Powell’s post on Instagram sets up the sneak peek: “The best part of any fairytale? When the hero skips the magic, ‘borrows’ a truck, and gets right into the action sequence.”
The short clip features Powell ripping a BABY BR license plate off a Ram truck, saying, “Don’t worry Baby Bear, I’ll bring it back.”
Slapping on a replacement that says G-LOCKS, Powell looks straight at the camera with a mischievous grin and says, “No I won’t.”
The classic rock anthem “Panama” from Van Halen provides the hard-driving soundtrack for the video that ends with Powell behind the wheel, speeding along a rugged landscape, yelling, “Whoooooooo!”
Ram’s commercial, from agency GSD&M, will air in the second quarter, per the brand.
Powell has an ongoing relationship with Ram that has included starring in an action-based miniseries and narrating ads. His storm-chaser character in the blockbuster flick Twisters drove a Ram truck.
Car category stalls out
Among car makers, there are far more bench sitters than players in Super Bowl LIX: Toyota, BMW, General Motors, Kia, Audi, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Lexus, Nissan, and Volkswagen have all confirmed they will pass on Big Game ads this year.
The shrinking number of car and truck ads in the Super Bowl is a growing trend. In 2014, the auto category represented more than one-third of all Super Bowl commercials, according to television ad measurement and analytics company iSpot.tv. A decade later, the industry accounted for just 8%.
Auto brands have tightened their purse strings for a number of reasons: they are shifting traditional spend into digital avenues as they race to keep up with EV technology, while dealing with weakening demand, ongoing supply chain issues, and competition from China.
In 2024, only three marques—Kia, BMW, and Volkswagen—ran national ads.
