THE Denver Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday night (11.30pm UK time). The action will be fast and furious on the field of play, but nowadays this annual celebration of Americana is about more than just football.
It's not only the players who will be strutting their stuff at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, the traditional half-time extravaganza will be fronted by Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, while advertisers have been forking out millions to book slots in what has become the most-watched TV events of the year, with more than 100 million Americans expected to tune in to watch the game.
Not all the ads have been kept under wraps for the big day, many have already been launched or released online while some brands have even released ads for their own ads. Among the stars be hawking their wares on Sunday will be Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scarlett Johansson, David Beckham and Ben Kingsley, here is a selection of the most-anticipated spots.
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Bud Light:
The Terminator and former Governor of California was reportedly paid $3m to don a bad tracksuit and a wig and take up ping-pong for this Bud Light ad that will premier during the game on 2 Feb. So far only this teaser has emerged - but it promises much:
SodaStream:
Possibly the most controversial ad of the weekend. It has cost Scarlett Johansson her role as an Oxfam ambassador and had to be cut to avoid offending the Super Bowl's sponsors, Pepsi. Johansson's message to SodaStream's rivals will be edited out of the version that is aired on Sunday:
H&M
It is inevitable that David Beckham will appear on screen in his scanties on Sunday. Exactly what state of undress he will be in remains to be seen as H&M have been running interactive commercials asking viewers if they would like to see Becks #covered or #uncovered on Sunday night. The vote is unlikely to be close:
Jaguar
Also carrying the flag for Blighty is an all-star cast of suave British bad guys, led by Ben Kingsley, who extol the virtues of the new Jaguar F-Type:
Budweiser
Bud Light may be relying on Arnie to boost sales, but its parent brand is hoping to tug on the heart-strings of America's drinking classes, by releasing an ad starring a labrador puppy and the Clydesdale horse that featured in last year's effort. It aired this week and apparently reduced the nation to tears:
Axe:
The brand is known as Lynx over here, and those familiar with its usual advertising strategy maybe surprised by its offering for this year's Super Bowl. Instead of armies of nubile women driven to distraction by the male scent, the theme is rather more romantic, with the message: 'Make love, not war'.
Other notable ads include one for internet firm GoDaddy, featuring actor John Turtutto and a mystery women who will resign from her job live on air during the spot. There will also be trailers for up-coming films including The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Noah, and Draft Day as well as Kevin Costner’s latest vehicle: 3 Days to Kill.
For UK viewers the fare will be rather less glamorous, but the match will still be shown. It will be broadcast live on Channel 4 and Sky Sports.
