KANSAS CITY — Meet Puppymonkeybaby, the bizarre star of a new advertisement for Mtn Dew Kickstart set to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday. The curious creature is compiled of “three awesome things combined,” touts the commercial, much like the advertised beverage, which features Mountain Dew, juice and caffeine.
Whether you’re cheering for the Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos, chances are, you look forward to the Monday watercooler fodder that are the television spots taking place between touchdowns. Nearly a quarter of Super Bowl fans say the commercials are the most important part of the event, according to Statista Inc., New York. And the ads aren't cheap — pricing has increased by 76% over the past decade and is predicted to reach $5 million per 30 seconds of air time for this year's game, Statista said.
To generate buzz beforehand, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay unit staged a “Crash the Super Bowl” contest for consumers to submit homemade ads for its Doritos brand and vote for their favorite. (View the finalists here).
Other food and beverage companies have leaked teasers of commercials slated to broadcast during the big game. Here are five.
Mtn Dew Kickstart
The mascot of PepsiCo’s energy beverage is a hybrid of “three awesome things,” sporting a puppy head, monkey torso and diapered baby legs.
Heinz
Set to the tune of a sappy love ballad, a stampede of dachshunds dressed as hot dogs race into the arms of humans clad in Heinz ketchup and mustard costumes.
Snickers
Mars Chocolate North America dresses Willem Dafoe as Marilyn Monroe in a new spot for Snickers, suggesting the screen siren transforms into a cranky actor when her blood sugar drops.
Skittles
Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars, pits Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler in a sing-off against his self-portrait, which is constructed with the colorful candies.
Butterfinger
As part of its new “Bolder than Bold” campaign, Nestle’s crispety, crunchety candy bar is the symbol of daring stunts.
