• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, February 5, 2024

With less than a week left until Super Sunday, automakers are starting to show off their spots. 

Thanks to the “Taylor Swift Effect,” it’s an opportunity to reach more viewers than ever before. Swift has been shown at Kansas City Chiefs games rooting for her boyfriend, star tight end  Travis Kelce. There have even been stories about all the betting on the singer and the game, including whether Swift will cry if the Chiefs lose. 

According to SportsPro, 2023 regular season games averaged 17.9 million viewers, up 7% from the previous year. The NFL saw gains across all key demographics, including its best female viewership on record dating back to 2000. Male viewership rose 6% and female viewership was up 9%.

BMW’s 60-second star-studded spot from lead U.S. creative agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners is set to air during the first quarter of the game.

“Talkin’ Like Walken” features Hollywood icon Christopher Walken along with actress Ashley Park ("Emily in Paris," "Joy Ride"), and Grammy Award-winning Super Bowl LVIII halftime performer Usher. 

The spot, which features the all-electric BMW i5, plays off of Walken’s instantly recognizable voice and signature speech cadence, following the actor throughout a typical day as he encounters a never-ending stream of imitators -- from his valet, his tailor, makeup artist, and even his drive-through barista. The spot culminates in a chance encounter with Usher, with Walken asking: “Don’t you got somewhere to be?”

BMW has released two teasers for the spot. The first, “Agent,” poked fun at the tradition of Super Bowl ad teasers with Walken quizzically asking his agent, “So it’s an ad for an ad?” A follow-up teaser titled “Singing” featured Walken driving the electric BMW i5 while listening to Usher’s hit song, “Yeah!,” which foreshadows the singer’s surprise appearance.

Meanwhile, Nissan reveals it's teaming up with TelevisaUnivision for "an exclusive in-culture, in-language broadcast experience for Latino viewers" as part of Univision's coverage of the big game.

Broadcast from Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas strip, a special pre-kickoff performance presented by Nissan will air on Univision at 4 p.m EST on Feb. 11. During the live telecast, a 60-second commercial -- “El Test Drive," created by Nissan's advertising partner TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and Argentine-American director Ariel Danzinger -- will air, starring "Saturday Night Live" star Marcello Hernandez and Mexican-American band Grupo Frontera. The ad shows Hernandez embarking on an unexpected adventure while test-driving the Nissan Pathfinder. 

Toyota Motor North America and Kia America’s creative has not been revealed yet, but some details have emerged.

Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL, will air a 30-second spot from Saatchi. This marks Toyota’s return after not airing an ad in the 2023 game broadcast -- the first absence since 2017. A separate spot, entitled “Undisclosed,” produced by Conill, Toyota’s Hispanic agency of record, will run in the fourth quarter of the Univision broadcast. 

Kia is planning a 60-second spot from David & Goliath featuring the all-electric EV9. The creative will reinforce Kia’s position as a sustainable mobility leader, according to the automaker. The spot marks Kia’s 15th appearance in the game. A 15-second teaser shows a little girl ice skating.