Microsoft will promote its popular artificial intelligence product, Copilot, during Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11, according to a February 7 blog post.
Microsoft CEO Yusuf Mehdi said:
“This year we’re proud to celebrate the transformative power of AI and Microsoft Copilot, showcasing people’s ‘look at me’ moments with Copilot, empowering people to do things previously unattainable.”
Mehdi said that in addition to the ad launch, Copilot has been updated with a new “streamlined look and feel” across web and mobile. He added that the current announcement marks one year since Microsoft began offering AI-powered services through Bing Chat.
Medhi also highlighted Copilot’s growth, saying that users have created more than 5 billion chats and 5 billion images to date.
Microsoft simultaneously published its ad spot on YouTube on February 7, labeling the video as a ‘Game Day Commercial’.
The video shows the use of Copilot on various tasks, including generating code, content, and images. The company has aired at least six other Super Bowl ads: single ads in 2020, 2019, 2014 and 2000, along with two in 2015.
Microsoft’s latest ad follows previous reports from CNN on February 2, which suggested that AI ads would be essentially absent from the Super Bowl. However, two AI-related advertisements from Etsy and Google are also expected during the game.
Crypto ads not expected
Crypto ads are expected to be absent from the game, which FOX reports February 9th that no crypto-related ads are planned, confirming CNN’s previous reports.
Crypto exchange Kraken confirmed to FOX that it has not run a Super Bowl ad, with CMO Mayur Gupta calling the game a “US-focused event.” He further stated that the next wave of crypto marketing will likely focus on education and awareness rather than hype.
Similarly, other crypto-related companies do not plan to advertise during the game.
BlackRock recently became one of the first asset managers to issue a spot Bitcoin ETF and has begun promoting that product in a variety of ways. However, sources close to BlackRock told FOX that the company has not run a Super Bowl ad this year.
FOX added that it is “unclear” whether Coinbase will be featured, noting that the company regularly runs television ads and has run one previous Super Bowl ad.