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The Road to Super Bowl LIV continues with the release of more ads including this WeatherTech ad featuring Scout

This Sunday, February 2, Super Bowl LIV will finally take place in Miami at Hard Rock stadium. It will include the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the San Francisco 49ner’s. Since the NFL Conference Championship games that were played almost two weeks ago now there have been many Super Bowl ads and teasers released. An average 30-second spot ad during this year’s Super Bowl costs over $5 million and up to $5.6 million.

One of the ads that you’ve must have heard about was a 30-second teaser from Planters in which they killed off their iconic Mr. Peanut mascot. This was one of the ads that had been getting the most responses on social media. Many were posting tributes to the mascot, who was created in 1916. Planters planned to run the ad on television before the game, along with a spot of Mr. Peanut’s funeral during the game’s third quarter. The brand was encouraging people to “pay their respects” by participating in its social media campaign and by entering a contest to win Mr. Peanut swag.

However, due to the real and horrific death of nine people in the helicopter crash that included Kobe Bryant and this 13-year old daughter, Gianna, the brand has paused their campaign. A spokesperson for Planters said that the pause only impacts paid advertising on channels like Twitter and YouTube an some other outreach in the immediate wake of this tragedy. However, they have not yet said that they are changing their plans for Super Bowl Sunday which includes a spot that features Mr. Peanut’s Funeral.

Walmart announced this week that it will air its first-time Super Bowl television commercial to highlight the benefits of its expanding pickup service. Walmart was actually founded five years before the first Super Bowl in 1967 and has held out as an advertiser in the Big Game for more than 50 years up till now. The ad it titled “Famous Visitors” includes a 60-second TV spot which will run during the game that shows 12 characters from popular movies and TV programs who “touch down on Earth” from “across the galaxy” to collect groceries and other products at Walmart curbside pickup stations.

Here’s an ad that has not gotten much publicity but was shared on Facebook by my daughter Alex, who is a veterinarian. A 30-second commercial from WeatherTech will feature the University of Wisconsin Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine that will air Sunday during the game’s second quarter. WeatherTech, an automotive accessories, home and pet care products manufacturer, is paying for this $6 million spot along with supplying the talent, company founder and CEO David MacNeil’s golden retriever, Scout.

A 30-second commercial from WeatherTech will feature the University of Wisconsin Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine that will air Sunday during the game’s second quarter. WeatherTech, an automotive accessories, home and pet care products manufacturer, is paying for this $6 million spot along with supplying the talent, company founder and CEO David MacNeil’s dog, Scout.

MacNeil had lost three previous dogs to cancer and was devastated when an ultrasound identified an aggressive cancer on Scout’s heart that left him with no more than a month to live, according to the university. A recommendation from a local veterinarian led MacNeil last summer to UW Veterinary Care, the school’s teaching hospital. Oncologist David Vail and other hospital specialists stabilized Scout’s condition and came up with an aggressive treatment plan. Some of the faculty and staff will appear alongside the 7-year-old golden retriever in the commercial that follows Scout’s journey to recovery. My daughter, Alex, spent her last year of clinical studies at U W-M in their veterinary school and now works at the Golf-Rose Animal Hospital in Schaumburg, IL. We are also currently dog parents to Molly, our 4 1/2 year old golden retriever.

Many brands have all created some great ads and campaigns to help make their Super Bowl investment pay off. I’ll post once more next week to summarize how the actual game was as well as how the ads scored. We’ll also get to see how well the Pepsi Half Time show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira was received. I’m sure these two ladies will definitely entertain us. And yes, it should also be a great game between two really good teams that I’m looking forward to.