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The Super Bowl isn’t just about football; it’s also the ultimate advertising extravaganza, with top brands splurging on commercials to reach over 100 million viewers.

Many of these companies are dropping their ads early, trying to get people hyped up before the big game on Sunday, February 11.

CBS News has a collection of all the ads already live, reporting that this year, there’s a lot on the line for businesses, who are all forking out a cool $7 million for 30 seconds of air time during Super Bowl LVIII.

A winning commercial can stir interest in a brand, cement customer loyalty and even boost sales.

“It’s the last tent-pole mass media event at the moment,” Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, chief marketing officer for DoorDash, which has a commercial in this year’s Super Bowl, told CBS MoneyWatch. “It’s the one time you have left where you can have 100 million people-plus paying attention to the same thing.”

This year’s crop of ads is also playing it safe and avoiding controversy – perhaps due to last year’s backlash against Bud Light over its marketing deal with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney and the politics of a presidential election year.

“The first Super Bowl spots to be released embrace light humor,” said Northwestern University marketing professor Tim Calkins. “This isn’t a surprise; safety is key when advertising on the Super Bowl so most advertisers will stay far away from controversial topics.”

Let’s dive in. First up, there’s only one Christopher Walken, only one Usher, and only one Ultimate Driving Machine:

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart are back at it again in another BIC ad, making little innuendos all over the show. This time Willie Nelson also features, as they banter about the advantages of using the EZ Reach lighter to light, well, all kinds of things:

Then, Tina Fey calls on a couple of body doubles – some rather dubious, like her former 30 Rock co-star Jane Krakowski as well as actor Glenn Close – to try out a variety of travel experiences with Booking.com:

Next is an ice cream brand’s Super Bowl debut featuring comedian and actor Eric André who may or may not have dated Emily Ratajkowski at some point last year:

Lindt’s first Super Bowl ad called ‘Life Is a Ball’ features a red-foil-wrapped Lindt chocolate ball as it bops around people enjoying the chocolate to the peppy tune of Perry Como’s 1957 song ‘Round and Round’:

The tagline “having a blast” is put to the test with actor Aubrey Plaza, who uses her trademark deadpan delivery to underscore how drinking a Mountain Dew can enliven any situation. The ending also has a cameo by one of her Parks and Recreation co-stars:

Oikos Yogurt has comedian Martin Lawrence and NFL Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe figure out what to do with their pond-plunged golf cart:

Fast-food chain Popeyes is going to the deep future with comedian Ken Jeong, who is awoken after spending 52 years frozen in a cryogenic tank because he was awaiting the invention of the best chicken wing:

There are a lot more ads where these all came from, so if you’re “having a blast” or something of the sort, head over to CBS News to watch more.

[source:cbsnews]