• by Fern Siegel , 4 hours ago

Mattel’s Ken is flying solo in a new animated 30-second Super Bowl ad for Expedia titled “Going Places with Ken.” 

The creative is a joint effort by Buck and in-house, in collaboration with stop-motion studio Bix Pix. The tag: "Expedia. The one place you go to go places." The ad will run pre- and post-show in the U.S. and during the game in Mexico and Canada.

Here, Ken, longing for adventure, travels to various countries, such as Italy, Japan and Mexico City. To book his trip, he relies on his Expedia app to secure everything he needs.

In addition to the spot, Expedia will launch a Ken-themed sweepstakes at the Super Bowl, giving away $1,000 in OneKeyCash to 65 winners to help them “go places” — just like Barbie's beau.

"This spot was created with Ken and today’s traveler in mind. His optimism perfectly aligns with Expedia’s fresh new look and our mission to be the one-stop travel shop. As he explores the world, we’re able to show how easy it is to book everything in one place, bundle and save, and earn rewards along the way. The more Ken travels, the more he saves, just like our travelers who benefit from a seamless experience that helps them spend less time planning and more time enjoying every moment of their trip," Natalie Wills, SVP of Expedia, group brand marketing and creative, told Agency Daily.

Enter by following @Expedia on Threads. Users can also re-post an Expedia post @Expedia, asking Ken to share a travel tip or suggest where he should go next, including the hashtags #ExpediaAndKenGoPlaces and #Sweepstakes.

Buck has done campaign work for Turbo Tax, LinkedIn, Dunkin' and Riot Games League of Legends.

According to Adtaxi's 2026 Super Bowl Survey, 73% of viewers show interest in the game, while 72% show interest in the commercials, producing an environment where ads are actively watched. Chris Loretto, EVP of Adtaxi, said: “This creates opportunities for brands to connect in more creative, targeted ways, and leverage streaming, social platforms and secondary screens to extend reach and impact.”