Keller @ Large: Super Bowl ads appear to steer clear of controversy
BOSTON - The countdown is on to the Super Bowl - and everything that goes with it. The pre-game hype. The halftime show. And of course, the commercials.
They're often seen as a window on pop culture.
Just a few years ago, it wasn't uncommon to see a Super Bowl commercial like the one for Budweiser from 2017, extolling its founder's immigrant roots amid political controversy over immigration.
And viewers were presented with a deadly serious ad for an insurance company in 2015 that warned of household dangers and featured a little boy explaining "I couldn't grow up because I died from an accident."
And don't forget the arty, high-concept ads like the infamous Apple Macintosh rollout of 1984. But it seems those days are gone, at least for now.
Super Bowl LVIII viewers - based on early previews of some of the ads - will be treated a stream of routine ads for sugary snacks, including a fake TSA agent confiscating an ice cream cone, a dancer fueling herself with handfuls of Nerds, and an incomprehensible spot featuring Kris Jenner, extolling the virtues of Oreo cookies.
There will be plenty of celebrities: David & Victoria Beckham pretending they don't know what sport is being played at the Super Bowl, and a stream of former football stars like Dan Marino. And of course, that surefire advertising staple, adorable animals, so cute they make you want to eat mayo right out of the jar, as one ad featuring Kate McKinnon and a talking cat actually depicts.
But cute ads for risky financial products are out this year after the FTX meltdown. Instead, Tom Brady isn't even allowed to place a sports bet in an ad for Bet MGM.
And it appears the era of the allegedly "woke" M & M's is over, done in by advertiser political fatigue. This year's ad for the candy is strictly non-controversial.
It's not rocket science to figure out why ad makers might be steering clear of controversy right now. Boycotts of companies and products over political issues don't always work, but in the social media era, they can come on fast and strong.
And because the Super Bowl draws such a huge audience, the odds of offending someone are pretty short.
Will the lack of edgy ad content make a difference to viewers of the big game? My guess is, as long as the wings and beer don't run out, there won't be many complaints.
