Here at SUVs.com, we told you to be on the lookout for the all-new Kia Niro during Super Bowl 51. Now, we’re breaking down a list of other sports utility vehicles to watch for during the big game. The coveted commercial spots don’t come cheap. Variety reports that according to at least one source, Fox sought more than $5 million for each 30-second ad slot this year. That’s a lot more money than what it used to cost to get a commercial on air during the big game. According to a tracker of ad spending called Kantar, the cost of an ad spot during the Super Bowl has risen 76% over the past decade. Because advertisers who pay big bucks for the spots must also spend money on actually producing the commercial, Variety reports overcall costs can easily top $10 million for a Super Bowl commercial these days. While that may seem like a ridiculous amount of money to shell out for not that much air time, automakers have long been ok with doing so and this year is no different.
Honda CR-V: “Yearbooksâ€
Honda took quite a hilarious approach to its Super Bowl advertisement titled “Yearbooks†and it certainly does not lack star power. The automaker’s minute long commercial features some of the biggest stars from film, television, sports and even comic books. It features Tina Fey, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Viola Davis, Missy Elliott, Earvin “Magic†Johnson, Jimmy Kimmel, Stan Lee and Robert Redford. We weren’t kidding when we said the commercial is jam packed with stars! It’s meant to celebrate the CR-V as it turns 20.
Honda says the commercial is designed to remind viewers of “The Power of Dreams,†and how it has inspired the vehicle’s evolution into the best-selling SUV in America. The company says “The Power of Dreams†drives everything it makes. It’s a message the celebrities help convey to viewers in the commercial by sharing insight into their journeys toward success. Old yearbook photos of the stars come to life. Of course, some of the celebs look quite funny in their pictures. Tina Fey, for example, is oddly holding a rose in her yearbook photo. She kicks off the commercial and acknowledges the odd prop by saying, “When you start out, you might not know where you’re going or what you’re doing, or why you’re carrying this red rose with you.†Honda says the agency RPA helped bring the photos to life using cutting-edge technology.
Because the CR-V was first introduced to the public during Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, Honda sees its 2017 commercial as the perfect way to celebrate the all-new, fifth-generation model. It will run in the first break during the second quarter of the game.
Buick Encore / Cascada: “Pee Weeâ€
More big name celebrities make an appearance in Buick’s Super Bowl ad. It’s the second year in a row the automaker is advertising during the game. A 60-second version of the ad featuring NFL MVP Cam Newton and supermodel Miranda Kerr is set to air in the first quarter of the game.
The commercial invites fans to “Experience the New Buick.†Sticking with its “That’s a Buick?†theme you’re probably familiar with by now, the actors in the spot are surprised to learn the Encore SUV and Cascada convertible featured are made by Buick.
The lighthearted ad is titled “Pee Wee†and it takes place at none other than a Pee Wee football game where two dads are in the stands watching their sons play. As a Cascada convertible pulls up, one of the dads says, “Check out that Buick!†The other dad then says, “If that’s a Buick, then my kid is Cam Newton.†You can guess what happens after that. Then when the Encore SUV pulls up, the kids’ coach magically becomes supermodel Miranda Kerr. It’s a fun, family-oriented commercial.
Kia Niro: “Hero’s Journeyâ€
We previously reported on the Kia Niro’s scheduled appearance during Super Bowl 51. But at the time, the full commercial hadn’t been released. We now know the 60 second spot shows actress Melissa McCarthy trying to save whales, trees, rhinos, even ice caps with the help of the 2017 Kia Niro crossover. It’s scheduled to air in the third quarter of the big game. By no surprise, the commercial is quite hilarious. But, it’s also designed to send a specific message about the vehicle. COO and EVP of Kia Motors America Michael Sprague explained that message in a press release.
“People will go great lengths to support the causes they are passionate about, and the Niro is a ‘smarter kind of crossover’ for those looking to go green without making sacrifices,†said Sprague.
During the game, people will even get a chance to win some of the props used by McCarthy in the commercial through the interactive NiroBot for Facebook Messenger.
 Other SUV Appearances
While Sprint is not an automaker, an SUV appears in its 30-second Super Bowl 51 commercial simply titled “Car.†That’s because the dad in the commercial, fed up with Verizon, pushes his SUV off the side of a cliff in an attempt to fake his own death to get out of his contract with the cellphone company. Moments later, Verizon’s former “Can you hear me now†spokesperson, Paul Marcarelli, appears and tells the father he could have just switched to Sprint. Here at SUVs.com, we would hate to see anyone push their SUV off a cliff. So, there’s that.
While we’re not sure what vehicle Hyundai will feature in its Super Bowl 51 commercial (if any at all), we hope it’s an SUV. That’s because the automaker is doing something really cool compared to others. It’s shooting and editing its commercial during the actual game and will air it in the first commercial break immediately following the big show. The 90-second commercial will be shot at an undisclosed location overseas. Hyundai says it will transport several U.S. troops to the heart of the action in the stadium using custom built 360-degree immersive pods. It’s sure to be a heartwarming one!
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