Although the Super Bowl is a football game at its core there are many other aspects of the event that make it the biggest American television event every single year. The iconic advertisements are one of these things. Every year American families sit down around their TV not only hoping for a great game, but for great commercials too. From Reebok’s hilarious  “Terry Tate” in 2013 to Google’s heartwarming “Loretta” of 2020 the advertisements are not something to try and fast forward through, but something to look forward to. 

Roswell freshman Nick Meyer says, “Whenever my family watches the Super Bowl there are two things that make the game better for me. One is the food, the other is the commercials.” This enthusiasm for the commercials is shared by many Americans, no matter their interests. While Nick Meyer is not as interested in football as some people, he still enjoys watching the game to see the much anticipated commercials. 

People who are not avid football fans tune into the iconic event and may find even more enjoyment from the commercials than the actual game. Jim Howry, 10, says “The same people who only watch for the halftime show, watch for the commercials. They are part of what makes the Super Bowl more than just a football game.”  The commercials have helped shift the game from “the championship football game” to “Super Bowl Sunday ™.” The game is an event that draws people into the sport who may not usually watch, which is why companies pay millions of dollars for just 30 seconds of screen time. 

Although the price of ad time has escalated in recent years, companies still believe buying Super Bowl commercial time is well worth it. Digital Content Next CEO Jason Kint said in an interview for Bleacher Report, “Buying a Super Bowl ad doesn’t simply reach the largest audience in media, it sends an economic signal to the audience/public that your company has worth, value and products so strong that you can buy a Super Bowl ad for them. The latter is key to brand advertising.” The effect of Super Bowl commercials cannot be put into simple numbers, but even as the numbers surrounding the Super Bowl rise and new records seem to be set every year, companies continue to push the boundaries in both ad sales and ad creativity. 

This high price for exposure means every advertisement team puts all their most creative minds together to make their moment in front of 204 million eyes count. The focus on advertising creates lots of entertainment for the viewers and an enjoyable experience for all. Even football fans who would watch the game anyway appreciate the clever ads companies put months of work into. 

As the companies work on their advertisements fans wait with high expectations for the commercials. When Emma Stokes, 10, was asked why she enjoys watching the commercials on Super Bowl Sunday she said, “They’re always really hyped up before the game, so it’s exciting to finally see them.” This enthusiasm and expectation for entertaining commercials is not just shared among teens, but many adults look forward to the commercials as well. In a 2019 survey by Statista, they found that 70% of adults look forward to watching the commercials on game day. This is about the same percentage as the number of Americans who watch the Super Bowl. This shows that commercial time is no longer time to check your phone and go to the bathroom, but a time to pay attention to see what masterpieces are in store. 

Super Bowl Commercials have become iconic and for good reason. Freshman Kendall Krantz said, “The commercials make the game more interesting because when there are breaks in the game they make it less boring.” This year, like everything else, the commercials will be affected by the pandemic, but they will still create an entertaining viewing experience for everyone hoping to escape the stress of the unique situation we are living through.