Good morning.
An epic overtime offensive drive won the Super Bowl for Kansas City last night. But for advertisers, the game was all defense. At $7 million a pop, Super Bowl ads provide a unique window into the business zeitgeist of the moment. And what we saw this year was a desire to play it safe. There were no crypto businesses trying to break through. No edgy controversies. No social messaging. Just lots of nostalgia and a lot of celebrities. Budweiser led the way: Who can object to a Labrador nuzzling a Clydesdale? And Bud Light attempted to power its comeback with an ad about an unambiguously male genie who grants wishes. No harm, no foul.
