Volkswagen is one of three automakers to advertise during the 2026 Super Bowl.
Sincerely, VW
DETROIT – Automakers are largely on the advertising sidelines during this year’s Super Bowl. under conditions of uncertainty Covers sales, tariffs and regulations in the US auto industry.
Automakers — historically the biggest buyers of in-game ads — did not match the ad During the Super Bowl in recent years, only a handful of spots are produced each year.
“It’s definitely in decline,” said Sean Muller, CEO of advertising data company iSpot. “Automobiles are tightening their belts and they may be giving up on their budgets, and it’s certainly showing. I think the Super Bowl is a good barometer for all of that.”
Automakers accounted for 40% of the Super Bowl’s ad minutes in 2012, but by 2025 that figure will drop to 7%. iSpot. Only three automakers are expected to air about two minutes of commercials during this year’s game.
Tim Mahoney, a longtime auto marketing executive, said it’s a balancing act when it comes to Super Bowl advertising. He says a company needs to have the right product, advertising campaign and, of course, capital to get noticed and get a return on its investment.
“The Super Bowl is just a huge platform, but it was so expensive,” Mahoney, who has worked for GM, VW, Subaru and Porsche, told CNBC. “Sometimes there are interesting ways to navigate around it. … Relatives can be smart.”
Under Mahoney, Subaru sponsored Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl and GM Chevrolet. the brand’s “blackened” TV screens Ahead of the 2015 Super Bowl ad for in-car Wi-Fi.
Outside of the Super Bowl, automakers have increased sports advertising and received more traffic and regional advertising on a national scale, according to iSpot.
“They’re not going to cut live sports,” Mueller said, citing iSpot data that now accounts for roughly 60% of spending on live sports by automakers.
Cars came out
Auto executives who have talked to CNBC about not running ads during this year’s Super Bowl have said they’ve backed out because of the cost — An average of $8 million for a 30-second ad — and thought their advertising dollars would be better spent elsewhere.
“We are spreading our efforts, therefore money and creativity, over a year,” said Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer of Stellantis. known for past Super Bowl commercials. “There’s no need for a peak in February or anything.”
Stellantis, he in the middle of the company’s turnover planThis year will focus on the US’s 250th anniversary as its main marketing push in addition to business-focused spending and a provocative social media campaign for Jeep. singing fish launched this week.
Nissan engine, last advertised during the 2022 Super Bowl, and is also experimenting with side-by-side advertising this year.
The Japanese automaker released a comedic, high-energy “Big Game” social media ad Friday promoting a chip holder for its Nissan Rogue SUV. In the Nissan Dip Seat ad, chef and Bear actor Matty Matheson promotes the fictional product. It also offers a raffle to win one of the cars.
“One of the things that was important to us is that we wanted to find a way to be social. That was part of our overall strategy this year,” Nissan US CMO Allison Witherspoon told CNBC.
Witherspoon declined to discuss the cost of the spot, but confirmed that it was less than what it would cost to run a traditional Super Bowl ad.
Others, e.g Honda MotorsThey will see the Olympics as their main advertising spend. Honda will sponsor the US Olympic and Paralympic teams for this year’s Winter Games in Milan, as well as the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
“The Super Bowl is a moment in time. The Olympics have so many verticals that you can tell these stories,” said Ed Beadle, head of marketing for Honda Motor Company of America.
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games was held in Milan on Friday. This also starts in a month Comcast NBCUniversal — which will air the Olympics, Super Bowl and NBA All-Star weekend — came up with the idea. “Legendary February”.
2026 announcements
GM remains the wild card for this year’s game as the only automaker not to pre-release advertising. The Detroit-based automaker is using the Super Bowl to launch Cadillac F1 Team, including unveiling the look of its first livery car to a national audience.
The automaker showed off a design prototype of the vehicle last month in Detroit, including at the city’s auto show, but it has not released any details about the ad.
Toyota, the NFL’s official automotive partner, is expected to air two 30-second commercials focusing on family bonds.
One film, titled “Super Hero Belts,” shows a grandson and grandfather switching roles over the years, telling each other to fasten their seat belts. The other Athletes, including NFL wide receiver Puka Naqua, meet their young men.
Volkswagen’s ad revives the automaker’s famous 1990s campaign for a new generation of consumers as part of a marketing drive called “The Great Call: Drivers Wanted.”
In the new campaign, including a 30-second Super Bowl spot, many of the automaker’s vehicles will be driven to House of Pain’s 1992 hit “Jump Around.”
– CNBC Lillian Rizzo contributed to this report.
Disclosure: CNBC parent Versant carries Olympic coverage produced by NBC Sports on its networks, including USA Network and CNBC.