Super Bowl Commercials 2022: Car Ads From BMW, Hyundai, Kia and Others
Jason Bateman, Mike Myers and Eugene Levy are just some of the stars hawking cars during this year's Big Game.
Releasing a flashy commercial during the Super Bowl is great, but boy, howdy can things get expensive in a hurry. In order to make sure these massive investments get as many eyeballs as possible, companies will often release their ad spots early online, and 2022 has been no exception.
But now, Super Bowl LVI is upon us, and even if you missed the ads when they initially aired during The Big Game, there's plenty of clever car commercials filled with big names to enjoy. Electric vehicles continue to gain market share, so it's no surprise that there are a large number of ads touting EVs -- especially crossover SUVs -- along with the hardware we need to charge them. But if you're after a more traditional sports car, or you're in the market for a used car that won't bend your wallet until it breaks, there's something here for you, too.
If you're looking for non-car ads from the big game, don't worry, CNET's got you covered there, too.
BMW: Arnold's new outfit is a shocker (literally)
BMW has perhaps the most literal Super Bowl car commercial when it comes to electric vehicles. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Zeus, the Greek god of thunder, and Salma Hayek plays his wife, Hera. The pair decide to hang up their hats and retire to Palm Springs, eventually picking up an all-electric BMW iX crossover SUV.
Carvana: Talk, talk, talk
Everybody knows a talker. You know, the kind of person who loves to share details about their life with any ear that sticks around long enough. That's the idea behind Carvana's Super Bowl commercial, which sees an oversharing-friendly mom espouse the benefits of buying a used car through Carvana's service.
Chevrolet: Sopranos redux
General Motors' Chevrolet division surprised with a clever riff on HBO's The Sopranos' intro sequence, this one starring a different, younger cast member behind the wheel of the new Chevrolet Silverado EV. (We won't ruin it for you, just watch the ad below.) The spot includes Alabama 3's iconic Woke Up This Morning as its driving soundtrack, too.
GM: Frickin' laser beams
As someone who grew up on the Austin Powers movies, I'll never get bummed out when I see any of its characters return to the big or small screen. Mike Myers as Doctor Evil, Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina, Seth Green as Scott Evil and Rob Lowe as Number Two -- what's not to dig? Hopefully we'll also get some sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads along with glimpses of General Motors' new models like the Chevrolet Silverado EV, which also received the standalone ad above.
Hyundai: A trip through time with Jason Bateman
Hyundai won't be running an ad during the Super Bowl, but it has quite the massive campaign planned around it, with spots during the playoffs and out-of-home advertising during the week leading up to the big game. In a spot touting the new Ioniq 5, Hyundai hired Jason Bateman to deliver some quips as he travels through time, taking us from the start of human history to… well, the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Kia: One adorable robot dog
It might be entirely computer generated, but I'm still a sucker for a cute dog in a car commercial. In Kia's Super Bowl spot, a robotic dog develops quite the crush on an electric Kia EV6, following it around the city until… well, why spoil it when it's embedded directly below for you?
Nissan: Eugene Levy's Fabio hair
Did you ever expect Eugene Levy to become an action star with some seriously long hair? Neither did I, but that's the role he's playing Nissan's Super Bowl commercial. Previewing the 2023 Z sports car, the spot features not only Levy, but Dave Bautista, Danai Gurira and an appearance from brand ambassador Brie Larson.
Polestar: What it isn't
Polestar debuted its first Super Bowl ad, and the simple 30-second spot spends more time emphasizing what the new EV brand isn't instead of what it is. If you were hoping for special effects, supermodels, heartstrings or puppies, you're out of luck. But if you're hoping for a no-nonsense introduction to a brand you may not be familiar with, then buckle up. And hey, the Volvo offshoot might even throw a little shade at Volkswagen and Tesla while they're at it.
Toyota: Keeping up with...
Toyota has an unlisted teaser for its Super Bowl ad on YouTube, and like nearly every other commercial in this roundup, there's some serious star power involved. It's enlisted the help of Tommy Lee Jones, and likely at least one other person with the same surname, to help promote its new Tundra full-size pickup.
Vroom: Why leave the couch?
Selling a car can be a real pain in the tuchus, whether it's low-ballers or people who don't show up when they say they will. That's the idea behind the Super Bowl ad from Vroom, a service that lets you sell your car online and will come pick it up. If you're wondering why the dancing is so good, you can thank Mandy Moore (not that one), the choreographer for La La Land.
Wallbox: Electricity is your friend
After you buy an EV, you might be looking at third-party charging systems for your home. That's where Wallbox comes in, and its Super Bowl ad is all about how electricity is your friend. It's based on the real-life story of a man struck by lightning, but the commercial takes a right turn and makes the character afraid of all sources of electricity -- until he realizes plugging in his car is an ultimately helpful thing to do.
WeatherTech: Special ops
WeatherTech is more than just precision-fit, weatherproof floor mats. To showcase the whole range of what it offers, the company's Super Bowl commercial features a team of operatives quickly installing just about everything the company sells for your car. It's probably the least flashy commercial of the bunch, but hey, there's something to be said for being demure.
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