This weekend's Super Bowl isn't just a showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots-it's shaping up to be the "AI Super Bowl," a cultural collision where cutting-edge technology meets timeless storytelling.
From chatbots and generative tools taking center stage in multimillion-dollar ad buys to brands scrambling to make artificial intelligence feel emotional, familiar and human, this year's game is redefining how marketers connect with America's biggest television audience.
Greg Braun, lecturer in the University of Michigan's Department of Communication and Media, says that from a creative standpoint, brands will likely work hard to humanize these technologies.
"While many employers are enthusiastic, a significant number of employees feel real anxiety, making it crucial for companies to emphasize the continued importance of human talent-now amplified by AI, not replaced by it," he said.
What will the game's audience see?
Because excitement about AI is paired with public unease, we're likely to see AI brands communicate in more inviting, approachable,and even humorous ways. Expect emotional messaging designed to reassure audiences about AI's benevolent role in society and its alignment with human values.
Are there any risks with this marketing strategy?
From an execution standpoint, fully AI-generated human actors still carry risk, as audiences often respond negatively to them. Instead, brands are more likely to use AI to create creatures-talking animals, friendly aliens-or fantastical environments that real actors can inhabit, striking a careful creative balance. Brand authenticity will ultimately depend on how thoughtfully that balance is struck.
One risk of AI-driven Super Bowl advertising is that models trained on existing data can produce work that feels derivative. In an intensely competitive environment where originality matters, brands will likely rely on human-written scripts, using AI as a collaborative production tool rather than the sole creative force.
Sometimes advertisers will surprise viewers with a nostalgic ad. How will that play a role in this year's campaign?
Nostalgia is set to play a major role in this year's Super Bowl. In an era of political polarization and perceived instability, consumers gravitate toward the comfort of the familiar-beloved characters, long-standing celebrities, recognizable brand stories and nostalgic music.
In the pursuit of buzzworthy Super Bowl ads with earned-media potential, brands are also keenly aware of cultural risk. After recent backlash faced by some marketers, nostalgia offers a familiar, pre-vetted strategy-making it a low-risk, high-reward approach during a period of cultural uncertainty.
