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Super Bowl Sunday: It's no longer just about the game itself. It's about the parties, the snacks, the beer, the halftime show and even the commercials. In fact, in some circles, there is more anticipation and attention give to the game-day TV ads than the football game itself. One of those circles is the advertising and marketing community. With more than 100 million U.S. viewers tuned in to the biggest sporting event of the year, it's easy to see why advertisers are spending big bucks (a 30-second TV spot can cost $4 million dollars) to bring their brand into your living room.
But is it worth it? Well, that depends on the effectiveness of the message. Super Bowl commercials that stand out amid the clever clutter and remain "buzz worthy" are justifiably worth their expense. The Return On Investment may not be realized overnight, but an ad with long-term worth of mouth could underscore and even elevate brand awareness.
Since then, companies like Budweiser, Chrysler and Pepsi have kept their brands near the top of consumer consciousness by aligning their brands with the sporting event, to include major launches of key marketing campaigns.
And it's not just an opportunity to push soft drinks, cars and beer. That money shot from the movie Independence Day? You know, the one with the White House getting blown to bits? Yes, that 30-second spot aired during the 1996 Super Bowl to whet the appetites of moviegoers. In the years that followed, the Super Bowl would be used to showcase trailers of other upcoming blockbuster films.
So, some ads you'll remember with great fondness and others will be quickly forgotten. But a clever Super Bowl ad will make you feel something about the brand or message. After all, between the emotional rollercoaster we may go through while watching the game (such as elation, disgust, anxiety), advertisers hope to tap into that same energy and passion to gain your loyalty. Here are 7 Super Bowl ads from last night that I thought did work:
1. Radio Shack: The 80s wants its store back
Radio Shack boldly took a swipe at itself by first demonstrating what we thought of (or still think of) when we visualize the store: outdated design and inventory. Along comes a dizzying flurry of 80s era icons (wrestler Hulk Hogan, rocker Dee Snider, horror film icon "Chucky" the doll and hey, was that Mary Lou Retton?) to ransack all items from the store and presto--we see the new and current Radio Shack, with its slick design. In this spot, Radio Shack comically admitted what it has needed to overcome and showcases its new look and positioning.
2. Budweiser: Welcome home, Chuck
Here, subtly works when Budweiser takes a backseat to a small town hero's welcome given to a soldier returning home. Budweiser has a long tradition of using messaging that demonstrates its brand is woven into the fabric of America and they've done it again, using poignant imagery and the closing statement: "Every soldier deserves a hero's welcome."
3. Chrysler: We will build your car
Most of the automobile commercials were fairly well done and this one had narration from Bob Dylan, warm depictions of Americana and acknowledged that while we may like our beer brewed in Germany and our phones built in Asia, we should want our cars made in America. If you think about it, this has been the Chrysler message for at least the last 30 years. Reminding viewers of the brand in a creative new format works for me.
4. Doritos: Time machine & rodeo girl
Two new humorous and consumer-generated Doritos ads debuted during the Super Bowl, but the time machine spot was the funniest of the pair. A young boy tricks his neighbor into believing the youngster's cardboard box booth, fueled by Doritos to operate, really provides time travel. When the clueless man emerges, he believes he's traveled to the future when he comes in contact with an elderly neighbor he believes is really the boy. Over the years, Doritos ads have infused a great sense of humor to help sell their product.
5. TurboTax: Sean
What's so funny about taxes? Not much on the surface except in this ad that makes the comparison between watching the Super Bowl without your favorite team and witnessing the fictitious Sean steal the girl of your dreams right before you at your prom. The ad made the product seem less cold and mechanical than what we've seen in its other ads.
6. CarMax: Rudy
In a nod to one of the most beloved films ever, Rudy, a couple of new CarMax customers are treated to light applause as the pair drives through the streets. We even see a bear clap and look, even Sean Astin (Rudy) makes a cameo. Here, CarMax finally gets us out of the showroom and away from its process-focused ads and onto the celebratory road.
7. T-Mobile: Tim Tebow
Sometimes kitsch works and sometimes it doesn't (the Matrix homage from Kia seemed stale). In two separate spots, Tim Tebow is a stuntman, plays football on the moon and even tackles Bigfoot. Maybe a bit silly but it does supports T-Mobile's playful brand personality (as did an additional T-Mobile ad that was a series of tongue-in-cheek statements).
The ads also brought us James Franco, Don Cheadle, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bono, Stephen Colbert, David Beckham, puppies and Clydesdales, the "Doberhuahua" and so much more. What was your favorite? Chances are, it made you smile, laugh, cry, think or act. A great commercial will in some way, move you.
--Tom Quash
