Uber CEO says Super Bowl ads aren't worth it without celebrity promotion ahead of 'Friends'-themed spot

• Celebrities who kick off larger campaigns are key to Super Bowl ad success, Uber's CEO said.
• Uber's football game ad this year features "Friends" stars Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer.

Big stars and long timelines are the secret ingredients to making a Super Bowl ad worth it, according to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

While many of the ads end up becoming pop culture references themselves — such as Apple's 1984 Super Bowl ad teasing the first Macintosh computer — a slot during football's biggest game this year costs more than $7 million for just 30 seconds.

And that's a lot of money for companies just looking to get their name in front of viewers, even if there are millions of them, Khosrowshahi said Wednesday on CNBC.

"If you are just buying for that moment, the price isn't worth it," Khosrowshahi said.

Uber Eats' slot for Sunday's game is an example of what can make the big price tag worth it, the CEO said. The rideshare and delivery company's minute-long ad features Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, who played Rachel Green and Ross Geller, respectively, on the long-running 90s sitcom "Friends."

The spot, "Don't Forget Uber Eats," features people forgetting basic facts — like the main ingredient in peanut butter — before culminating with Aniston forgetting her work with Schwimmer on the TV show.

"We worked together for 10 years," Schwimmer says.

"You were great!" Aniston says before Schwimmer gets her to admit she still doesn't remember him.

Besides starring in the ad, Aniston has also shared it on Instagram. That practice of celebrities "amplifying your advertising with their own social media" is key, Khosrowshahi said.

"You used to have stars, but now the stars themselves are very, very strong media vehicles," he told CNBC. "When you get the stars actually using their own brands, you get return for your money."

The ad is also the start of a broader ad campaign that Uber will use "over the next three to six months," he told CNBC. "For us, it's a campaign that carries on," he added.