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In the spirit of the upcoming Super Bowl, we decided to use our creative excellence technology to analyze 332 Super Bowl ads from 2016–2020.

Below are our predictions for how all the world events of 2020 (pandemic, Black Lives Matter, US presidential election, etc) will shape the creative decisions that marketers will make when presenting their brands on the world’s largest stage based on the last 5 years of Super Bowl ads data:

Celebrities:

As brands look for ways to reduce spend, use of celebrities will fall in 2021

Crowds/Groups:

Despite being a common creative element in the past, brands will be keen to show adherence to government guidelines and the presence of crowds and gatherings will not feature noticeably in 2021 ads.

Discounts:

Given the difficult economic times, brands will compete on price more than ever and we expect discounts and promotions to more than double this year.

Green Initiatives:

Despite a greater focus on the environment, mention of green and climate-friendly initiatives will stay relatively steady, only because greater macroeconomic factors will be mentioned more frequently.

Philanthropy:

Brands will be keen to showcase what they’re doing to help out during this time. Mentions of their causes/donations will increase in 2021.

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