The most expensive Super Bowl ads as of 2022 and what to expect in 2023

Super Bowl, the final playoff in the National Football League, is one of the most long-awaited and watched events in the United States. Data shows that the event had 99.18 million viewers in 2022. Due to the astonishing number of viewers this sporting event attracts, many companies use the opportunity to advertise their products.

During the Super Bowl, viewers can see a lot of high-quality commercials that utilize special visual effects, surreal humor, and celebrities. Commercials aired during the Super Bowl often become viral videos and are talked about for a long time afterwards.

Аs there is only a week left until the start of the Super Bowl, our professional team from TradingPedia decided to carry out research on the most expensive Super Bowl commercials as of 2022. Reports reveal that the average cost was $6.5 million for a 30-second spot during the 2022 Super Bowl. In the lines below, we will provide some brief information about the most expensive Super Bowl Commercials as of 2022.

Top 10 Most Expensive Super Bowl Ads as of 2022

1. Alexa: “Mind Reader”

Title: “Mind Reader”
Length of the commercial: 130 seconds
Cost: $26 million or $6.5 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2022

Amazon’s “Mind Reader” commercial is the most expensive ad aired during the 2022 Super Bowl. The company paid a whopping $26 million for this 130-second commercial, which features the real-life couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. The commercial represents Amazon’s cloud-based voice service Alexa as a mind reader and shows the disadvantages of Alexa being able to read your thoughts in a funny way.

2. General Motors: “No Way Norway”

Title: “No Way Norway”
Length of the commercial: 130 seconds
Cost: $22 million or $5.5 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2021

One of the most expensive commercials aired during the first quarter of the 2021 Super Bowl was “No Way Norway”. It was released by General Motors and quickly became one of the most-watched commercials. Kenan Thompson, Awkwafina, and Will Ferrell are the main protagonists, who undertake an adventurous journey to Norway. The commercial was designed to encourage Americans to buy electric vehicles (EV), which are quite popular among Norwegians. In an interview, Ferrell shared that he has been driving such a vehicle for years.

3. Cadillac: “ScissorHandsFree”

Title: “ScissorHandsFree”
Length of the commercial: 130 seconds
Cost: $22 million or $5.5 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2021

In February 2021, Cadillac presented its brand-new commercial “ScissorHandsFree” created by the advertising agency Leo Burnett. Judging from the name of the commercial, it is not hard to guess that the ad is heavily inspired by the Edward Scissorhands movie. The 130-second commercial features two celebrities – Winona Ryder and Timothée Chalamet. The ad shows that it is so easy to drive the all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ that even Edward Scissorhands can do that.

4. Google: “Loretta”

Title: Loretta
Length of the commercial: 90 seconds
Cost: $16.8 million or $5.6 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2020

“Loretta” is perhaps one of the most emotional commercials aired during the 2020 Super Bowl. The 90-second commercial certainly touched many people, who still shed tears over it. The ad shows an old man who is able to remember his late wife thanks to Google Assistant. This way, Google emphasized that it creates products that help people in their everyday lives.

5. Amazon: “Before Alexa”

Title: Before Alexa
Length of the commercial: 90 seconds
Cost: $16.8 million or $5.6 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2017

“Before Alexa” is a 90-second commercial which aired during Super Bowl 54. It is among the most watched ads promoting Amazon’s voice assistant. At the beginning of the commercial, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and actress Portia de Rossi are about to leave their home, and tell Alexa to adjust the thermostat for them. Generally speaking, the ad represents how hard life was for people before Alexa in a hilarious way. This commercial cost Amazon $16.8 million.

6. 84 Lumber: “The Journey Begins”

Title: The Journey Begins
Length of the commercial: 90 seconds
Cost: $16.2 million or $5.4 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2017

A quite controversial spot created by advertising agency Brunner aired during the 2017 Super Bowl. The commercial, called “The Journey Begins”, promoted the construction company 84 Lumber in an unconventional way. The spot starts with a mother and daughter from Mexico who cross the US border together. The kid finds some building materials on the way, which she connects with the help of a firelight. The immigration topic was quite sensitive as President Donald Trump had vowed to build a border fence with Mexico to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs.

7. Ford: “Go Further”

Title: Go Further
Length of the commercial: 90 seconds
Cost: $16.2 million or $5.4 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2017

Ford is another company that did not miss the opportunity to promote its products during the 2017 Super Bowl. The ad focuses on mobility services instead of selling motorized vehicles only. The main character in the spot is Bryan Cranston, who expresses his vision for the City of Tomorrow. That being said, Ford’s commercial was more about the future rather than about persuading customers to buy something in the present day. The company paid an overwhelming $16.2 million for this 90-second commercial.

8. Chrysler: “America’s Import”

Title: America’s Import
Length of the commercial: 120 seconds
Cost: $16 million or $4 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2014

During the 2014 Super Bowl, viewers could enjoy a brand-new ad, which was designed to promote the new 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan. Bob Dylan was the main protagonist in this commercial. Experts explain that with this commercial, Chrysler finally moved away from its “Imported From Detroit” tagline, which the company had used for 3 years in a row. Another memorable commercial from Chrysler was aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, starring Eminem and Detroit.

9. Amazon: “Not Everything Makes The Cut”

Title: Not Everything Makes The Cut
Length of the commercial: 90 seconds
Cost: $15.6 million or $5.2 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2019

The 90-second spot promoting Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa became one of the most-viewed commercials. The ad features many celebrities, including Harrison Ford, Forest Whitaker, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, and Nasa twins Mark and Scott Kelly. The ad focuses on the fact that Amazon tries to include Alexa into various situations in order to make people’s lives easier. Of course, there is also a touch of irony in the spot.

10. Kia: “Give It Everything”

Title: Give It Everything
Length of the commercial: 90 seconds
Cost: $15.6 million or $5.2 million per 30 seconds
Year: 2019

Kia took an interesting approach when creating its Super Bowl commercial called “Give It Everything”. Designed by David & Goliath, the ad honors the working-class people and establishes “The Great Unknowns” Scholarship Fund to support education. The app promotes the new 2020 Kia Telluride SUV in an unusual but enjoyable fashion, without featuring celebrities.

2023 Super Bowl Ads: Prognosis

This year, FOX is broadcasting the Super Bowl. In September 2022, the network reported that there are five or fewer 30-second slots left. In an interview, the executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, Mark Evans, explained that most advertisers want to have their commercials aired first during the breaks. Mr. Evans elaborated that companies must take into account the costs of media inventory and the creation of the ad itself.

This year, Doritos is one of the companies that will advertise its new product at the Super Bowl. The iconic Cognac House Rémy Martin will also promote its products, using the world-famous tennis player Serena Williams in the ad.

Other companies that will be advertising their products and services during the 2023 Super Bowl include General Motors, Rakuten, Hellmann’s, Pringles, and more. According to Brian McColl, this year Super Bowl viewers will be able to enjoy breath-taking commercials that feature top celebrities and powerful storylines.