Kia is returning to the Super Bowl for the 11th straight year, and the auto company is using its 60-second spot to "support homeless youth," according to Kathryn Lundstrom of ADWEEK. For each yard gained in the game, Kia will "donate $1,000 to three charity partners: Covenant House, Positive Tomorrows and StandUp for Kids." The spot, via David&Goliath, L.A., "certainly makes a statement." It will air during the third quarter (ADWEEK.com, 1/21).
SPACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER: AD AGE's Ann-Christine Diaz noted sparkling beverage brand SodaStream has "enlisted Bill Nye The Science Guy for its Super Bowl teaser ... and in it, he's hinting that finally, mankind has made it to Mars." This is SodaStream's first Super Bowl spot in six years, and its "first to debut under new parent PepsiCo." The ad, which will air right before the Pepsi-sponsored halftime show, is the "latest ad to feature a galactic theme." Olay's teaser featured a "cast of celebrity women in astronaut suits setting off for a big space mission" (ADAGE.com, 1/22).
NUTS & BOLTS: AD AGE's Jessica Wohl noted Planters "has killed off" its 104-year-old mascot Mr. Peanut and "plans to hold the character's funeral during the Super Bowl." Mr. Peanut "met his fate saving the lives of Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh in a pregame ad depicting a road trip in the character's Nutmobile gone wrong." That ad "appeared on Tuesday" on the Mr. Peanut Twitter feed. Planters said that the "Road Trip" ad is a pregame spot, "not the in-game commercial as viewers were led to believe" (ADAGE.com, 1/22).
CELEB SIGHTINGS: Actor Tracee Ellis Ross will be "one of the famous faces viewers can expect to see" in Mountain Dew's ad, which references "The Shining." It is "still unclear which other celebrities" will appear (ADWEEK.com, 1/23)....Rapper Lil Nas X is "gearing up to appear in his first Super Bowl ad" for Doritos' Cool Ranch variety. The latest teaser features the rapper after an earlier teaser included actor Sam Elliott (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/23)....Four reality TV stars -- Teresa Giudice and Caroline Manzo ("Real Housewives of New Jersey"), along with Kim Chi and Miz Cracker ("RuPaul's Drag Race") -- will appear with rapper T-Pain in Sabra's 30-second spot. It is expected that "other undisclosed celebrities" will be in the ad as well (ADAGE.com, 1/23).
