In the lead-up to Super Bowl LVIII, several New Jersey-based companies are taking advantage of the hype surrounding football’s biggest night.

After previously announcing advertising plans for the Feb. 11 showdown in Las Vegas between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Mars Inc.’s M&M’s candy and Unilever’s Hellmann’s mayonnaise recently unveiled TV spots packing some serious star power.

Scheduled to run during the first commercial break in the first quarter, M&M’S 30-second spot, “Almost Champions,” will feature actress Scarlett Johansson and NFL legends Dan Marino, Terrell Owens and Bruce Smith with beloved M&M’s characters.

The ad – the brand’s ninth Super Bowl appearance since 1998 – pokes fun at how Johansson has lost two Oscar nominations and that Marino, Owens and Smith never won a Super Bowl.

“My favorite thing about Mars’ M&M’S Super Bowl campaign is the encouragement to have fun and a sense of humor, whether you’re a winner or not,” said Johansson of her appearance in the spot. “It’s playful and comforting at the same time, just like one of my all-time favorite Mars candies, Peanut Butter M&M’S. I hope the fans enjoy watching the ad as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Hanging with Mayo Cat

Meanwhile, actress and comedian Kate McKinnon will join a feline known as “Mayo Cat” and actor-comedian Pete Davidson in Hellmann’s 30-second commercial during the second quarter. The spot seeks to make viewers aware of food waste and how mayonnaise can be used to make delicious meals out of leftovers.

Commenting on the collaboration, McKinnon said she was excited to work with Hellmann’s and Davidson “to spread awareness about food waste” and that “hanging with Mayo Cat and enjoying leftovers is the perfect way to celebrate the Big Game.”

“Hellmann’s continues to challenge itself to find relatable, authentic and even humorous ways for people to think about their leftovers – and this year, by enlisting the help of Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson and Mayo Cat to help us do that in our spot for the Big Game has definitely elevated the influence of our Make Taste, Not Waste platform,” remarked Chris Symmes, senior marketing director, Dressings, North America, Unilever. “Showing people that with a little ‘may-ow,’ we all can play a big role in doing something meaningful, and delicious, with our leftovers that will help reduce our food waste impact.”

Building confidence

Englewood Cliffs-based Unilever also revealed that Kylie Kelce – the wife of Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce – will team up with the beauty brand for its ongoing self-esteem campaign for young athletes.

The announcement comes ahead of Dove’s return to the Super Bowl, with a 30-second spot that will air in the first quarter. While Kelce is not set to appear in the ad, the mother of three daughters, field hockey coach and former athlete will work to promote the #KeepHerConfident initiative.

Kelce commented, “I know firsthand how important it is to build the body confidence of girls in sports. Young female athletes should be able to freely express themselves through the sports they love without the pressure of worrying about what they may look like while they play. Sports have so many amazing benefits and I’m so excited to partner with Dove on such an important and special issue to me and my family.”

Firdaous El Honsali, global vice president, Dove Masterbrand, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Kylie Kelce to make sports a place where all girls can thrive and feel like they belong. As a coach herself, Kylie understands how detrimental negative body talk can be for girls and how influential coaches can be in building self-esteem on and off the field. We’re honored to have her on our roster as the perfect partner to help build momentum for this issue and keep girls playing the sports they love.”

Other big brands from the Garden State also announced marketing efforts for the Super Bowl in recent days.

Snack betting

Warren-based Haleon’s Tums antacid is teaming up with Boston-headquartered sports betting and fantasy company DraftKings to launch Prop Bites. The online platform lets players make food picks regarding one of the most popular days in sports – Super Bowl Sunday – asking them to place free bets on questions like how many pizzas will be delivered by halftime or whether hot wings will be the most popular spicy-food choice.

A first-of-its-kind offering, Prop Bites has up to $10,000 in prizes available for participants ages 18 and older.

From predicting the outcome of the coin flip to the color of the sports drink bath, novelty markets have become an increasingly popular part of the big game. But, until now, no one has let fans go all in on the most hyped big game goods of all, according to DraftKings — the food.

The companies also tapped comedian Desus Nice to act as official “Prop Bites Tipster,” appearing in both digital and social content as well as at a Feb. 9 pop-up event hosted by DraftKings and Tums in Las Vegas.

“We as a brand understand and appreciate the importance that people place around game day food. With Tums Prop Bites, we’re able to celebrate the love for food alongside football, while reminding fans that Tums fast heartburn relief allows them to enjoy their Big Game spreads without the risk of heartburn,” commented Jissan Cherian, senior director, Digestive Health at Tums.

As part of the collaboration, the two are also working with consumer goods delivery company Gopuff to dole out free bottles of Tums during halftime. 

Strong Finish

Parsippany-based Reckitt Benckiser-owned dishwasher detergent brand Finish is encouraging football fans to rally behind their favorite game day food for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize or a brand-new Whirlpool dishwasher.

Through the brand’s Finish Dish League campaign, consumers can vote online for their favorite popular dish from various football cities, like Detroit Pizzas, Kansas City BBQ Burnt Ends, Philadelphia Cheesesteaks and Baltimore Crab Dips.

Billed as the “ultimate food face-off,” the Finish Dish League aims to spotlight the brand’s latest innovation, Finish Ultimate dishwashing detergent, to help consumers clean up after enjoying their favorite foods.

Participants can vote now through Feb. 25. In total, eight first prize winners will receive a Whirlpool dishwasher and one grand prize winner will get $10,000.

“At Finish, we know that game day is about more than showing support for your team – it’s also about championing the foods that bring us closer together,” said Tarik Bayar, vice president, U.S. Marketing for Finish. “In the Finish Dish League, fans can celebrate their most beloved hometown dishes and know that clean-up will be a breeze all season long.”

As part of the campaign, Finish also partnered with global sports media and entertainment company Team Whistle to produce a quirky and friendly online culinary competition featuring Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.