Storied candy brand Snickers is set to capitalize on the swelling live video trend with a Super Bowl first. Parent company Mars Inc. will air what it says is the first-ever live ad during the big game, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The western-themed ad was developed by BBDO New York and stars the actor Adam Driver (of Girls and Star Wars fame). And Snickers has released four trailers on YouTube thus far giving viewers a glimpse at what’s to come in the 30-second spot (below). A 30-second commercial is reported to cost $5 million this year, and Mars told the Journal that it did not pay extra for the ad to run live.
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That’s not the only live content that Snickers has in store for Super Bowl Sunday. The brand will stream 36 hours of original content leading up to the Super Bowl, featuring celebrities and influencer appearances in a variety show of sorts. Viewers can tune in beginning Feb. 2 at noon ET on SnickersLive.com as well as the brand’s Facebook page. Snickers will continue the stream throughout and after the game.
“Every year, we challenge ourselves to find new ways to satisfy our fans’ hunger for entertainment by delivering something new and breakthrough,” Snickers brand director Allison Miazga-Bedrick told MediaPost. This marks the company’s third consecutive Super Bowl ad and its sixth outing overall.
Other brands have experimented with live commercials in recent months, according to the Journal. Last month, for instance, Oreo, Toyota, and Reddi Wip broadcast live ads during NBC’s Hairspray Live.
