Republican Rick Jackson, who recently announced his campaign for Georgia governor, has purchased a 30-second ad to play during the Super Bowl.
The ad follows his life as a child in foster care to becoming a self-made billionaire as the CEO of Jackson Health Care.
Jackson pledges to devote his time in office to leading criminal deportations of illegal immigrants and to cut the state income tax rate in half, as well as freezing property taxes.
As a long-time supporter of President Donald Trump, Jackson likens himself to the President, saying that “like President Trump, I don’t owe anybody anything”.
According to the NFL, on average, 127.7 million people tune in to watch the Super Bowl every year, with an average of 69,000 people watching in person. The Super Bowl’s massive television audience makes Super Bowl ads a prime spot for companies and politicians to get their message out to large numbers of people.
The Super Bowl became increasingly politicized following Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016.
In recent years, the Super Bowl has continued to promote political themes, with halftime shows such as Jennifer Lopez’s (2020) and Kendrick Lamar’s (2025), including heavy themes of social commentary. For politicians like Jackson, these coveted ad spots are often used more for the attention they garner before and after the big game than for the actual 30 seconds itself.
This year, the Super Bowl ads are predicted to be increasingly political, including ads with themes such as faith-based messaging, anti-hate campaigns, and targeted local political spots.
Additionally, world pop sensation Bad Bunny has faced extreme backlash before his performance at the half-time show, with many critics claiming that his performance will promote “woke” culture.
After conservative backlash related to Bad Bunny’s ethnicity, Turning Point, USA- the non-profit founded by Charlie Kirk- has created its own “All-American Halftime Show”.
