In this year’s Super Bowl, Matthew Stafford led his new team, the Los Angeles Rams, to their second franchise championship in an exciting victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. While the game was exciting, the commercials showed some real flare this year. With plenty of celebrity appearances, hilarious gags, and a wild look at Guy Fieri’s Flavortown, this year’s commercials certainly didn’t disappoint. However, one of the big winners in this year’s Super Bowl festivities was the auto industry. The auto industry advertised more electric vehicles than internal combustion ones for the first time. With five strong commercials from major automakers and up-and-comers, it is clear that the auto industry is going electric.
Nissan
Video: Nissan Presents: Thrill Driver
In this action-packed, goofy ad featuring a host of Hollywood superstars, Schitt’s Creek’s wholesome, coffee-loving dad, Eugene Levy, is transformed into a macho-man movie star with a bit of help from the newest iteration of Nissan’s Z Line. Although the spotlight is primarily on their action-movie-worthy sports coupe, this star-studded ad highlights their latest EV premiere, the Nissan Ariya. With the electric SUV expected to hit the market next year, the excitement over their latest EV release seemed as good a time as any for the Japanese automaker to break their seven-year hiatus from the Super Bowl’s ad extravaganza.
Kia
Kia EV6 – Robot Dog Super Bowl Full Commercial
Kia’s adorable Super Bowl ad wasn’t just a sweet story about an improbably cute robot dog in search of an owner. It was also a great ad for their newest electric crossover, the 2022 Kia EV6, released later this year. With the commercial not so sneakily addressing the range anxiety that plagues hesitant drivers considering a switch, Kia urges people to do as the dog does and take the leap of faith. After all, everything ends up alright for the dog as it finds a new owner and a sweet new ride. Who knew car commercials could leave me so misty-eyed?
BMW
BMW USA – ‘Zeus & Hera’ Super Bowl LVI Ad
In this wild BMW commercial, the King and Queen of the Greek Gods decide it is time to hang up their togas and head into retirement. Yet, their humble Palm Springs abode isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In an attempt to retain some of the spark of their old life, the pair find their way into the all-electric BMW iX. It’s a classic commercial that introduces BMW’s new electric lineup, and with Arnold Schwarzenneger and Salma Hayek as Zeus and Hera, what more could you ask for?
Chevrolet
The First-Ever All-Electric Chevy Silverado – New Generation (The Sopranos) | Chevrolet
Chevrolet’s fun nod to The Sopranos title sequence was a fantastic way to introduce their first all-electric Silverado. Having never seen The Sopranos, I completely missed the reference. However, substituting the cigar-smoking Tony Soprano and his late 90s Chevy SUV with his daughter Meadow in Chevy’s exciting new EV pickup is a fun touch. While the Silverado is set to be released in the fall of 2023, this TV throwback certainly generated some excitement.
Polestar
“No Compromises” Big Game Commercial | Polestar
This ad was regarded as one of the best of the year by many. The automotive company, set to go public sometime this year, released a no-frills commercial called “No Compromises” that takes fun shots at its fellow competitors. From subtle pokes at Volkswagen’s emissions scandal better known as “Dieselgate” to downright obvious potshots like “no conquering Mars” (looking at you, Elon), this ingenious advertising campaign is sure to catapult their newest EV release, the Polestar 2, into automotive stardom.
