The Most Effective Celebrity Endorsements For Super Bowl 2019

Chelsea McCormick | January 31, 2019 at 5:24 PM

The Most Expensive Advertising On Air

The big game day is here again, and advertisers have been getting ready for the biggest advertising bonanza available: the Super Bowl! Our agency's attention is focused less on the game, and more so on the high priced commercials in what is appropriately deemed the most expensive night on TV. In 2018 brands paid the highest ad price in Super Bowl history at $5.2 million for a 30-second ad. And in return, reached an estimated 103.4 million audience.

This year, those 30 second-ads will cost a record breaking $5.25 million - which breaks down to $175,000 per second of airtime on CBS. But that's not the entire price tag to consider. Not only do many brands actually buy the longer format of 60 seconds of air time, or multiple ads, they also pay millions of dollars to celebrity endorsers, as well as a pretty penny to production companies in order to create the most watched ads of the year. In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at the 22 brands who incorporated 35 celebrities, and the best and worst of the Super Bowl 2019 commercial celebrity endorsements.

Super Bowl Templates (3)

Automotive Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Hyundai - Jason Bateman

Hyundai takes a humorous approach to promoting its "Shopper Assurance" program for Super Bowl 2019. The spot stars Jason Bateman as an elevator operator who takes a couple down to car shopping hell. The elevator stops at a series of levels along the way featuring supremely unpleasant activities like getting a root canal, going to court, or riding on a cramped plane. When the couple finally reveals that they purchased through Hyundai's Shopper Assurance, Bateman hard brakes and sends the elevator all the way up to Hyundai Shopper Assurance heaven.

Super Bowl Ad:

Mercedes-Benz - Ludacris

Mercedes-Benz casts the new A-Class in a trendier light with a commercial imagining what it would be like "if everything listened to you like your new A-Class." A man makes a series of impossible things happen just by "saying the word," before finally getting into and interacting with an A-Class using speech only. The commercial briefly features Ludacris when the man attends a boring opera and says 'change music,' changing the opera into a Ludacris concert. Mercedes also joins in on flexing a little Millennial nostalgia with a nod to Free Willy.

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Toyota - Antoinette 'Toni' Harris

Make no assumptions about Toni Harris, or the new RAV4 Hybrid. Toyota teams with up-and-coming female football player Antoinette 'Toni' Harris for an empowering ad featuring Harris' story. The spot highlights times throughout Harris' life when people assumed she would never accomplish her dreams of becoming a professional football player. Her story culminates in the drivers seat, triumphantly stating, 'but I've never been a big fan of assumptions.' And neither has Toyota. Just like Toni Harris, the new RAV4 Hybrid "will shatter perceptions."

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Beer Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Michelob ULTRA - Zoë Kravitz & Juan Luis Londoño Arias

This year Anheuser Busch's Michelob ULTRA features two creative spots promoting its low-calorie, low-carb drink with no artificial colors or flavors. Each include their own celebrity appearance.

"Robots" is the first of the two Michelob ULTRA spots, released January 25th. Humanoid robots outperform humans at a variety of sports and exercises. From jogging, to golf, to boxing, to the exercise bike, these robots perform scarily efficiently without human limitations. Except...they can't drink beer. The ad ends with a sad robot staring longingly into a bar at humans enjoying Michelob ULTRA with the phrase, 'It's only worth it, if you can enjoy it.'

The sad robot may yet become a celebrity in its own right, but this ad's real celebrity appearance is a cameo of Colombian reggaeton singer Juan Luis Londoño Arias, aka Maluma, enjoying his beer in the bar.

Super Bowl Ad:

"The Pure Experience" is Michelob ULTRA's second Super Bowl 2019 spot. Michelob takes a more relaxing approach this time, featuring actress, singer, and model Zoë Kravitz performing ASMR. Autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, is a virally popular method of relaxation which uses soft vocal or other sounds to create soothing auditory stimulation. "The Pure Experience" features Kravitz seated at a table in a tropical paradise with a bottle of Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold. In typical ASMR fashion, Kravitz whispers into microphones, taps her nails on the glass, rolls the bottle on the table, twists the cap, and pours the beer into a glass producing sounds of fizzing. Combined with beautiful images of waterfalls and waves, and the total absence of the usual music and noise, this actually makes for a pretty powerful experience. The profound silence is a jarring break in a constant stream of noise which may prove extremely effective at turning heads, even in the middle of a Super Bowl party.

Super Bowl Ad:

Stella Artois - Sarah Jessica Parker & Jeff Bridges

Anheuser-Busch's Stella Artois draws on some big nostalgia power for its Super Bowl 2019 spot. Jeff Bridges returns as The Dude from cult-classic "The Big Lebowski," and Sarah Jessica Parker returns as Carrie Bradshaw of "Sex and the City." Both characters were synonymous with their drinks of choice in their time, nicely highlighting Stella Artois' slogan, "change up the usual." The commercial begins with a waiter greeting Bradshaw, offering her a Cosmopolitan as he seats her. Instead, she asks for a Stella Artois, causing the restaurant to panic. The Dude enters post-panic and heads to the bar where he's offered his signature White Russian. He too declines and asks for a Stella 'ar-toes,' causing another waiter to drop a stack of dishes. The two sit near each other and connect over their choice of drink, remarking that a change is good once in a while.

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Beverage Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Bubly - Michael Bublé & Aparna Nancherla

PepsiCo's sparkling water brand, Bubly, is jumping on the marketing opportunity of a lifetime with a celebrity endorsement from the aptly-named Michael Bublé. The full ad, titled 'Can I have a bublé?," will air during the Super Bowl, and will reportedly also feature comedienne Aparna Nancherla. A teaser titled 'Bublé vs bubly" was released January 17th featuring Michael Bublé sitting on the floor of a convenience store. To the chagrin of the shop owner, Bublé uses permanent marker to draw 'é' over the 'y' on Bubly cans.

Teaser Ad:

Super Bowl Ad:

Pepsi - Steve Carrell, Cardi B, Lil Jon

Pepsi throws a little shade at competitor Coke in a star-studded ad featuring Steve Carrell and rappers Cardi B and Lil Jon. A woman orders "a coke" in a diner and the waiter asks, 'is Pepsi okay?' Steve Carrell swivels around from the next booth and humorously accuses the waiter of being apologetic for offering Pepsi instead of Coke. Carrell teaches the waiter to be more enthusiastic about Pepsi because it's "more than okay." Lil Jon appears behind the counter to deliver his signature 'okayyy,' and Cardi B enters the diner in a glamorous Pepsi themed outfit as dramatic music plays. She joins the other woman at the table with a bedazzled Pepsi can, convincing her that she wants "a Pepsi."

Super Bowl Ad:

Consumer Product Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Colgate - Luke Wilson

Colgate partners with Luke Wilson for Super Bowl 2019 to promote its Total oral care brand. The ad stars Wilson as an office "close talker," comedically walking and talking directly into his uncomfortable coworkers' faces about the benefits of Colgate Total. Wilson declares he's "excited about all new Colgate Total" because its "breakthrough" formula aids "sensitivity, strengthens teeth, [and] kills germs in [his] whole mouth." So "now there's no such thing as too close." To him, at least.

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Olay - Sarah Michelle Gellar

Joining the brands cashing in on Millennial nostalgia this year, Olay partners with Sarah Michelle Gellar for a fun horror throwback to her "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Scream 2," and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" days. The ad, titled "Killer Skin" features Gellar and a boyfriend having a relaxing movie night until a masked murderer enters the house. Gellar attempts to unlock her phone using face recognition, but the phone won't recognize her face. As the killer bangs on the bedroom door, Gellar realizes her skin has improved too much from using Olay for the phone to recognize her. She points to an older, haggard picture from her pre-Olay days and the boyfriend remarks that her transformation is remarkable. Meanwhile, the murderer breaks down the door. But instead of attacking the two, he leans over and tells Gellar her skin is beautiful enough to be a movie star, #killerskin.

Super Bowl Ad:

Persil ProClean - Peter Hermann

Henkel's Persil ProClean returns for Super Bowl 2019 with Peter Hermann as "The Professional." Hermann starred as The Professional in last year's Super Bowl ad helping viewers with their Super Bowl party stains. This year, The Professional will return during the game with a team of scientists to "test the toughest, deepest stains." The spot will emphasize the technology used by the Persil Stain Lab to remove even the deepest of stains.

Super Bowl Ad:

Food Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Avocados From Mexico - Kristen Chenoweth, Canine Companions for Independence

Avocados From Mexico has gone to the dogs for Super Bowl 2019. The avocado company partners with Canine Companions for Independence to produce a series of dog-themed commercials promoting avocados and service dogs. The company released four teasers in advance of the big game to promote sales of Avocados From Mexico for Super Bowl parties. Kristen Chenoweth stars in two of the teasers, attempting to teach a group of dogs to sing the Avocados From Mexico jingle. The official Super Bowl ad stars Chenoweth as a dog show judge with a twist. The dog show actually features the dog owners competing themselves for the ultimate prize: Avocados From Mexico.

Teaser Ad "Chorus":

Teaser Ad "Let's Paw-ty!":

Teaser Ad "Poker":

Teaser Ad Avocados From Mexico & Canine Companions for Independence:

Super Bowl Ad:

Burger King - Andy Warhol

Burger King's Super Bowl 2019 ad may just be this year's most infamous. The ad features footage taken from a 1982 Danish film, "66 Scenes from America," depicting Andy Warhol eating a Burger King Whopper. The full ad runs a total of 4 minutes 29 seconds of nothing but Warhol uneventfully eating his Whopper, before finally ending with #EatLikeAndy. Responses have been largely negative, since the ad is rather bleak, and the Whopper visually unappealing. Viewers have also suggested that many of the younger generations had no idea who Warhol was. Burger King probably meant well in pushing for a more ironic, artistic edge, but this one's likely a dud.

Doritos - Chance the Rapper, Backstreet Boys

PepsiCo's Doritos premiered a fun spot spicing up some nostalgic music to promote their old-but-new Flamin' Hot Nacho flavor. Chance the Rapper kicks the add off by trying the new flavor. He admires that they "made the original hot" as Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" plays in the background. Chance then makes the original Backstreet Boys song 'hot' with his own rap addition, surrounded by pastel hot-rods and smoke. The Backstreet Boys themselves finally join in, Chance sings the titular line of the original song, and the slogan appears: "The original, now it's hot."

Super Bowl Ad:

M&M's - Christina Applegate

Mars' M&M's partners with Christina Applegate to introduce the new M&M's Chocolate Bar. Applegate initially starred in a teaser featuring the actress angrily locked out of her SUV in a grocery store parking lot. The full ad features Applegate driving the same SUV while the M&M's argue in the back seat. She threatens to "break [them] apart" before slamming on the brakes to turn around and scream that she will "eat all of [them] alive" if they don't stop arguing. When the camera finally pans to the M&M's, they're all fused into a giant chocolate bar across the back seat.

Teaser Ad:

Super Bowl Ad:

Planters - Charlie Sheen, Alex Rodriguez

Kraft Heinz' Planters debuts an energetic ad for Super Bowl 2019 titled, "Mr. Peanut is Always There in Crunch Time." Planters teased the ad with a short clip of Mr. Peanut tossing peanuts into the mouth of retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez with the caption, "Game day's gonna get nutty." The official ad later released featuring Mr. Peanut recklessly driving the Planters NUTmobile to the tune of blasting Mötley Crüe's "Kickstart My Heart." As the NUTmobile jumps over a truck, Charlie Sheen cameos on a bench poking fun at himself with the line, "And people think I'm nuts." The NUTmobile eventually comes to a stop outside of the home of Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez is inside enjoying a Super Bowl party. But just before he can reach for the bowl of Kale Chips, Mr. Peanut slides in to replace it with a can of Planters mixed nuts. Rodriguez gives Mr. Peanut a thumbs up, and Mr. Peanut races off to the next #crunchtime rescue.

Teaser Ad:

Super Bowl Ad:

Footwear Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Sketchers - Tony Romo

Sketchers teams up with football legend Tony Romo for Super Bowl 2019 to promote Sketchers' line of slip-on shoes. Romo appears in his home where he uses a robot vacuum and a dog ball launching machine to make his life easy. He even plays golf with an enormous hole making it impossible not to score a hole in one. So, of course, Romo appreciates the ease and comfort of Sketchers' slip-ons.

Super Bowl Ad:

Tech & Telecom Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Alexa - Forest Whitaker, Harrison Ford, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Mark & Scott Kelly

Amazon hit it out of the park with a star-packed ad for Alexa. An initial teaser featured several celebrities receiving an Alexa unit for beta testing. The official Super Bowl ad starts off inside Amazon headquarters with two employees admiring the Alexa functions around the cafeteria. The female employee reveals that not every function was so successful. Cue several celebrities testing Alexa fails to hilarious results. Forrest Whitaker tests an inaudible Alexa toothbrush because the speaker is inside his mouth. Harrison Ford bought an Alexa dog collar for his dog which orders dog food, gravy, and sausages whenever the dog barks. Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson test out the Alexa hot tub, which sounds like an amazing idea until an entire fountain show erupts out of it when asked to play music. The final ultimate Alexa fail features all of the lights on Earth flickering on and off thanks to astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly attempting to use Alexa to control the lights on the International Space Station.

Super Bowl Ad:

Bumble - Serena Williams

Bumble will premier its first Super Bowl commercial during the 2019 game. In the mean time, the women-focused social and dating app company has released a behind the scenes look at the making of their Super Bowl 2019 ad featuring Serena Williams. The teaser highlights the all-female creative team, and the small beginnings of the company. Serena Williams reflects on how the beginnings of her tennis career match up with Bumble's core idea of women making the first move. Playing up the tennis theme, thanks to Bumble, "the ball is in her court."

Expensify - 2 Chainz, Adam Scott

Expensify teams up with 2 Chainz to make a music video. In the official ad clip, Adam Scott interrupts the music video as a financial officer asking for paper receipts for everything in the video for reimbursement. 2 Chainz declines because he has Expensify to do his expenses for him. Expensify calls this the "world's first Super Bowl commercial you can expense." Viewers can take pictures of receipts in the video and upload them to the Expensify app to win cash prizes.

Verizon - Anthony Lynn, first responders

Verizon featured an emotional ad starring Anthony Lynn, head coach of the LA Chargers. Lynn thanks a group of first responders for the work they do, relating his own personal rescue after being hit by a drunk driver and flying 50 feet. After he tells his story, the first responders reveal that they were the team that saved Lynn's life. After an emotional reunion, the ad promotes Verizon's network, which helps to keep first responders connected.

Tourism Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Turkish Airlines - Sir Ridley Scott, Sylvia Hoeks, Aure Atika

Turkish Airlines celebrates its 85th anniversary with a short film directed by Sir Ridley Scott, starring Sylvia Hoeks ("Blade Runner 2049") and French actress Aure Atika. The film, titled "The Journey," is an action suspense film in which Hoeks' character chases Atika around the city, entering and exiting on Turkish Airlines. A 30-second slip will premier during Super Bowl 2019, and eventually air in cinemas. The ad uses full Hollywood production to promote Turkish Airlines, travel to Istanbul, and the opening of the city's new airport, said to potentially be the largest in the world. Turkish Airlines released a backstage look at "The Journey" on January 29th which features highlights of some of the truly stunning locations used in filming, as well as brief interviews with Sir Ridley and the cast.

Read To Start Using Celebrities?

Which of these brands do you think best leveraged the dollars paid for a celebrity endorsement? And do you think these were effective celebrity endorsements? Worth it or not - you can be the judge! We want to know what you think!

And if you have interest in seeing what brands did in the past, check out our blogs:

Celebrity endorsements are more effective than you may think! Check out these blogs on celebrity endorsement deals for brands:

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