Super Bowl advertising 2022 | What to watch for

Every year, Super Bowl ads are the same in many ways: over-the-top, celebrity-strewn and for the most part, silly and forgettable. (Go ahead, try to name your favorites from just last year.) But each crop also differs from the previous one, too, in themes that emerge based on current events. What to expect this year? Look for these three trends:

A pandemic-free world.

Even if advertisers wanted to create a COVID-related Super Bowl spot (they don’t), ever-changing variants, case numbers and guidelines make it almost impossible to concept and plan for a commercial weeks or months in advance…which is when most Super Bowl ads start to take shape. And of course, no Super Bowl audience wants to be bummed out by such topics anyway. So expect most if not all of the Super Bowl ads to pretend we’re living in a world unfamiliar with such things as masks and social distancing.

Themes of resurgence and resilience.

While ads may not directly bring up COVID, it’s likely we’ll see a more subtle approach and themes of getting back on your feet, back in motion, brighter days…you get the picture. Advertisers will still try to capture the national mood without bringing up the pandemic, on a day when everyone wants to escape it. We’ve already seen one of these spots — Budweiser released theirs early, featuring their iconic Clydesdale suffering an injury and struggling to get back to galloping through amber waves of grain.

Diversity, inclusion and community.

It’s never been more important for brands to show consumers that they’re committed to equity and diversity — not to mention community and connection. And there’s no better way to show that than on the world’s biggest stage. So look for lots of feel-good anthems about coming together, helping one another and being true to yourself.

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