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Americans love their cars, and Americans love football–making the gridiron and the latest EV ads a match made in heaven. 

The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event in the United States. This 2022, over 112 million viewers tuned in, making it the most-watched Super Bowl in five years.

It’s the perfect opportunity to build awareness and buzz for a product or service. This year, major automakers shelled out a record USD 6.5 million for a 30-second ad to showcase their EVs.

“We’re in the early stages of the biggest transition in the auto industry since the car was first invented,” Nick Nigro, head of the research group Atlas Public Policy, shared with Vox. “Transitioning to electric is going to transform every facet, every aspect of building and manufacturing vehicles, and that’s a multitrillion-dollar market.”

Starring big Hollywood names, overflowing with pop culture references, and often with zany plotlines, Super Bowl commercials have become a cultural phenomenon. Let’s take a look at this year’s standouts.

GM and Dr. EV-il

“Everybody In” is GM’s marketing campaign focused on accelerating EV adoption. The company will be investing USD 27 billion in EV and AV technology through 2025 and will introduce 30 new EVs globally by the end of 2025. 

Actors from the Austin Powers franchise reprise their roles in GM’s commercial. Dr. EV-il and his cohorts, who have taken over GM, declare that climate change is the biggest threat to Earth. There are no points for second place, and Dr. EV-il is bent on reclaiming top villain status. He will help save the world first by getting everyone in an EV–and then push for global domination.

"I just love the fact that evil becomes good because, in order to be bad, you have to conquest the greatest evil out there," Deborah Wahl, GM's chief marketing officer, shared with the media.

(Also read: Plugging into E-Mobility)

BMW and Greek gods

Zeus, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Hera, played by Salma Hayek Pinault, leave Mount Olympus to retire in sunny Palm Springs, California. Annoyed with his neighbors and frustrated with technology, the god of thunder has lost his spark. That is until his wife surprises him with the all-new fully electric BMW iX.

“All-electric mobility is at the very heart of the BMW brand,” Jens Thiemer, BMW senior vice president, customer and brand, shared. “There is no better place to make this statement than in front of one of the largest television audiences in the world, where viewers tune in as much for the commercials as they do for the game. With Arnold and Salma, we are able to show the world the new BMW iX in a memorable and impactful way.”

(Also read: Taking Charge of EV Charging)

Kia and Robo Dog

Longing for his forever home, Robo Dog the plug-in puppy watches real dogs getting all the love from their masters. He spots a man charging his all-electric Kia EV6 outside the electronics store and chases the EV through the city, hoping to finally find someone to love him. Will he be a happy pup? 

“To introduce over 100 million viewers to the Kia EV6, we wanted to juxtapose the future with the emotions we all know and understand today–the love that can be shared between a human and an animal,” Russell Wager, vice president of marketing for Kia America, said in a statement.

(Also read: Silicon Carbide: Powering the Future of EVs)

Nissan and the Thrill Driver

After a seven-year hiatus, Nissan returned to the Super Bowl with an action-packed commercial that stars Schitt's Creek co-creator and actor Eugene Levy and Marvel Universe superheroes. The ad features the 2023 Nissan Z and the all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya.

Factoring in a year-long brand campaign, product transformation, and new products, the company felt it was the right time to get back into the Super Bowl. “In 2022, we're going to be launching the all-new Nissan Z and the all-new, all-electric Nissan Aria,” Allyson Witherspoon, chief marketing officer at Nissan US, shared with Yahoo Finance. “So we felt that all three of these things combined gave us a really good opportunity to tell our story through the Super Bowl platform.”

Can the ride of your life change your life? “We wanted to show how one drive in a Nissan can change everything,” Allyson Witherspoon, chief marketing officer of Nissan’s U.S. operations, told CNBC. “It’s a transformation story.”

Watch Levy evolve from tentative driver to bonafide action star behind the wheel of a 2023 Nissan Z.

(Also read: The Race to Power the New Wave of Mobility)

Polestar 2 and no compromises

In stark contrast to the other commercials, Swedish EV start-up Polestar took the “less is more” approach. Shots of the Polestar 2 dominated the minimalist ad, which was free of special effects, actors, and narration–but took subtle jabs at other EV automakers. 

“The Super Bowl is an iconic event and I’m excited to bring Polestar’s message to such a wide audience,” Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said in a statement. “We are a young and ambitious brand. We believe in ‘no compromises’, for our design language, our sustainability efforts, and the performance of our cars, and we wanted to share that philosophy with this ad. This is the perfect place to further raise awareness of our brand in the US, and beyond.”

To guide the automotive industry towards a cleaner and greener future, the company believes that “We must question everything from manufacturing processes and materials production to carbon footprint reporting and supply chain ethics. We have to say no, to get to where we need to go.”

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