Despite the fact the Dallas Cowboys aren’t in the Super Bowl, there will be plenty of Texas – and New Mexico – on display during the game on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Among area companies involved in the Super Bowl ad frenzy are a local Coca-Cola bottler, H-E-B and Frito-Lay.
Advertisers are shelling out upwards of $7 million for a 30-second slot for a national commercial during the broadcast that always brings out glitzy, high-profile ads that run the gamut from nostalgic, humorous, touching to downright weird. More than 100 million viewers are expected to tune in to Super Bowl XLVII in greater Phoenix.
Fort Worth will have a starring role in a regional spot that will air in Texas, Oklahoma and some Louisiana markets. Following up on its inaugural spot at the 2022 Super Bowl, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages is launching an “All-Star” themed commercial that features about 15 local employees playing a version of Smash Mouth’s “All Star” on Coca-Cola bottles. The 30-second spot was filmed at the bottler’s Fort Worth plant.
The Dallas-based Coca-Cola bottler, one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the U.S., will promote hiring opportunities at the company.
Dallas-based Plot Twist, a creative ad agency started by several former Richards Group employees, produced the spot last year and this year.
“We believe last year’s ad was the first time anyone’s run a recruitment ad on a Super Bowl,” said Chris Smith, principal and chief creative officer. “They really needed people and it worked like crazy, so they decided to do it again.”
The bottler received more than twice as many job inquiries in the next week as they had received in the previous few months, Smith said.
“This ad is a similar theme, but there are more sound effects from the plant itself,” he said.
Plot Twist also produced another ad that will air regionally for Texas grocer H-E-B.
H-E-B has run local Super Bowl ads for nearly 20 years, said Smith, but this is the first time they are running in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“Now that they have more locations here and more coming, it made sense to expand to this area,” he said.
The two 30-second spots haven’t been released yet, but a teaser ad for the commercials gives a hint at what to expect on Sunday, said Smith.
In the teaser ad, a traveler attempts to stuff additional H-E-B tortillas into a suitcase.
Plot Twist interviewed several of the people waiting in line for the Plano and Frisco H-E-B stores to open last year. The grocer’s tortillas were a top pick, said Smith.
To see the Super Bowl ads with a local flavor
The two H-E-B ads will run in both halves of the game.
“The ads are aimed at the many new people who have moved to Texas and may not be aware of H-E-B. There are plenty of them, believe it or not,” said Smith. “The ads also play on the devotion that people have with the brand, which is phenomenal.”
Plano-based Frito-Lay has long been a Super Bowl advertiser with its Doritos brand. The triangle-shaped chips will be there this year with spots featuring Jack Harlow, Missy Elliot and Elton John. But it’s Frito-Lay’s PopCorners Popped-Corn Snack’s commercial that is receiving big buzz as it reunites the “Breaking Bad” duo of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul.)
The reuniting of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” stars is but one of many ads that utilize nostalgia to get the message across, said Jonathan Ogle, founder and principal at The Infinite Agency in Dallas.
Along with the “Breaking Bad” commercial, nostalgia will be there in force with a “Clueless” spot with Alicia Silverstone for ecommerce brand Rakuten and a “Caddyshack” spot featuring Tony Romo and Serena Williams for Michelob Ultra, Ogle said.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how much brands are using nostalgia to reach the hearts and minds of their consumers,” he said.
Allen Wallach, CEO of Fort Worth’s PAVLOV Advertising, said this year’s Super Bowl ads are a mixed bag. That’s usually the case, he said, but this year advertisers are paying $7 million for 30 seconds of air time.
“With those stakes in mind, viewers can expect fewer cars, more beer, plenty of nostalgia, offbeat comedy, QR codes, and a rather dull WeatherTech spot,” he said.
There will also be more attempts to engage Super Bowl viewers on their phones during the ads, Wallach said.
“For those who immediately forgot the Coinbase QR code ad from last year, get your phones ready for a number of copycats coming at you this year,” he said.
Fort Worth AAF Addy Awards
The Super Bowl ad frenzy coincides with American Advertising Federation Fort Worth’s annual awards program honoring local advertising.
This year’s event is 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Southside Preservation Hall, 1519 Lipscomb St.
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policyhere.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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