Behind the scenes: Creating a successful super bowl ad

By Kylie Gates

Super Bowl commercials have become an important and exciting part of the game itself. Non-football fans will participate in watching the Super Bowl just for the commercials alone. When it comes to this huge sporting event, brands will invest millions of dollars to create commercials that will grow brand awareness in an entertaining way. Their goal is to get people talking about their advertisement throughout the game, which eventually leads to them becoming a huge part of pop culture. There is so much work that goes into one of these 30-60-second advertisements, so what is it like behind the scenes that make them so successful?

What makes Super Bowl Commercials so important?

First, let’s understand the hype around these commercials in the first place. There isn’t a very clear reason as to why Super Bowl Commercials are such a big deal. It’s one of those pop culture moments that gets people excited due to the amount of money put into each advertisement and the creativity showcased.

Commercials are typically fast-forwarded through during regular TV programs. However, with the excitement around the Super Bowl commercials specifically, people will go out of their way to watch just for the commercials themselves. There are also many social media and streaming platforms that extend the talk about these commercials. Viewers will actively post their opinions on the ads as they are being played, and they will also talk about these ads for weeks later. This gives ad agencies more drive to make them as entertaining as possible since it gets people excited and talking about their brand.

What is the Planning Process Like?

There is so much that goes into planning these 30-60-second commercials. This planning process can take up to one year in advance to ensure they are putting their best work out there.

One of the most important parts of a successful Super Bowl commercial is the creative idea behind it. Marketers first need to decide on what the storyline and message of their commercial will be. Deciphering an overall tone of the commercial that aligns with the brands purpose is important to grab the attention of the target market for that brand specifically.

There are common themes between many of these ads, but the biggest and most important theme is to tell a captivating story that connects with culture. These themes typically go along with current trends or memes that can be turned into something comical and entertaining for the viewers. Super Bowl commercials may also touch upon current social issues since relevant news will grab the audience’s attention.

Once the difficult part of designing the outline for the advertisement is done, agencies will still need to create a budget, acquire talent, produce, edit, and release their commercial.

How Much Money Goes into These Ads?

There is an immense amount of money that goes into the Super Bowl commercials. The first piece of the budget is how much it costs to secure a spot in the commercial lineup. As of 2024, a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl cost over $7 million. This price differs based on the placement of the commercials since there are some spots that are more optimal than others. This price may seem huge, however, there are roughly 113 million viewers that will see this commercial. Since these advertisements reach such a large audience, companies need to carefully consider if this amount of money will be well spent and beneficial for the future of their brand.

How Are These Ads Made?

If you think $7 million is a lot of money for 30-seconds, this price does not include the amount of money that goes into production. The production of a Super Bowl commercial alone can easily cost another $4-$10 million, depending on how many celebrities they want to feature and what kind of special effects they want to incorporate.

Once the commercial itself has been curated, it’s the production team’s turn to step in. They need to gather actors, computer programmers and special effects experts to work together and start filming. Filming can take days or weeks depending on how complex it is and how many takes need to be done.

Editing the commercial is also a huge part of the production process since every second needs to be perfect to submit the final product. All that’s left is to sit back, watch the Super Bowl, and see how the audience reacts.

Who is in the Ad?

The casting process is very important since Super Bowl advertisements often feature well-known celebrities. Having a big-name celebrity – whether it’s a sports figure or a Hollywood star – will increase the amount of attention the ad will get. Brands typically target a celebrity with a good reputation and large fan base. It is crucial that the celebrities’ endorsements are authentic and genuine and not just a financial transaction.

These celebrities need to align with the image of the brand as well. The mix of humor and a celebrity feature entertains the audience, as well as increases consumer behavior and brand engagement. At the very beginning of the planning process, marketers keep an eye on trends and the impact of celebrities so they can wisely choose talent that will benefit both parties.

Concluding Thoughts

Behind every Super Bowl commercial is a talented, creative and hardworking team that spends countless hours a day working to produce something that will be shown on TV for under a minute. When it’s done right, the impact that these Super Bowl commercials have on the brand shows that this hard work will pay off. It is important to recognize the amount of work and talent that goes into these commercials and how effective they are to the image and success of the brand.