Super Bowl LI ads go political in a big way

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Messages about America, inclusiveness – and, yes, even “four years of awful hair” – kept bubbling up in Super Bowl 51 ads from Airbnb, the NFL and a line of personal care products. But there was still plenty of escapism and light humor for those who weren’t into the politics.

As the New England Patriots edged out the Atlantic Falcons on the field in Houston, Airbnb touted inclusiveness with an ad showing faces of different ethnicities and the copy: “We all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept.” Coca-Cola aired a previously run ad in the pregame in which people sing “America the Beautiful” in different languages. Even a hair-care brand dipped into politics: The “It’s a 10” hair brand indirectly referenced Donald Trump famously unruly do in its Super Bowl spot.

It’s tough to be a Super Bowl advertiser in during any year. But this year, a divisive political climate has roiled the nation since President Donald Trump took office in January, making it even tougher for advertisers.

Paying $5 million for 30 seconds to capture more than 110 million expected viewers, advertisers had to walk the line with ads that appealed to everyone and didn’t offend. Some were more successful than others.

“Anxiety and politics just loom over this game, so anybody who gives us the blessed relief of entertaining with a real Super Bowl commercial wins,” said Mark DiMassimo, CEO of the ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein.

Several ads aimed for just that. Tide, for instance, offered a humorous ad showing announcer Terry Bradshaw trying frantically to remedy a stain while he goes “viral” online, with the help of New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski and actor Jeffrey Tambor.

WALKING THE POLITICAL LINE

An NFL ad conveyed what all advertisers hope the Super Bowl becomes: a place where Americans can come together. “Inside these lines, we may have our differences, but recognize there’s more that unites us,” Forest Whitaker intoned in a voiceover as workers prepped a football field and gridiron scenes played.

Airbnb’s ad was one of the more overtly political, showing a variety of different faces with the tagline “We accept.”

SURPRISES

Snickers got tons of press by airing a live ad in the third quarter. On a Wild West set, Adam Driver seems to not know the ad is live. The set falls apart (on purpose). “You ruin live Super Bowl commercials when you’re hungry,” the ad’s tagline reads.

“It went by so fast, I almost missed it,” DiMassimo said. “Not sure it was worth the trouble of doing it live.”

LIGHT HUMOR PLUS CELEBS

Ads with light humor and stuffed with celebrities were popular. Honda’s ad made a splash by animating the yearbook photos of nine celebrities ranging from Tina Fey to Viola Davis. They make fun of their photos – Jimmy Kimmel is dressed in a blue tux and holding a clarinet, for example – and talk about “The Power of Dreams,” Honda’s ad slogan.

The Tide ad with Terry Bradshaw was a hit with some viewers because of the way it tricked viewers by seeming to be part of the broadcast. “It made you think twice,” said Pablo Rochat, watching in Atlanta. “There was funny dialogue and good storytelling.”

T-Mobile’s spots featuring Justin Timberlake and Rob Gronkowski dancing, Kristen Schaal in a “50 Shades of Grey” parody and Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg mixing talk about T-Mobile’s unlimited-data plan with innuendos about Snoop Dogg’s marijuana habit, won raves from some.