On February 13, 2022, 100 million people are estimated to have tuned in to watch the Bengals face down the Rams in the Big Game. While the game was undoubtedly the main event, the commercials – traditionally considered a highlight of the annual broadcast – were a bit different than in years past.

How so? 

According to TIME, there were more climate-related advertisements broadcast in this year’s Big Game than any year previously. Also, climate-focused ads that have aired in years past have tended to focus on automotive marketing, with only subtle nods to the environmental impacts purchasing a vehicle can have – touting fuel efficiency or flashing an “it’s electric” slogan at the end. Yet, what viewers saw this year were loud, star-studded stories about carbon footprints and sustainability.

While it may have taken years to get here, this jump in green-focused ads does signal a shift for climate change efforts – as well as the automotive industry itself.

So, what does that mean? 

Despite coming off two historically disruptive years in the industry, automakers made waves on the big screen, with manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Porsche, Toyota, BMW, and Kia advertising their new electric vehicles (EVs) with gusto. And it’s not without good reason. The increase in visibility coincides with increasing industry sales of EVs in the U.S. over the past two years.

Corporate social responsibility and green initiatives are proving to be important themes for automakers and customers when choosing to purchase a vehicle, and shifts like what we saw in the Big Game’s commercials are a big deal for the transformation of the automotive industry.