This time of year is always a ton of fun in the marketing world as we get to see advertising at its most extreme. Attention seekers are projected to easily cruise beyond the $400 million dollar mark on Super Bowl ad space, as they’ve done in the previous two years.
The craziest part about it? That number is BEFORE they even create the celebrity cameo’d ads they desperately hope will propel them into relevance or at least a large part of the conversation. So, we’ll do our part and share our thoughts on some of our favorite (and not so favorite) attempts at winning the Super Bowl of advertising.
Blake:
“Hyundai’s ad was pretty funny. Who doesn’t love Jason Bateman?
Kia went self-aware, making light of the cost and allure of trying to get a celebrity to get your attention. Featuring a rotating cast of what I hope were locals, they announced their new mid-size SUV, manufactured in a small town in Georgia not too far from where the game was taking place.
I think one of my favorites this year was actually Budweiser. It took a surprising turn in what I expected to be another sentimental, animal-celebrating-non-ad when they revealed the company’s shift toward renewable energy. It will not make me a Bud man, but I’ll give them credit.
Sherri:
“Budweiser wins. Because Budweiser always wins. And you can’t go wrong with a dog enjoying the wind while “Blowin in the Wind” plays. Loved it.
Microsoft’s ad was a close second. That’s an awesome message, and as the mom of an avid gamer I love that they are creating ways for all kids to play.
I really want to love the Doritos ad because the Backstreet Boys were in it, but sadly I just didn’t. Watched it several times trying to like it. Still don’t like it.
Pringles is literally the worst. That is not a super bowl worthy ad. Waste of money. They need a new marketing company.
Amazon had a great idea, but I think outside of the dog scenes, they could’ve tried a little harder and came up with better/funnier examples.”
Stacie:
“The Bubly commercial was a bit cheesy in my mind, but it was memorable. Good job on actor-hiring, because if you can’t remember the name of the drink, you’ll at least get close if you can remember Bublé.
I was all in for Doritos and Chance the Rapper, but the commercial went south for me when the Backstreet Boys appeared. If I’m thinking Flamin’ Hot, I’m not thinking about them. It makes sense to me to have a song and an artist who is hot. Bringing Backstreet back only reminded me of why it’s not.”
Catie:
“Honestly my favorite was probably CBS’s own ad with the graphic eyes. It was graphically pleasing, it was fun hearing the different voices in the background of shows I recognize, it gave me a little nostalgia for past shows I used to watch when I was younger. I loved how the eyes changed just a little to go with the personality of the voice that was talking in the background or gave some hint as to which show that voice came from. It was simple, but I loved it.
Others I thought were good: the Persil, “Let’s keep it clean Rhonda” was really funny, even though the first part was boring.
Google’s ad about language and how the most googled translations were positive messages. That was really powerful and made me love them a little more (even though I know they know too much about my life already).
Amazon Prime. That was cute, plus it had Harrison Ford, he’s old and he’s still gorgeous.”
Austin:
“I thought there was a decent crop of commercials this year. I didn’t see any that I think we’ll be talking about in the years to come, but there were some I did enjoy. Here are my top four:
WAY up at 1) T-Mobile texting spot series…especially the Dad texts.
2) Microsoft “We all win.”
3) Twilight Zone promo.
4) Amazon “What didn’t make the cut.”
Kayla:
“I think this is already a widespread opinion on the internet, but Bud Light’s commercial about how they do not use corn syrup was a miss. I was in a room full of people who would happily drink Bud Light, but as soon as the commercial was over, it was said by multiple people how:
- Is corn syrup actually bad?
- Hey, at least it’s not HIGH FRUCTOSE corn syrup, right?
- There are so many other things in beer that are bad for you … pretty sure corn syrup is not at the top of our worry list.
Although, the commercial itself got and held an entire room’s attention. I don’t know if that was because it aired toward the beginning of the game, or if something attention-getting happened at the beginning of the spot.”
This year, in an increasingly popular trend, some brands opted to forego the television spot, instead focusing all of their dollars on digital. Significantly cheaper and not bound by a time slot, these pre-game roll-outs have been ending up in the “Super Bowl Commercial” conversation without even airing on TV during the game. And for some people, they end up standing out the most.
Tristen:
I like this ad because it had my attention from the beginning and kept it through the entire minute and a half. I appreciate the fact that there weren’t celebrity endorsements (like every other commercial) and it sounded like a conversation typical people would have. At the end, his statement made me laugh because of the obvious point they are making. Simple, to the point, not over the top and very relevant. Favorite ad.
All-in-all, there were a lot of safe bets, a lot of robots, and a LOT of money spent. Seriously, how much did that Pepsi commercial end up costing? With a thirty-second spot costing more than $5 million for the ad space, and considering they had not one, but THREE celebrity cameos, you have to imagine the total price tag soared past the $10 million mark. Something to consider the next time you are breaking down your business’s marketing budget!
