Listen Here
By Cameo Cedarleaf, CedarleafC@Findlay.edu
The Super Bowl can be considered a battle of brands, where millions of watches assess the commercials.
Commercials add entertainment, humor and emotion, while also attempting to sell a product. As the entertainment rises, so do the prices, as it cost $7-8 million for a 30-second commercial slot during the Super Bowl, according to USA Today.
Andrea Simmons — University of Findlay Assistant Professor of Teaching in Marketing — says the commercials are part of the Super Bowl package.
“The consumer expects entertainment, that (commercials) is part of the experience. People are not just watching for the game; they are watching for the entertainment,” Simmons said.
UF junior Alex Albers believes that the commercials are about creating a buzz.
“The Super Bowl commercials are almost more entertainment value-focused, rather than about the product,” Albers said. “I just feel like they are more about trying to get people to talk about the commercial itself rather than the product itself.”
Many times, a successful commercial is the one that is talked about the next day. It shows that it resonated with the viewers, emotionally impacting them in some way. Super Bowl commercials are not just there to advertise a brand or its product, but it is promoting the brand itself. Super Bowl commercials have a wide range of viewers, with a record number of 126 million people watching the 2025 Super Bowl according to USA Today, which makes the commercials prestige marketing and advertising, according to Professor Simmons.
Many Super Bowl commercials provide an emotional connection to their viewers, according to Simmons. They are memorable because of their humor, nostalgia or heartfelt moments. These aspects of a commercial make the brand or company more relatable and memorable, according to Simmons.
UF sophomore Samuel Derstine thinks recognizability is a way to gain the audience’s attention.
“I think the initial grab is the actors, who’s face is shown,” Derstine said. “Then on top of that, it’s the emotion aspect, whether an audience can connect with it and feel some sort of way towards it.”
