Super Bowl ads offer simple escapism with star power

By MAE ANDERSON, AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Star power abounds in this year’s Super Bowl ads.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, for instance, is making a horror movie parody for Olay, while Jeff Bridges revives his “The Dude” character from “The Big Lebowski” in a pitch for Stella Artois.
Advertisers are hoping to provide some welcome distraction as economic fears persist and the nation’s political climate remains sharply divided.

As much as Sunday’s Super Bowl will be a battle between players on the field, it will be a battle between advertisers over who gets the buzz — and who gets forgotten.

The stakes are high. A 30-second Super Bowl ad can cost more than $5 million. More than 100 million people in the U.S. are expected to tune in to Sunday’s game on CBS.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]