The Super Bowl Strategy

I usually try to avoid venturing off topic in this blog, but I deemed the millions of dollars worth of advertising spent during the Super Bowl to be an appropriate exception to the rule. Unlike most Americans, I don't actually watch the Super Bowl for the great football, I watch if for the commercials. I know, the truth is ugly....

At any rate, regardless of the quality of the game, the coaches and the players, the Super Bowl commercials still play on and, often times, they are subject to as much scrutiny as the football game itself. It could be easily deduced that the Super Bowl is not only the prime time for football, but for advertising as well. Recently, marketers and advertisers alike have taken it so far as to refer to the Super Bowl as the "AdBowl."

While no disrespect is directed towards a good game of football, the level of audience engagement and viewing statistics that are earned annually during the Super Bowl are simply undeniable for "players" within the big-ticket game of advertising. As a result, Super Bowl advertisers usually go "all out" when it comes to creating their commercials, whether that be the sexy, sappy or funny approach to consumer appeal.

This year, I was a bit disappointed in some of the auto companies and Super Bowl staple advertisers such as Doritos, GoDaddy and Coca-Cola who chose to adopt the strategy of crowd appeal, even when it meant sacrificing their organization's mission and traditional advertising theme. Although the commercials were entertaining and moving, it was often difficult to identify the brand within the advertisement's key message. In my opinion, advertising and marketing professionals should strive to develop ideas and advertising content that is consistent with their organization's "brand" and target audience.

Developing commercial content that is consistent with a brand's message and purpose should be far superior to developing content that is entertaining or generated purely for "shock value." Associating a commercial or print advertisement with a specific brand and associated message is, after all, the very purpose of advertising. Without that purpose, there would be no valid reason to spend millions of dollars on a single 30 to 60 second Super Bowl commercial and, in fact, we would not be having this very discussion right now.

All things aside, there were several standout advertisements that were, indeed, consistent with their organization's brand, message and target audience.

#1) Budweiser, "Brotherhood"

As a horse lover, this Budweiser Ad was one of my personal favorites. Strategy wise, however, it was a good move for Budweiser to bring back the traditional brand symbol, the Clydesdale, that is so iconically associated and intertwined with the Budweiser brand. All around, it was a well-communicated, "feel good" Ad that delivered the Budweiser theme loud and clear. Sappy or not, I'm a fan...

#2) Ram Trucks (Dodge), "Farmer"

To me, this is the epitome of what a Super Bowl Ad should be. As soon as this commercial aired during the game, you could literally hear the silence fill the room of crowded people where I was watching the game. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to Paul Harvey and watch this brilliant commercial that, in my opinion, will keep people talking about this brand for quite sometime. The inspired message and depiction of the farming and agricultural industry that keeps this country alive was a clever association to the message and values that the Dodge and Chrysler brand stands for. Kudos to Dodge and Chrysler for developing an Ad that is true to their brand, as well as tradition. 

#3) Oreo, "Whisper Fight"

I thought this Ad was just generally funny, although it did an excellent job of including key product messages within the actual humorous dialogue of the advertising content. However, the real award here should go to the advertising and marketing team behind this commercial that reacted, in real-time, to the game's controversy over an unexpected power outage. Here is a picture of the Ad that became a sensation over social media in a matter of mere minutes:

In an ironic turn of events, it looks like the award for "Best 2013 Super Bowl Ad" might go to an advertisement that was virtually free, promoted solely via social media, and created on the spot. The success of this advertising image alone demonstrates the true power of social media engagement and digital distribution. 

#4) Tide, "Miracle Stain" 

Again, I thought that this Ad did an excellent job of providing humor and key brand messages simultaneously. The viewer is not left wondering what the commercial is about or what brand it is associated with. Tailored specifically to the 2013 Super Bowl game, this Ad effortlessly appealed to the game's target audience, as well as disseminating Tide's key "talking points"and messages. 

Leave a comment, and let me know what you think about these Ads! Were they relevant, effective, entertaining or confusing? Coming soon: stay tuned for more posts concerning the "public relations equation" to the music industry solution.