Influencers and content creators can strike marketing gold if they're lucky enough to have one of their videos or posts go viral. Kanye West is the A-list version of an influencer, and his Super Bowl ad is proof.
On February 11, 2024, the Super Bowl saw the Kansas City Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (and *spoiler alert* win). For several years now, the Super Bowl has been not just the biggest sporting event in the world but also one of the most popular television programs, which translates into incredibly high costs for ad airtime.
According to reports in trade publications, 30 seconds of airtime during the big game came with a price tag of about $7 million this year, and that's just for the slot. Once you add talent and production costs, which are very high because every company wants to go "big" for the Super Bowl, the tally shoots up into the tens of millions.
Well, forget about all that. Who needs cinematic productions, good storytelling, or a dazzling ensemble of the biggest stars in the world? Who needs extended cuts, humor, or maybe even the Easter egg of a new product announcement? All Kanye West needs for a Super Bowl ad is his wife's Toyota Mega Cruiser and his own phone. And, of course, the money to pay for the slot.
Photo: Instagram/Camplife Customs & Kanye West (Composite)
Kanye West has gone viral again after the live broadcast of the Super Bowl included an "ad" unlike any other, which he put out to promote his new website and merch. For context, Ye has been complaining that he can no longer book stadiums for his concerts, and he's been dropped by his label, reps, collaborators, and the entire PR team. His new album, Vultures, is entirely self-funded, so he needs the cash, which he hopes to secure through the sale of merchandise.
So he shot a video while riding shotgun in his wife's car, on his phone, addressing the audience directly without as much as talking points. He even admits that he spent so much money on the commercial spot that he "actually didn't spend any money on the actual commercial." His ad, which is now viral, is branded either a stroke of marketing genius or the most cringe celebrity moment of the year. However you see it depends on your feelings towards Ye.
For us, this surprise Super Bowl drop is confirmation that Ye loves his wife's new car as much as she does. Not that anyone could blame him: it's a customized Toyota Mega Cruiser that's both badass and very rare.
Photo: Instagram/Camplife Customs
Only 3,000 units were produced between 1995 and 2001 mostly for the military and emergency response in Japan. Less than 150 units made it into civilian hands, and the one Kanye shipped into the U.S. in the summer of 2023 is just one of the two in the entire country.
According to customizer Camplife Customs, who did the work on it, Kanye bought it for his current wife, Bianca, and she's been driving it since. But Kanye is totally getting his money's worth, featuring it in his viral Super Bowl ad and using it as the prop vehicle for an upcoming music video.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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