For the last few years, we’ve divided up the Super Bowl and taken a look at the best and worst executions on the world’s largest/most expensive ad stage. Wrapping up is our CEO, Rick Schardein.
The fourth quarter can be bad positioning for advertisers, because one can never be certain if the game will turn into a rout, or—worse—a snoozer.
Not at all true this year as the game squeezed every drop of excitement right to the last second.
Certainly “Alexa Loses Her Voice” was the big winner. Who can turn down a guest appearance from the richest man in the world? So there was Bezos in the first 10 seconds. But what happened in the ensuing seconds was priceless. Who knew there were so many bad options to Alexa’s mundane, but mostly accurate answers to life’s pressing questions!
Monster did a fine job of promoting itself in a spot that featured Iggy Azalea, but I barely noticed all the other celebs who graced the spot. Would have been just as effective—and a lot less costly—without them.
Michelob Ultra played to its strengths with the karaoke-inspired version of “I Like Beer,” while showing folks in all manner of active lifestyles. That’s what Ultra is for…but I’m still not convinced it’s beer!
Stella Artois (now THAT’S beer!) activated its water.org affiliation by drawing attention to the world clean water shortage. It’s a cause that’s near and dear to our hearts at C360, as we’re aligned with Louisville’s own WaterStep.org, who shares that same mission.
Hyundai broke the typical Super Bowl car ad template with their “Hope Detector” approach, reminding folks the company has provided million toward childhood cancer research. They deserve kudos for that alignment, and they spent “Super Bowl” money in a reality-based manner to make the heartwarming point.
Conversely, Jeep Wrangler provided a pretty spectacular product demonstration, while the spot pointedly poked fun at the old “Manifesto” auto maker approach. After showing a Wrangle traverse a tricky stream, the spot closed with a taunt…”Here’s your manifesto.”
Home movies from Lindsey Vonn’s childhood with quick cuts of her near-career ending wipeout and subsequent rehabilitation made her quite likable. The 2018 Winter Games are coming, in case you missed it.
And speaking of likable, what would a Super Bowl be without Peyton Manning. He’s got some time on his hands these days, and he’s making the best of it with a trip to Universal Studios. His self-deprecating manner makes him one of sports’ true good-guys.
Meanwhile, Tide detergent went all in on making a commercial about the commercial. “Yet Another Tide Ad Again” was a clever twist for the Proctor & Gamble stalwart, though advertising creatives probably enjoyed it the most.
The worst of the quarter was Groupon, resorting to a kick-in-the-crotch for the blue bloods. If you don’t want to be pestered with their endless offers, be advised to be careful opening your front door!
Oh, yeah, the Eagles won 41-33.
