WPP at Super Bowl LVII

With 113 million viewers, this year’s Big Game was the most watched in six years. The creativity and talent of the advertising industry was on full display with brands pulling out all the stops. Some air-time spots sold for more than $7 million this year – a new record.

From standout TV commercials to strategic social activations and PR planning, this year’s game proved, yet again, to be a competitive and exciting showcase of creativity for our industry.

The work also served as a face-off for both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as for brands around the globe hoping to stand out amongst the landscape of brilliant ads.

Every step of Super Bowl planning is crucial – from media buying to campaign execution. This year our media agencies and their planning expertise brought to life activations for DoorDash and Danone (Wavemaker), and Booking.com and Hellmann’s (Mindshare).

Here are a few other WPP work examples to look out for this year:

Grey New York: Pringles

Featuring singer-songwriter and TikTok sensation Meghan Trainor, Pringles is back with a playful twist on the age-old ‘Pringles dilemma’ that occurs while reaching for the last Pringle in the can and getting stuck.

Wunderman Thompson, Mindshare and Village Marketing: Hellmann’s Mayo

With the help of Wunderman Thompson (lead creative), Mindshare (media buying and planning) and Village Marketing (influencer marketing), Hellmann’s returns to the Big Game to encourage Americans to ‘make taste not waste’, and to reduce food waste.  

The commercial features celebrities Jon Hamm and Brie Larson as miniature versions of themselves in a refrigerator – a play on the idea of a ‘hamm and brie sandwich’. Be sure to look out for the 30-second spot in the third quarter of the game.

Ogilvy: Workday

Enterprise software company Workday makes its Super Bowl debut with a creative ad that jokingly chides the over-the-top use of the term ‘rock stars’ for describing exceptional colleagues in the office environment.

With the help of musical legends Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Paul Stanley, Billy Idol and Gary Clark, Jr., Workday is here to rock the corporate world, and to remind you there are rock stars…and there are Rock Stars.

VMLY&R: Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages is serving cruise specials and tropical getaways with this year’s ad featuring scenic hammock views, a lush beach getaway and a rendition of Culture Club’s ‘Karma Chameleon’ that has everyone dancing before its 30-second spot comes to an end.

Grey New York: Frank’s RedHot

Frank’s RedHot and Grey New York are back with an equally delicious and immersive activation in partnership with Fortnite. Frank’s brings a fun twist to Fortnite’s ‘The Floor is Lava’ game, replacing volcanic lava with fiery hot, tasty Frank’s instead. Frank’s + Lava = FLAVA.

Ogilvy: H&R Block

With the ambition of bringing the spirit of celebration to tax season, H&R Block and Ogilvy are inspiring people to file their taxes anywhere and everywhere – even at a Super Bowl tailgate party.

Fans in Arizona can get in on the ‘Tax Prep Tailgate’ fun at H&R Block’s live event in conjunction with Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate party, and H&R Block will also be hosting Tax Prep Tailgates at local restaurants in Phoenix, Baltimore and Birmingham ahead of the Big Game.

VMLY&R: The U.S. Navy

This year the United States Navy and VMLY&R are enabling Super Bowl fans to put their sea legs to the test with a hands-on activation, ‘Our Field is the Sea’. Those attending the Super Bowl Experience are given the opportunity to train and compete in a Digital Navy Boot Camp and experience the thrills of the sky by snapping a photo at the 360-degree Navy parachuter photo booth.

Ogilvy: TD Bank

TD Bank, one of Canada’s most recognised brands, joins the ranks of Super Bowl advertisers this year with the help of Ogilvy Toronto. This ad offers a humorous portrayal of how money has become the ultimate taboo. For an industry that traditionally leans on straightforward approaches, TD Bank is here to switch things up with its fresh, impact-driving perspective.