Creating a Super Bowl ad is a slippery slope, maybe even more slippery than the playing field was at this year’s game. A brand has committed to spending a ton of money buying the media and then has to decide how to fill that space and impart something meaningful. Sometimes it goes well. Sometimes it doesn’t. Here are a few of our take-aways from the big day.
Phil’s Take On Kia: Solid Premise With Solid Execution
I found Kia’s Binky Dad spot thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly strategic. Its simple premise works well — mom and dad are checking into a hotel with their baby, and dad has forgotten the binky. The binky scenario is relatable to any parent, and the driving stunts, over-the-top humor and frantic pace of the dad who goes viral as he races home to retrieve the binky were totally engaging. As a marketer, I appreciated that the spot managed to portray the brand as performance-driven but also as hip and fun. It made Kia more appealing and did a great job of showing off the vehicle throughout the spot.
Steve’s Take On WeatherTech: A Manufacturing Maverick At Work
It definitely wasn’t the flashiest. There was no celebrity cameo. There was no soaring music track. No big punchline. That being said, for all it was lacking, I bet the good people at WeatherTech will sell a bunch of auto and home products from this spot. Why do I say good people? Because they came across so downright approachable. They also very sagely used the platform of America’s big game to cement their made-in-America stance. It was just the right amount of portraying themselves as going against the grain to make you want to support this company; everyone likes a maverick.
As someone who has bought numerous WeatherTech products, their ad to me had the “nod” effect where you watch and nod (either literally or figuratively) along your assent, which is a pretty solid measure of a successful ad. If anything, one critique is the montage of shots of their various products. It seems it could have been handled a little more deftly but I would think those unfamiliar with the company would still gather the type of goods they make (right here in the U.S.A.).
Jenni’s Take On Social Media: The Real Winner
Incorporating social media into Super Bowl commercials goes back more than 12 years to when Audi first used a Twitter hashtag and generated over 10k Tweets (a big deal in 2011). Today, it’s as though the most impactful role of social media is less about the cross-channel tie-ins and more about the conversations that take place as a result of the commercials. It seems the more witty or poignant the comment, the more eyeballs on the ad. After all, nobody wants to be the one at the water cooler that doesn’t get the punchline. Here are a few notable posts from last night.
