Whether it's Betty White complaining to a teammate, 'come on man, you've been riding me all day' for a Snickers advert, the sight of a child dressed up as Darth Vader trying to use the force to turn on a car's headlights or a buff actor in a towel promoting Old Spice, the Super Bowl's commercials provide ample moments of light relief and hilarity, to cut through the tension of the year's most important US sporting game.
However, this year, companies are promoting their products during the American football game by touching on wider socio-political issues.
Here are some poignant adverts you can expect to see from the Super Bowl this Sunday:
Budweiser and immigration
On Tuesday, the alcohol company released an advert that focusses on an immigrant's travel to the US, released days after Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily banning refugees and nearly all citizens from several Muslim-majority countries.
In the 60-second clip, called 'Born The Hard Way, Budweiser's co-founder Anheuser-Busch is seen traveling on a boat from Germany to the US in the 1850s. During his journey, he is seen cutting his forehead, having to jump off a burning boat and trawl through the mud before meeting a fellow immigrant in a bar.
The ad's final message reads: 'When nothing stops your dream, this is the beer we drink.'
Audi and equal pay
The car company has taken its airtime on Sunday to show a father's concern over his daughter's future in a world controlled by the patriarchy.
Titled 'Daughter', the clip sees a girl competing in an amateur cart race against boys.
'What do I tell my daughter?' the father asks at the beginning of the clip, as he stands watching his child race.
'Do I tell her that her Grandpa is worth more than her Grandma? That her Dad is worth more than her mom? Do I tell her that despite her education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she will automatically be valued less than every man she ever meets?'
'Or maybe I'll be able to tell her something different,' he adds at the end when his daughter wins the race.
Kia and the environment
With the help of Ghostbusters actress Melissa McCarthy, Kia has shown off its latest car – the Kia Niro – by showing McCarthy take on several challenges to save the whales, trees and ice caps, while Bonnie Tyler's hit 'Holding Out for a Hero' plays throughout the clip.
Unfortunately for the actress, each time she attempts to save the world, it ends in tears – and bruises. At the end of the video,a voiceover says: 'It's hard to be an eco-warrior, but it's easy to drive like one.'
The 2017 Super Bowl 51 will take place this Sunday between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
