might lead to perplexity among viewers, as recalling the unique message for each advertisement becomes increasingly challenging.

Due to certain factors, there have been food fights. With more people opting to watch shows whenever they prefer on streaming platforms, there are significantly less events such as the Super Bowl that attract large audiences for extended periods. As Goodstein puts it, “It’s a big audience day,” and most of these viewers represent potential customers for food and drink items, which are easy to purchase once the commercial breaks are over. The Super Bowl provides an excellent platform for promoting products that are easy to understand, according to Ryan Riess, vice president of brand strategy and creative development at The Hershey Company.

In contrast, several long-time Super Bowl advertisers seem to be scaling down their participation significantly this year.

This year’s game has only one automobile advertiser revealed thus far – Stellantis, who will air ads for Ram and Jeep. However, unlike previous years, there may be fewer movie trailers and new streaming series advertisements, as suggested by Mark Evans, executive vice president of sales at Fox Sports. Additionally, it seems that cryptocurrencies, which have been significant sponsors in recent games, are not participating this time around.

Historically, commercial breaks during the Super Bowl were filled with car brands like General Motors, BMW, and Volkswagen. However, by 2025, these automakers may find themselves in a state of doubt according to Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management who has studied Super Bowl commercials extensively with his students. He poses the question, “If you were an automaker planning to advertise during the Super Bowl, where would you focus your message now?” The question arises as to whether they should emphasize their electric vehicles given the current uncertainties surrounding them or continue promoting traditional ones, which is also a subject of debate.

Additionally, numerous digital innovators employing “direct-to-consumer” strategies like QR codes and interactive ordering are drawing back. Over the past years, many of these marketing firms have attended the Super Bowl with an aim to boost visibility and drive online traffic. Typically, they allocate some of their funding towards the Super Bowl event, but as Calkins points out, “capital has become costlier and scarcer.” This situation presents a chance for established consumer packaged goods brands to maintain market presence and rebuild momentum.

Digital companies using strategies like QR codes and interactive ordering are stepping back. They usually use the Super Bowl to increase visibility and drive online traffic, but it’s harder to get money these days. This creates an opportunity for older consumer product brands to hold onto their market share and gain some traction again.

One reason contributing to the food craze is that many ads within this category will employ similar strategies. Most advertisers are likely to use celebrities to add some extra oomph to their messages. For instance, Hellmann’s has persuaded Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate a sequel of sorts to “When Harry Met Sally.” Similarly, Bud Light is showcasing Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Peyton Manning. Frank’s Red Hot has roped in Paris Hilton, while Dunkin’ has managed to bring back Ben Affleck for the second year in a row.

Some advertisers for consumer goods aim to bring something unique to the discussion. To pique people’s curiosity about Lay’s potato chips, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay will showcase a captivating, one-minute ad that focuses on the challenges faced by potato farmers, featuring intense weather, a young girl, and no dialogue.

According to Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer at PepsiCo’s food operations, it’s the tales that strike a chord with people that will ultimately stand out. While many create a ruckus, it’s those narratives that carry a meaningful message that truly matter.

Instacart aims to overcome the distraction barrier by leaning on a variety of classic supermarket sponsors from well-known brands like General Mills, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble. By incorporating popular advertising mascots into their service, they strive to distinguish themselves amidst the intense competition in the food industry. According to Laura Jones, Instacart’s Chief Marketing Officer, this strategy is more about providing reliable grocery services rather than promoting indulgence, emphasizing that they take care of your groceries.

Regardless of the approach they take, food advertisers encounter a significant hurdle. As Goodstein puts it, “It’s something of a conundrum: do they run the risk of cancelling each other out?

Read More

2025-02-07 19:48