Arnold Schwarzenegger leads A-listers appearing as Zeus in Super Bowl adverts with BMW trailer

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Jamie-Lynn Sigler could be seen returning to her Sopranos roots on Sunday night. 

The actress, who played Meadow Soprano in the HBO hit which ran from 1999-2007 was back on Sunday night starring in her iconic role, only this time driving a Chevrolet’s for the Super Bowl’s ad for its all-electric 2024 Silverado EV.

The commercial saw the show’s iconic opening credit sequence recreated for the modern day.

The original saw Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini, driving from Manhattan to New Jersey in his 1999 Chevy Suburban.

But in Sunday’s commercial, it was Sigler who was behind the wheel.

The commercial had a twist at the end saw her reunited with Sopranos co-star Robert Iler, who played her on-screen brother, A.J. Soprano.

Sigler’s appearance was one of dozens of the multi-million dollar commercials that air between plays which are almost as beloved as actually watching the game itself. 

With more than 100 million people tuning in, the pressure has always been high for major brands to deliver.

This year’s commercials are packed with celebrities trying to sell everything crypto to cars with NBC charging $7million for a 30 second spot.  

This year’s Super Bowl advertisers are aiming to deliver a night of ads heavy with celebrities and nostalgia in an effort to entertain Americans weary of two years of pandemic living.

Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus teamed up for a pair of Super Bowl commercials promoting T-Mobile‘s 5G network as part of the company’s #DoItForThePhones campaign. 

‘When I see a problem, I am going to fix it,’ says Dolly. ‘5-G phones, trapped on limited 5G networks,’ says Dolly, encouraging viewers to consider switching to T-Mobile so they can thrive on the networks they deserve.

Nostalgia is big: T-Mobile reunites Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison. 

General Motors´ ad features characters from the ‘Austin Powers’ movies hawking GM´s electric vehicle technology, including a reprise of Mike Myers´ role as Austin Powers´ nemesis, Dr. Evil. 

Verizon recreated the 1996 movie The Cable Guy with Jim Carrey to tout its 5G Internet offering. There are few ads that are trying to send a serious or heartfelt message.

BMW’s commercial saw Arnold Schwarzenegger as Zeus, the god of the sky (or in this advert, the god of lightning) whose wife, Salma Hayek Pinault, gives him the EV BMW iX to spice up retirement.

Kia was also looking at showcasing their first electric vehicle, the Kia EV6. It’s the brand´s first battery electric vehicle, in its ad, along with a cute ‘robo dog.’ Nissan gave a nod to its all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya.

A first time advertiser, Wallbox, showcases an actual survivor of being struck by lightning in its ad for its home electric vehicle charger.

Other advertisers are future forward too. Amazon‘s spot shows real-life spouses living in a world where Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa can read your mind. 

Bud Light NEXT, a new zero-carb Bud Light brand expansion, showcased an NFT in its ad. And Facebook gaves a glimpse of its vision of the metaverse in a humorous ad that shows a discarded animatronic dog meeting up with his pals again in the metaverse.

Among the 30 new advertisers are several cryptocurrency exchanges. 

Advocates of the blockchain-based digital currencies that have captured the interest of investors and financial service firms alike, want to lure regular Americans too.  

While the Super Bowl can be a good place to launch a new brand or category into the public consciousness, there are risks of getting lost in the shuffle as first-time advertisers. And they have a big task with 30 seconds.

Nostalgia is always a safe bet to win over viewers, and this year´s Super Bowl is no different.

Verizon said it was bringing back Jim Carrey to reprise his loathsome 1996 ‘Cable Guy’ character for their ad.

GM has enlisted Mike Myers for an ‘Austin Powers’-themed ad that features a reprise of his role as Austin Powers´ nemesis, Dr. Evil. Sidekicks played by Rob Lowe, Seth Green and Mindy Sterling also join.

And some ad executives are hoping people can still remember iconic advertising as well. 

E-Trade hinted in a teaser that it´s bringing back the spokesbaby that appeared in its Super Bowl ads from 2008 to 2014. 

A Hellmann’s ad shows former New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo tackling unsuspecting people who waste food. The ad is an homage to a 2003 Reebok Super Bowl ad starring a fictional linebacker named Terry Tate who tackled office workers who weren’t being productive.

Several Super Bowl ads are always stuffed with celebrities, but this year, many ads are overstuffed with them.

Uber Eats wanted to get across the message that you can order household items and other sundries from its delivery service, not just food. So its ad shows celebrities and other actors trying to eat everything from cat litter to diapers. 

‘If it was delivered by Uber Eats, does that mean I can `Eats´ it?’ White Lotus actor Jennifer Coolidge asks. Gwyneth Paltrow tries to eat a candle, Trevor Noah tries to eat a light bulb and Nicholas Braun from ‘Succession’ tries to eat dish soap.

In Michelob Ultra’s ad, a bowling alley run by Steve Buscemi unites superstar athletes from across sports enjoying some bowling in their off time: tennis great Serena Williams, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, the NBA’s Miami Heat all-star forward Jimmy Butler, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, top golfer Brooks Koepka and U.S. women’s soccer star Alex Morgan.

Planet Fitness’ ad has narration by William Shatner and shows Lindsay Lohan working out, winning Jeopardy against Dennis Rodman and bedazzling Danny Trejo´s ankle bracelet.

And in Nissan’s ad, a straight-laced Eugene Levy is transformed into an action hero by taking a drive in a 2023 Nissan Z sports car, alongside stars Danai Gurira and Dave Bautista.

 Levy’s ‘Schitt´s Creek co-star Catherine O´Hara appears in Nissan´s new Ariya electric car.

The Budweiser brand, absent last year, returns with a spot centered on one of its Clydesdale mascots. 

After it’s injured by jumping a barbed wire fence – a not-so-subtle reference to the U.S. and the coronavirus pandemic – another Budweiser mascot, a Labrador, a stableman, and a vet help the Clydesdale recover and gallop again. 

Budweiser said they wanted to return to the broadcast ‘with a message of strength and resilience,’ said Daniel Blake, group vice president at Anheuser-Busch.

Google’s ad for the Pixel 6 stars the singer Lizzo and focuses on how the phone’s camera highlights darker skin tones. 

And Toyota‘s ad, which debuted during the Olympics but will also run during the Super Bowl, tells the story of the McKeever Brothers, cross-country skiers who have won 10 Paralympic medals together.