Super Bowl Sunday is widely regarded as one of the biggest opportunities for brands to showcase their products on television. With the Financial Times reporting that some brands are paying over $10 million for 30-second slots at Super Bowl LX, these travel brands are opening up their wallets and making a splash.
Southwest: Boarding Royale
Southwest Airlines takes a jab at its former open-seating policy in this humorous ad. Set in the wilderness, the spot features rows of airplane seats arranged in a clearing as customers scramble to secure the best spot. Just as the chaos reaches a boiling point, the scene cuts to two travelers relaxing comfortably in their assigned seats aboard a plane.
The ad is meant to promote the airline’s new assigned seating policy. It will play during the Big Game, as well as broadcast and local cable channels in six markets, including Dallas, Austin, San Diego, Chicago, Denver and Honolulu.
Expedia: Going Places with Ken
The online travel agency decided to use Barbie’s handsome counterpart as the main star of its Super Bowl ad. The ad shows Ken traveling around the world for the first time, highlighting Expedia's ability to make travel easy.
The spot will run in pre- and postgame placements in the United States, a 30-second spot in Canada during the game and a 20-second spot in Mexico.
Universal Orlando Resort: Lil’ Bro
This ad, part of a larger four-part campaign titled This Changes Everything, follows a young boy who is repeatedly teased by his older brother and referred to as “little man.” Later in the ad, the brothers visit Universal together, where the younger sibling shows his bravery on high-speed roller coasters while the older brother shuts his eyes and screams.
“‘This Changes Everything’ is more than just a campaign – it signals a new chapter for Universal Orlando and reflects the spirit of what our guests experience here every day,” said Alice Norsworthy, president, global marketing, Universal Destinations & Experiences.
Frontier: The Big Redemption
Frontier Airlines takes us back in time to an old promise made by Pepsi to deliver a jet to whoever could accumulate 7 million Pepsi points. Thirty years after Pepsi decided not to follow through on that offer, Frontier redeemed John Leonard's 7 million points for 7 million miles, granting him free flights for life.
While Frontier did not purchase a Super Bowl ad, the timing of the campaign was certainly intentional, given that Pepsi’s famous offer originated from a Super Bowl commercial 30 years ago.
While Sam Darnold, Drake Maye and Bad Bunny are among the main attractions of the Big Game, these brands are doing their part to stand out as well.
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