News

Superbowl ads swap politics for Taylor Swift and AI

Published

2 years ago

February 9, 2024

Reuters

Fans can expect celebrities and more lighthearted commercials, along with glimpses of Taylor Swift, during the Super Bowl on Sunday.

It’s a sign that corporate advertisers are avoiding the recent practice of using the big game to promote social causes.

While high-priced Super Bowl commercials often play for laughs in trying to make an impression, the flashy productions can also reflect the national mood.

Brands that previously took stands on issues such as diversity and climate change, are acknowledging that anything seen as political while attempting to market products to all consumers can be “treacherous to navigate,” said Kim Whitler, a professor at University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a former marketing executive at Procter & Gamble (PG.N).

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“The pendulum swings. First, it was ‘we don’t do enough,’ and now it’s swinging back,” she said.

Encountering xenophobia

Budweiser in 2017 used the Super Bowl to depict Anheuser-Busch’s (ABI.BR)founder making the journey from Germany to America in 1857, encountering xenophobia and discrimination along the way.

This year, it will bring back the iconic Clydesdale horses to its Super Bowl commercial, while related brands like Michelob Ultra will have a lighthearted ad featuring soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

For brands that want to appeal to a younger demographic during the NFL championship clash between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, the romance between Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, which has dominated social media, could provide inspiration, said Charles R. Taylor, professor of marketing at Villanova University School of Business.

Despite some griping over attention paid to Swift during games she has attended this season, the pop megastar’s appeal has benefited the league and could do the same for brands shelling out millions for a Super Bowl commercial, Taylor said.

The price of a 30-second spot on CBS sold for around $7 million, according to a source familiar with the ad sales, about the same as last year.

Increased viewership

“It’s definitely been good for the NFL. (Swift has) flat out increased viewership,” Taylor said.

One trend emerging in commercials and teaser videos released before the game is ensemble celebrity casts.

Bud Light will introduce the Bud Light Genie, who grants a group of friends wishes that turn a night watching football into a jam-packed adventure.

With the genie’s help, the friends magically appear at rapper Post Malone’s concert, then at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match with UFC President Dana White, and become best friends with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

The beer brand’s return to raucous humor comes after it endured a damaging conservative boycott for featuring a transgender social media influencer in one of its ads.

“We’re leaning a little bit harder into the humor this year,” said Todd Allen, senior vice president of marketing for Bud Light.

Google (GOOGL.O) will strike a heartwarming tone while promoting its prowess in artificial intelligence (AI), a hot topic in the tech industry.

News

Iran live updates: Trump Says Iran strikes to continue for four to five weeks

Published

24 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Ahron Young

What’s happening in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, with Iran now entering a transitional period under a three man leadership council
Trump says U.S. strikes on Iran could last four to five weeks, outlining objectives including destroying missile capabilities, dismantling Iran’s navy and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon
The U.S. military confirms four American service members have been killed, and the White House says U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships
Iran says it sees “no limit” to its right to self defence and will not negotiate, as missile and drone attacks continue across Israel and Gulf states
More than 500 Iranians have been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes, with additional deaths reported in Lebanon, Israel and the UAE
Shipping, aviation and energy markets have been disrupted, Qatar has halted LNG production, UAE stock markets have closed temporarily, and oil and gas prices have surged

News

Israel strikes Tehran anew as conflict escalates and global markets react

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Israel has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the campaign could last up to a month, framing the operation as a move to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

Iran has retaliated with missile attacks, while its Revolutionary Guards claim responsibility for assaults on oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalating hostilities are already disrupting global shipping lanes and air travel, sending shockwaves through international markets.

With reports of the first U.S. casualties emerging and Washington declaring the Tehran operation a success, tensions across the Middle East are intensifying rapidly. The question now is how far this conflict could spread — and at what cost.

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News

U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.

Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.

Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.

With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.