Super Bowl LX commercials: Celebs, patriotism, nostalgia

The Super Bowl LX ad wave has begun to crest, with about 40 commercials "prereleased" by Wednesday, representing just under half Sunday's total.

There are some unusual pivots this year. At least three — Budweiser, Rocket/Redfin, Hims & Hers — are veiled appeals across the country's political divide to unity (Bud), compassion (Rocket), and economic fairness (telehealth company Hims & Hers). Such advertising during the Super Bowl is rare, considering the risks and cost of time, which in a few instances pushed $10 million for a 30-second spot this year.

But when such ads hit, they hit: 2012's Chrysler "Halftime in America," with Clint Eastwood, remains one of the best-loved commercials in Super Bowl history.

Otherwise, expect the usual this Sunday, with celebrities, humor and a surge of nostalgia. Among the celebrities, Oscar winner Emma Stone will make her Super Bowl ad debut with Squarespace. Nearly a dozen others will be joining the first-time club, including Sabrina Carpenter (Pringles) and Kurt Russell (Michelob ULTRA).

Car advertisers, once among the pillars of the Super Bowl, have accelerated a retreat from the big game that picked up pace last year. While only three auto advertisers are expected to appear Sunday — Volkswagen, Toyota and Cadillac — a few new categories have arrived in their place. Sports betting sites like FanDuel, for example, are back, while one Super Bowl newcomer, Fanatics Sportsbook, features Kendall Jenner wagering a bet on the game's outcome (which then encourages viewers to place wagers on her pick too).

The new class of drugs called GLP-1 (blood sugar-regulating medications that promote weight loss) may be the fastest-growing category. At least two have bought time — Ro, with Serena Williams; and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (with DJ Khaled, Ana Gasteyer, Danielle Brooks and Danny Trejo). More are expected.

Here's at look at a few prerelease standouts so far:

BUDWEISER

If YouTube views are the yardstick (3 million+ so far), Bud's "American Icons" is the standout so far. The Bud Clydesdale is a colt who saves an eagle chick during a rainstorm. (Philadelphia Eagles mascot Lincoln stars as the real-life bird here). Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" from 1973 is the tracking song. "We will definitely see some brands lean into" nostalgia, unity, patriotism and the nation's 250th anniversary on Sunday, said Tyler Bobin, senior brand analyst for Bellevue, Washington-based iSpot, a company that measures ad effectiveness. This one leans hard into all four. Bobin said most advertisers this year "have strayed away from the heartfelt, because heartfelt is really going to hit — or miss." This one is among the former, he said.

CADILLAC

"Team Has Arrived" is about Cadillac's new F1 team, starring drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. In this fast-cut, there's the faintest hint of the underdog, with the promise of big patriotic things to come. European teams have long dominated the world's most elite auto racing circuit, but "we haven't raced yet," says the voice-over. "Make no mistake — Cadillac Formula 1 is here, and this is only the beginning." But wait: No car for sale in this elaborate 90-second minimovie? "A single Super Bowl ad isn't as likely to drive short-term sales, based on how much an automobile costs," said Charles Taylor, professor of marketing at the Villanova School of Business, and co-author of "Winning the Advertising Game: Lessons from the Super Bowl Ad Champions." But with this ad, "they're playing into the idea that they're not only a prestige brand, but high tech as well."

ROCKET/REDFIN

Lady Gaga stars in a Super Bowl ad after nearly 10 years, in this highly stylized black-and-white commercial where she covers the theme from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Strike one for nostalgia here, but also for a political statement, in which the edges have been filed so smoothly it's almost impossible to determine what that statement actually is. (Almost.) "Mister Rogers was clearly someone who stood for something," she says. "It is powerful to think what he'd say right now ... a special song to revisit at this time." The key words here are "stood for something," "powerful," "right now" and "at this time" — their meaning and impact inescapable.  Rocket — which bought real estate broker Redfin last year — clearly isn't only trying to sell mortgages here.

KELLOGG'S RAISIN BRAN

William Shatner, or "Will Shat," as he's called here, basically mounts a 30-second salute to the laxative powers of a well-known cereal brand. What's so remarkable about this salute lies in its unrestrained devotion to the double entendre. One hundred-plus million viewers will declare this either the single funniest ad of the entire game, or a spectacular affront to good taste. (Both?) Either way, this is the single riskiest commercial of Sunday's game so far.

PEPSI

In "The Choice," Pepsi co-opts a classic Coca-Cola mascot (the polar bear), which then conducts its own taste test of the two colas. (Spoiler alert: Pepsi wins.) This is 100-proof nostalgia because the soft drink maker first launched the Pepsi Challenge at malls back in 1975 (when shoppers did the sampling). But it's also "flat out making fun of Coke," said Taylor, who added that the Pepsi Challenge "is still in marketing textbooks. Pepsi could never become the market share leader, even though they did win blind taste tests." The polar bear has been an on-and-off Coke mascot for decades. Coca-Cola is sitting out this year's Super Bowl, even if the beloved bear is not.