Elon Musk and the Super Bowl Ad Wars: Hype, Criticism, and the Future of Tesla

Long a focus point in the tech business and popular culture, Elon Musk is the visionary entrepreneur behind companies like Tesla and SpaceX. His activities are frequently reported on the news, and he clearly has an impact. In recent years, the Super Bowl, a height of events for advertisers, has seen advertising either directly address Musk or promote his firms. Examining the direct and indirect ways Elon Musk has been portrayed during this big event, this blog post explores the complex link between him and Super Bowl advertising.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk's Direct Active Participation in Super Bowl Advertising

Based on the most recent data, Elon Musk is not individually known to have funded or starred in a Super Bowl commercial. Rumours, however, have surfaced that Musk would be budgeting heavily in Super Bowl commercials. For example, early 2025 sources said that Musk allegedly paid $40 million on five Super Bowl commercials meant to highlight government waste revealed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These commercials were supposed to draw attention to flaws found by DOGE, a task force headed by Musk that claimed to have saved over $1 billion by renegotiating ineffective contracts. Musk left the public in expectation by neither confirming nor refuting the buzz around these rumors.

Tesla and the Super Bowl Profile

Although Musk personally has not specifically promoted during the Super Bowl, his firm Tesla has been the target of ads—not in the conventional sense of advertising. Critical commercials aimed against Tesla during the Super Bowl have been focused mostly on its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.

California tech millionaire Dan O'Dowd, creator of The Dawn Project, ran a Super Bowl commercial challenging Tesla's FSD software in 2023. Aiming to draw attention to the risks connected with the technology, the advertisement showed a Tesla reportedly in self-driving mode hitting mannequins and ignoring road safety signals. O'Dowd's campaign, citing safety issues, asked for a ban on Tesla's FSD capability.

The Dawn Project stepped up its efforts the next year, 2024, running another Super Bowl advertisement calling viewers to shun Tesla. The commercial showed scenes where Tesla's FSD system allegedly missed safety signals, including striking child-sized dummies and disregarding the flashing stop sign of a school bus. The campaign dubbed Elon Musk's technology as driving "like a drunk teenager" and accused him of selling faulty self-driving software.

Given Elon Musk's attendance in the audience at the 2024 Super Bowl, when the "Boycott Tesla" commercials ran, these adverts attracted a lot of interest particularly. The campaigns generated a lot of debates on the ethics and safety of Tesla's FSD technology, therefore attracting support as well as criticism from many directions.

Elon Musk's Reaction to Attacks

Active in social media, especially on X (previously Twitter), Elon Musk is well-known. Musk responded with a simple emoji in response to The Dawn Project's 2023 Super Bowl advertisement, which many took as a disdain of the criticism. He has earlier described Dan O'Dowd as "crazy" and called Green Hills' software, O'Dowd's company, "a pile of trash." Accusing O'Dowd of disseminating false information on the FSD software, Tesla also addressed a cease-and-desist letter.

Super Bowl commercials' effect on public opinion of Tesla

With so many people watching, the Super Bowl provides a strong forum for forming public opinion. The critical advertising aimed at Tesla has surely shaped the conversation about the FSD technology of the firm. While some viewers might consider these commercials as essential criticisms of possible safety concerns, others could find them unjustified attacks motivated by personal or competitive goals.

Advertising, particularly during big events like the Super Bowl, can greatly change public opinion. Ads disparaging Tesla's FSD's repeated broadcast could cause public and regulatory scrutiny to rise, therefore affecting the company's sales and reputation.

More General Consequences for Autonomous Driving Technologies

Super Bowl commercials highlight the debates around Tesla's FSD technology, which mirrors more general society worries about the safety and preparedness of autonomous driving systems. Issues of governmental control, ethical considerations, and public safety become even more relevant as businesses rush to create and implement self-driving technologies.

The arguments spurred by these commercials highlight the importance of open testing, strict safety regulations, and honest company communication from those creating autonomous driving technologies. They also stress the need for public opinion in making businesses answerable and making sure that user safety comes first in technological developments.

Finish

Whether directly involved or as a topic of criticism, Elon Musk's connection with Super Bowl commercials highlights his great impact on the IT sector and popular culture. Although he has not personally sponsored Super Bowl commercials, critical ads have brought his businesses—especially Tesla—into the forefront.

These incidents, particularly the Super Bowl, show how strongly advertising shapes public opinion, particularly at times of great public interest. Stakeholders including businesses, authorities, and the public must participate in educated debates as the stories about autonomous driving technology change to guarantee that invention moves safely and responsibly.

Elon Musk is still a major player in the always-changing terrain of technology and media; his activities and public impression of them are always shaped by different elements, including powerful Super Bowl commercials.