Super Bowl showdown: cute puppies vs. devoted dads

NBC filled out its last few, coveted Super Bowl ad slots on Wednesday, just days before the game, a later sellout date than usual, according to CNN. The value of the spots hit a new record this year, each 30-second slot costing $4.5 million on average, making it a huge gamble for large and small companies alike.

Long-time favorite Budweiser came out with both guns blazing. After last year’s hugely popular “Puppy Love,” the company decided to stick with the same theme for this year’s “Lost Dog” ad (see below). It doubles down on the cute puppies, gorgeous horses, and beautiful music. What about that wouldn’t be a hit? Keep an eye out for Bud Lite’s ad too, which features a man-sized Pac-Man (see below).

Some news outlets noted what may be an increase in nice, family friendly, warm-and-fuzzy commercials this year. Ad Age noted three different ads will show fatherhood in a positive light. The most notable is Unilever’s heartwarming Dove “#RealStrength Men+Care” spot, which manages to fit a surprising number of daddy-child relationships into 30 seconds (see below). The other two will promote Toyota and Nissan.

Overall, advertisers seem to be deciding that less is more when it comes to raunchy spots during the Super Bowl. One notable exception is fast-food chain Carl’s Jr., which continues to use sensual ads for its hamburgers despite backlash. Its Super Bowl ad this year is no different, according to ABC. The ad has drawn criticism from multiple quarters, to which the company responds with its recycled excuse: It is trying to reach young men. The general consensus seems to be that even the Victoria’s Secret ad for this Super Bowl is less offensive than the Carl’s Jr. spot. The controversial spot will be shown only in the western United States.

And the puppy route hasn’t worked for everyone as well as expected, Slate noted. Internet company GoDaddy’s “Journey Home” commercial appeared to be a parody of Budweiser’s ad, even though it was released a full day earlier (see below). The commercial follows the same general storyline until the end, when the puppy returns home to the welcome: “Look it’s Buddy! I’m so glad you made it home! Because I just sold you on this website I built with GoDaddy.”

The commercial generated backlash, not because it poked fun at Budweiser but because animal rights activists don’t find puppy mills entertaining. GoDaddy decided to pull the ad after all the negative feedback.

The massive increase in cost for the ad spots has caused a few large companies that bought air time in the past to pass on this year’s Super Bowl. Powerhouse regulars such as Dannon—the “official yogurt sponsor of the NFL”—pulled out, along with car manufacturers like Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai, Honda, Acura, General Motors, and Volkswagen, according to Time.

As some of the past regulars pull out, viewers may notice more brands they don’t recognize. There are 15 new Super Bowl advertisers this year, the most since 2000.

Some new advertisers are large, already well-known companies. Skittles has enjoyed more NFL publicity since Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch declared his love for the candy and fans started throwing them on the field after big touchdowns. But Skittles senior marketing director Matt Montei said the company made its ad buy before it knew the Seahawks would be playing in the big game. Skittles became an official NFL sponsor this year and decided to throw its hat into the advertising game. (Watch the teaser ad.)

Other newbies are less known, including Loctite, Mophie phone cases, and Wix.com, which makes customizable websites.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.