FEBRUARY 16, 2022

(BMW)
BMW's :60 spot, Zeus & Hera, showcases its all-new, fully electric BMW iX Sports Activity Vehicle, which arrives in the US next month. The star-studded spot features legendary actor Arnold Schwarzenegger - as Zeus, the Greek god of lightning - and Academy Award nominee Salma Hayek Pinault, who plays his wife, the goddess Hera, along with their (CGI) pet Pegasus, nicknamed Peggy. Watch it here. Editor-in-Chief's Note: This was a well-executed spot, with good chemistry between Arnold and Salma. And little Pegasus was the star! -PMD

(Chevrolet)

Chevrolet's ad "New Generation" was a re-creation of the iconic intro sequence for the Sopranos, this time featuring Tony's daughter, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), behind the wheel for the drive through the gritty opening scenes. She's driving the all-electric Silverado, and the spot ends with her pulling up to greet her brother A.J. (Robert Iler) at the diner from the Sopranos finale. Watch it here. (That theme music and opening sequence are so cemented into pop culture at this point, it's nearly impossible not to stick with this spot and see where it's going. This spot is a nice update to the original, and seeing Meadow and A.J. again feels like an authentic reunion, even though we all know this is advertising! -WG)

(gm)

GM weighed in with "Dr. EV-il" featuring Austin Powers' Dr. Evil, along with the entire gang from the movie. They convince Dr. EV-il that going all-EV with GM's Ultium platform will help save the world so that he can then take over the world. Watch it here. This :90 version, is much funnier than the :60 that ran on the game. (If you're an Austin Powers fan, this was a fun spot - makes you want a movie sequel! -WG)

(Kia)
Kia returns for its 13th Super Bowl with a 60-second spot for its all-new, all-electric Kia EV6 entitled "Robo Dog." It is part of a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes broadcast, print, out-of-home and social media elements, a special Robo Dog “Turn Around Dance” on TikTok and a QR Code-based “Robo Dogmented Reality” experience that allows users to search for adoptable animals in their local areas through a partnership with the Petfinder Foundation. Watch it here. (I really liked this spot - it was sentimental without being sappy, and you really root for Robo Dog. -WG/I concur. -PMD)

(Nissan)
Nissan's 60-second spot titled "Thrill Driver" is part of a 360-degree campaign featuring the all-new 2023 Nissan Z and the all-new, all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya. The spot features Emmy Award-winning Actor and Co-Creator of Schitt's Creek, Eugene Levy. It also includes a special guest appearance by Nissan Brand Ambassador Brie Larson, along with actors Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista and Catherine O'Hara. Watch it here. 

(Toyota)

Toyota ran two spots during the game. The first is called "Brothers" and features the inspiring story of two who both became world-class skiers. Then in adolescence, one was diagnosed with a hereditary eye disease that would lead to him becoming legally blind. But with the unwavering help from his brother, he went on to become a 17-time medalist in the Paralympics, and is competing in this years games. Watch it here. (After this story, the tagline "Start your impossible" chips away at our cynical veneer - if only for a nanosecond - and really does make you believe. -WG)

A second spot from Toyota, The Joneses, features Tommy Lee Jones, Leslie Jones and Rashida Jones all driving 2022 Toyota Tundras. As their friendly race draws to a close, Nick Jonas pulls up in his Tundra and informs them that it's "keeping up with the Jonases" now. Watch it here. (This was just okay - it seemed like a lot of effort to go through just to put a twist on a famous idiom. -WG)

(Polestar)

Polestar (the brand co-owned by Volvo Cars and China's Geely Holding Group) offered up an attempt at a 'non-ad' ad, using the word No as a device to tell us what their new EV is not - we see words "no voiceovers, no empty promises, no shortcuts," etc., as the camera pans across the vehicle - the Polestar 2. Watch it here. ("No compromises, no committees, no blah, blah, blah"??? As if. -WG)

The AE Song of the Week:

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me
Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me

I'm not tryna be your hero
'Cause that zero is too cold for me, brrr
I'm not tryin' to be your highness
'Cause that minus is too low to see, yeah

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
And I'm not stuffin', believe you me
Don't you remember I told ya
I'm a soldier in the war on poverty, yeah, yes, I am

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me, oh baby
Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me
That's right, ha yeah

Gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me
You gotta bring me somethin', girl, if you wanna be with me

"Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, from the album "Kids And Me" (1974)*. Written by Billy Preston and Bruce Carleton Fisher. Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch a video here. 

*Billy Preston started writing this one night in the dressing room of an Atlanta nightclub where he was performing. He wanted to write a song based on the saying, "Nothing from nothing leaves nothing." "The saloon piano gave it character," Preston explained, "and I had a feeling it would be a hit because it was a sing-a-long kind of thing." Bruce Fisher, who was Preston's songwriting partner (he co-wrote his previous American chart topper, "Will It Go Round In Circles"), added a second verse. The B-side of the single was another song Preston wrote with Fisher: "You Are So Beautiful," which was later a hit for Joe Cocker. Preston started off at the age of ten playing keyboards for gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. Later he joined Ray Charles' touring band before recording with The Beatles on several of their tracks including "Get Back" and "Let It Be" (The Beatles considered him to be the fifth Beatle). He also played on a number of Sly & The Family Stone recordings and went on to have a successful solo career with five Top 10 US hits. Preston did a lot of work with George Harrison, and appeared at his 1971 Concert For Bangladesh. When Harrison toured in 1974, he brought Preston along as a backing musician but also had him play three of his own songs: "Nothing From Nothing," "Will It Go Round In Circles" and "Outa-Space." In 1997 Preston was sent to prison on drug charges; he died in 2006 at age 59. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)

(Legends of Classic Rock)
Apple Studios, January 27, 1969. Billy Preston working on The Beatles "Get Back" album.