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Super Bowl advertisers tread carefully
Divisive climate stealing buzz from ads
W super bowl
This photo provided by Mercedes-Benz USA shows an image from the company's "Easy Driver" Super Bowl 51 commercial. To target baby boomers, Mercedes-Benz enlisted the Coen Bros. to direct an update to the tune of Steppenwolfs Born to be Wild. - photo by Associated Press
NEW YORK — Super Bowl advertisers are treading carefully this year to avoid alienating customers as a divisive political climate takes some of the buzz away from what is usually the biggest spectacle on TV. Ad critic Barbara Lippert says that while "people need an escape," like the Super Bowl, this year's matchup on the field feels "so much less important than what's going on politically." To get the attention back, some advertisers are turning to nostalgia, celebrities and marketing stunts. P&G is sexing up Mr. Clean, Honda is featuring nine celebrities and Snickers is running a live ad.
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