NEW YORK (AP) – Along with puppies and babies, celebrities are a Super Bowl advertising staple. And this year is no exception.
Using stars is a surefire way to grab attention during advertising’s most competitive night, when a crowded field of 40-plus marketers each vying for the attention of the more than 110 million viewers that are expected to tune in to the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Advertisers use celebrities to “help insure the success of their creative investment,” said Devra Prywes, vice president of marketing for research firm Unruly.
But it doesn’t always work. In order for an ad to go viral, it needs to connect emotionally or give the audience multiple reasons to share, Prywes said: “A celebrity can’t save an ad that doesn’t do those things, but the right celebrity can help amplify it.”
This year, advertisers are choosing quirkier celebrities and poking fun at bigger names. For instance, Katie Couric and Bryant Gumble make fun of their inability to understand the Internet in 1994 in a BMW ad. And character actors Steve Buscemi and Danny Trejo star in a Snickers spot.