Whether you're a New England Patriots or Los Angeles Rams fan, there's one thing on which we can all agree: Super Bowl ads have a rabid fan base of their own.
- Super Bowl LIII is airing this Sunday evening from Atlanta
- Ads are going upward of $5 million for 30-second commercial
- Bumble, Stella Artois, Pepsi, Colgate have hired celebrity talent
With a 30-second spot going for as high as a reported $5 million, the ad landscape for Super Bowl LIII is, not surprisingly, dominated by the nation's biggest conglomerates: Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Kia and Verizon, just to name a few.
They're under intense pressure — tapping into humor, activism, controversy, sex, A-list Hollywood talent, or a combination — to ensure you're talking about them at the office on Monday.
One controversial product you won't see this year: Medical marijuana. U.S.-based Acreage Holdings says CBS rejected its 30-second spot, which it said didn't promote the company itself but instead touted the positive health applications of medical marijuana. As other companies whose ads were turned down in the past, Acreage says it intends to release its ad online.
As for the ads that will air during Sunday's NFL broadcast in Atlanta, keep your eyes peeled for "close talkers," Steve Carell, Cardi B, Serena Williams, nutty drivers, and the return of The Dude.