I find it funny how some people think the Super Bowl is about a silly football game. It is clearly about the iconic and legendary ads that premiere.
Ever since I was little, I’ve always gotten excited about Super Bowl ads. Some were comedic while others made me emotional. Plus, it was exciting to see celebrities I recognized. My dad was disappointed when I’d stop paying attention during the actual football game. My mom, however, understood how I felt. She is a freelance marketer who also doesn’t understand the allure of football. Therefore, even though I don’t know anything about the teams that played in this year’s game, I was glued to my television on February 13th.
I’m not the only one that watches the Super Bowl for the ads. In fact, these short videos are a huge investment for companies. Buying 30-second ad sports costs companies upwards of 6.5 million dollars, and that isn’t including production costs. Therefore, there is a good chance that with production, casting, and media placements many brands spent nearly 10 million dollars on these advertisements. This year the Super Bowl had 112.3 million viewers, which is the highest viewer count in five years. Therefore the investment is worthwhile if the commercial is done right.
So without further ado, let’s talk about some of the ads from this year’s Super Bowl:
Bud Seltzer Hard Seltzers: Land of Loud Flavors
Bud Light decided to take a comedic route to advertise the quality of their seltzer’s flavors. This advertisement is incredibly effective because it pulls on current pop culture, memorable brand attributes, and comedic standouts. Guy Feiri is popular among adults who watch the show, but young adults also have a cult appreciation among young adults. His well-known brand “Flavor Town,” fits well with the brand’s intended message. The ability to pair their goal with the celebrity endorser was incredibly smart. Due to these factors, this advertisement is, in my opinion, the most effective of the bunch.
Toyota: Brothers
Unlike a majority of the advertisements this year, Toyota went for emotional persuasion. It can be harder to create an engaging complete story in only one minute which is why many brands chose humor. Toyota’s ad stands out amongst the competition. Additionally, This advertisement is very topical because NBC is airing both the Super Bowl and the Olympics. Therefore, their advertisement is applicable for the two biggest sporting events of the year.
This advertisement shares the story of “Brian McKeever, Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, and his brother Robin McKeever.” Last year the brand took a similar approach by profiling Jessica Long, a paralympic swimmer. I wasn’t originally a fan of this approach because the brand awareness was very low. Many viewers walked away from the commercial loving the story but not remembering what brand created it. Therefore, any goodwill that could be gained is eliminated. Since this advertisement is the second in a series, there is more opportunity for brand awareness. If the company established this as a series it could become more impactful. It reminds me of the social campaigns that Dove runs.
Planet Fitness: What’s Gotten Into Lindsey?
Lindsey Lohan is a beloved 2000s star. She has recently returned to the entertainment sphere and has been praised for turning her life around. Everyone loves a comeback story which is why she was a strong choice for Planet Fitness. Many individuals’ motivations for going to the gym revolve around self-care. This advertisement capitalizes on the way Lohan has worked on self-improvement. Additionally, it adds small moments of pop culture and other celebrity appearances.
Nissan Presents: Thrill Driver
I was a bit confused when I first watched this advertisement. Not because the storyline was complex, but rather the ensemble cast felt disjointed. It took two very different casts, Marvel and Schitts Creek, and threw them together. Although I love both franchises, I don’t think this was the strongest decision. The choice was never intelligently communicated and felt random rather than purposeful. I loved seeing Eugene Levy, but this commercial was not as strong as it could have been.
Squarespace: Sally’s Seashells
Speaking of Marvel, Squarespace cast Zendaya as their celebrity endorsement in their punny advertisement. It was a cute and simple ad that played upon the “sally sells seashells” tongue twister. They incorporated similar alliteration narration and added small branding details throughout. Overall, the advertisement was effective even though it was not a standout. Unlike many others on my list, it was only 30 seconds which makes it more difficult to tell full stories.
This year’s advertisements offered many lessons for upcoming marketing/ advertising professionals. Smart and thought-out celebrity endorsements and storylines make an ad spot. Keep brand awareness in mind to achieve your goal while also making it into Super Bowl Ad stardom.