Scarlett Johansson appeared in what is considered the most expensive advertisement ever made for the Super Bowl, and the financial figures are astonishing.
Despite recently losing her title as the highest-grossing actress globally, ScarJo continues to earn significant amounts when she takes on roles in the film industry.
The cost of Super Bowl commercials is notably high due to the prime advertising exposure a slot offers.
Last year, as reported by AP, 127.7 million viewers watched the Super Bowl, highlighting the vast audience companies can reach through these ads. This extensive viewership is why such large sums are invested in creating a single commercial.
This context brings us to Amazon Alexa’s ‘Mind Reader’ ad, featuring the famous Marvel actress.
The commercial, shown during the 2022 Super Bowl, reportedly cost about $26 million to air during the game.
In the ad, Johansson and her husband, Colin Jost, are depicted sitting on a couch while an Alexa device humorously reveals that it can read their thoughts by gradually providing more direct hints.
The revelations start small but eventually disclose personal thoughts the couple would prefer to remain private, eventually causing tension between them.
Ad Age notes that securing a 30-second national Super Bowl LX ad spot has reached the steep price of $8 million, a substantial investment for such a brief duration.
Nonetheless, Zachariah Reitano, CEO of Ro, told Inc that the actual cost ranges from $16 to $29 million when considering additional expenses.
For a mere 30 seconds, Reitano estimates a company spends between $7 to $10 million on securing the slot, excluding production costs of $1 to $4 million.
Moreover, the expense does not cover the $1 to $5 million required to hire actors.
Therefore, the minimum cost to hold that slot could range from $9 million to a staggering $19 million—still less than Johansson’s advertisement.
According to Statista, a 30-second Super Bowl ad was significantly cheaper in 2002 and 2004, costing about $2.2 million.
Since then, the price has gradually increased each year, reaching $8 million this year.
Some brands may consider using AI to reduce production costs, suggests Kenny Gold, managing director and head of social, content, and influencer for Deloitte Digital.
“I believe we could possibly see our first truly AI-orchestrated, integrated 360 activation,” Gold told the Hollywood Reporter. “From concept testing and narrative optimization, to media sequencing, creator amplification, social remixing, and post-game commerce, AI will act as the connective tissue across TV, social, retail, and experiential,” he added. “And as recent AI-forward campaigns have shown, this won’t be risk-free: some brands will lean into overt AI use in their creative and accept potential backlash, while others will deploy AI more subtly behind the scenes to capture the upside without becoming the story.”