Reading Minds: Yet another Super Bowl Blog.
You probably saw them popping up all over the place, starting immediately after the Super Bowl. Ads, articles, Tweets, everyone had an opinion on which commercials they liked, which ones fell flat, and which of them left us scratching our heads.
But I promise this blog isn’t like the other blogs. In this blog, I will attempt to explain why people liked certain spots and were meh about other spots. I know it sounds difficult, but I AM a professional.
Lucky for us, USA Today listed out the USA Today Ad Meter results from panelists who picked their favorites from top to bottom. So let’s get started.
Bringing up the rear.
The least favorite of all the spots was U2’s Achtung Baby Live at The Sphere, scoring a paltry 3.7 (for reference, the highest score was 6.56).
The reason people don’t like it – I think people are still mad that U2 forced an album on everyone through apple music, but this spot had no idea behind it and didn’t come close to evoking a single emotion, which is the key to any good ad.
Coming in a close second to last.
The penultimate least favorite was Temu’s Shop like a Billionaire. It scored four-tenths of a point higher than U2’s debacle, scoring 3.74.
The reason people don’t like it – Again, no emotions were evoked, but there’s probably a deeper reason for this spot’s abject failure, and I believe that reason to be the line “Shop like a Billionaire.” Strategically, it misses the mark. First of all, people don’t generally like billionaires. Some don’t even think they should exist. Secondly, what billionaire downloads an app to buy cheap stuff? Scrooge McDuck? It makes no sense.
Moving on up.
The 49th spot was Maya Rudolph’s M&M’s spot. Its score jumped to 4.29, which was .55 higher than the previous spot.
The reason people don’t like it – There was an idea, and the humor provided the emotional appeal, however, the spot itself was a bit confusing. The name change from M&M’s to Ma&Ya’s was one thing, but the chocolate-covered clams were just over the top. Plus, I think only a few people are aware of the M&Ms controversy, where a few people thought the green female M&M was being objectified due to the way she was dressed. Seriously, that’s a thing.
What the Hellman?
Moving to the middle of the pack, we’re going to start with a spot that landed in the 27th position with a score of 5.33 — the Hellman’s spot featuring Brie Larson, Jon Hamm, and Pete Davidson.
The reason people said, “Meh.” – This spot did have a humor appeal and star power, but for me, I think the Hamm and Brie was a bit cheesy (pun intended). Plus, the introduction of Pete Davidson opening the fridge and promising to eat Jon and Brie was probably a bit too weird for people. So, my educated guess is that the idea was ill-conceived. Or maybe people didn’t care for celebrity power, which is always a risk when famous people are hawking your brand.
25 B
Tied for 25th with a score of 5.36 was T-Mobile’s “The Rewrite,” featuring Bradley Cooper and his charming mom.
The reason people said, “Meh.” – This spot just wasn’t for everyone. It probably spoke well to its intended audience, but neither Snoop Dogg nor Martha Stewart is everyone’s cup of tea. So we’ll chalk this one up to star power or lack thereof. I liked it, maybe just not as much as others.
The magic number.
Okay, now we can get to the good stuff. Coming in at number 3 is Amazon’s “Saving Sawyer,” with a score of 6.35.
Why people loved it. – This spot was beautifully constructed. It had an emotional appeal. It was relatable, especially for anyone that’s ever had a dog. It had a payoff that viewers weren’t expecting. There was just nothing not to like about this commercial.
Dueces wild.
Coming in at number 2 with a score of 6.38 was the NFL’s own “Run with it.”
Why people loved it. – This spot was beautifully constructed. It had an emotional appeal. It was relatable, especially for anyone that’s ever had a dog. It had a payoff that viewers weren’t expecting. There was just nothing not to like about this commercial.
The top dog.
The most loved Super Bowl spot was The Farmer’s Dog’s “Forever,” with a score of 6.56.
Why people loved it. – This spot was beautifully constructed. It had an emotional appeal. It was relatable, especially for anyone that’s ever had a dog. It had a payoff that viewers weren’t expecting. There was just nothing not to like about this commercial.
And the most underrated award goes to…
Binky Dad was ranked number 11 with a score of 5.88. I thought it deserved a higher score because it had everything we’ve been discussing. Emotional appeal? Check. Great idea? Check. Relatable? Check. Plus, it didn’t have to rely on star power like so many of this year’s ads. Check it out.
You don’t have to run your ads during the Super Bowl, and you don’t need high-priced celebrities to make great videos or commercials. You just need an agency that knows how to do it. Holler at us.
