And as part of an ad for a fuel-efficient car from Kia, Melissa McCarthy played an “eco warrior,” straddling ice caps. The company edited its spot to remove the wall and directed users to see the end of its commercial online. Audi’s ad went viral before the game, having passed five million views on YouTube as of Friday. “Comedy, celebrities and anthropomorphic creatures seem to be the go-to schtick,” said Andrew Essex, the chief executive of Tribeca Enterprises and a former C.E.O. “People want to see lighthearted things in the Super Bowl, especially at a time when there are so many big issues in the country,” Mr. Calkins said.

Source: New York Times February 06, 2017 01:45 UTC