National Football League

The Latest: Taco Bell's Super Bowl ad may come con queso

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:09 p.m. ET

foxsports

NEW YORK (AP) The latest developments in Super Bowl commercials before, during and after the Big Game:

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7: p.m.

Taco Bell has been trying to build buzz for its newest menu item, which it says will be unveiled in a Super Bowl ad. But close watchers of the chain have already guessed it will be a ''Quesalupa.''

Several websites have noted that the creation - which features a cheese-stuffed shell - was tested in Toledo last year.

Maybe stuffing cheese into new places is a corporate directive by parent company Yum Brands. Yum also owns Pizza Hut, which is famous for its ''Stuffed Crust'' pizza.

Without confirming anything, Taco Bell has only said that its new mystery item will be its ''biggest launch to date.'' But Nomura analyst Mark Kalinowski notes it would take ''quite a bit'' for the Quesalupa to outperform the chain's Doritos Locos .

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6:30 p.m.

Does Quicken Loans remember the financial crisis? The game hasn't started, but its ad has already ruffled feathers on Twitter.

The ad touts the simplicity of getting Quicken's ''Rocket Mortgage'' on a mobile phone - a jarring reminder to some of the housing bubble and subsequent financial crisis. The ad was released early online, and is set to air during the first quarter.

A narrator paints a scenario where a ''tidal wave of ownership floods the country with new homeowners, who now must own other things.'' Then she asks, ''Isn't that the power of America itself?''

It's one of those ads where convenience blends seamlessly into unabashed consumerism that struck some viewers as tone-deaf after the housing bubble.

The spot ends with the words ''Push Button Get Mortgage'' flashing on the screen.

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5:00 p.m.

Watch out for celebrities, cute animals and humor. Super Bowl advertisers are turning to a mix of tried-and-true crowd pleasers for the game's 50th anniversary.

With a 30-second spot costing an estimate $5 million, many advertisers are skipping the crass humor to play it relatively safe.

Uplifting messages and ''cause advertising'' also give this year's ads a more grown-up feel. Budweiser features British actress Helen Mirren telling people why drunken driving is a bad idea. SunTrust urges people to let go of financial stress. Colgate Palmolive tells people to ''Save Water.''

Many companies also released ads online early in hopes of generating extra buzz. But there are still a few surprises left, with Taco Bell, Chrysler and Coke yet to release their ads.

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