Fans eager for a four-hour escape from the new reality aren’t going to find it in Super Bowl LI. Besides Budweiser’s completely coincidental immigration-themed ad, they’ll also be reminded of President Trump’s border wall (and how he might pay for it) thanks to a 30-second-long spot by Avocados From Mexico. That organization represents what would be the hands-down most depressing collateral damage of a potential tariff on Mexico — more expensive avocados. This is also the third time the trade group has run a Super Bowl ad, but this year’s comes at a moment that’s slightly more pivotal. “We don’t pay much attention to the political situations that are around us,” its president tells Bloomberg, before cutting the B.S. and explaining candidly: “There is no other country on planet Earth that can give you enough avocados to cover the U.S. — we’re not going to abandon this market regardless of whatever happens.”
The ad is set to run during the first commercial break, ensuring it will be one of the game’s highest-profile. Avocados From Mexico bought the time slot prior to Trump’s win, and their goal is a good laugh more than a treatise on free trade. The actual spot isn’t out yet, but expect it to be similar to the two others they’ve teased this week: One is about some sort of secret cabal falling prey to subliminal avocado advertising, and the other is Jon Lovitz trying to hypnotize viewers, Zoolander’s Mugatu–style, as images of guac-and-avocado toast swirl past him. “Eat it,” he commands. “Everybody loves guacamole. For suburban moms. Come and get it, hipsters.”
As Bloomberg also points out, the Super Bowl coincides with peak growing season for Mexican avocados. That, plus guac maybe being second to only pizza as a must-have Game Day snack, makes the ad a no-brainer, but the trade group admits it wants consumers to understand the current debate’s context — that Mexican avocados put about $3.5 billion into the U.S. economy each year, create American jobs, and even help create demand for California produce. “We’re concerned with all the discourse that is anti-trade and anti-Mexican,” the group’s president says. “We hope we’ll be able to present the facts about the benefits of the trade of avocados from Mexico.”
