Svedka Super Bowl Commercial combines vodka with AI
A new flavor is coming to Super Bowl viewers who have long been accustomed to watching ads for soda, candy, pizza, chips and beer.
Svedka vodka will run a 30-second ad shortly after halftime during NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl LX on February 8 next year. Executives at Sazerac, the company that distributes the drink, believe the appearance will mark the first time in at least three decades that a vodka will advertise during the gridiron classic, which for years was the exclusive domain of beer giant Anheuser Busch InBev when it comes to alcohol commercials.
Svedka “had been in decline for a while when we decided to take it over” in 2024, said Sara Saunders, chief marketing officer at Sazerac, which also distributes Buffalo Trace and 1792, among others, during a recent interview. “I am pleased to report that consumer growth has returned in recent months.” The hope is that a Super Bowl appearance will remind some consumers of Svedka and introduce it to millions of others. The spot marks Sazerac’s first foray into Big Game advertising.
NBC has asked for at least $7 million for a 30-second ad in the annual TV spectacle, which has drawn more demand from advertisers and is selling out earlier than usual.
Svedka’s marketing recipe calls for something old and something new. The Svedka ‘fembot’, a female robot character that was a strong part of the brand years ago, has been revived after an absence of more than a decade. Svedka’s Super Bowl commercial will use artificial intelligence to show the mascot performing a dance submitted as part of a contest related to the event that kicks off on Wednesday.
Commercials that use AI elements have been received cautiously in recent months, as was the case with a Coca-Cola holiday ad that debuted last year. Consumers and industry insiders worry that the technology, while making creating special effects easier, is taking away the role of real people. Sazerac’s Saunders says this is not the case. Using AI, she says, “was more time-intensive” and required more work from those on Svedka’s internal creative team. The use of the technology was “done with the intention of expanding what our human team can imagine and produce.”
Sazerac worked with Silverside, an AI production house that also helped Coca-Cola.
The real goal is to get people talking about vodka in the coming weeks. Fans over the age of 21 are asked to create a dance routine and post it to Instagram or TikTok using the required audio and hashtags associated with the campaign. Victoria Justice, the actor and singer, will collaborate with Sazerac as part of the campaign and competition. People will teach the Svedka Fembot – which will appear with a ‘BroBot’ counterpart – how to perform the winning steps, which will be featured on Super Bowl Sunday.
Svedka’s Super Bowl appearance comes in part because Anheuser-Busch InBev decided to open the extravaganza to alcohol rivals, relinquishing its exclusive hold on the category from the 2023 competition. Since then, rivals MolsonCoors, Diageo and Heineken have all operated pitches during the football festival.
“The last few years we’ve had our eyes on the Big Game, really waiting for the right opportunity,” Saunders said. Apparently the moment has arrived.
