There is no dispute that the annual Super
Bowl game is one of the most-watched television events around the world. But
for those of us who live and breathe all things marketing, the final football showdown
each season provides a different focus, and that focus costs a pretty penny.
The incredibly high priced ads that grace the TV screen during the game have
become known as the Brand Bowl, and I'm thrilled to reprise a review of these
ads with Julia Carcamo.
As a brand marketing professional, I
recall the majority of the ads. What about you? Read about my faves and flops,
and then Julia chimes in. A few quick notes before we begin: Julia's bio
precedes her comments below for those who don't recall last year's post, and I encourage you to visit her blog and connect
on Twitter; if you missed any of the ads, a link listing all ads is
provided at the very end of our joint post; and lastly, tune in later this week
for my analysis of memorable tweets and how Twitter may be the place to focus
ad dollars for next year's Super Bowl.
Since enough has been said and written
about the power outage, here we go...
My favorite ad was "Brotherhood"
from Budweiser. The Clydesdales always tug at the heartstrings, and this ad
harkened back to the post-9/11 ad as well as the one where the Dalmatian taught
a colt to become a member of the Clydesdales traveling team. This ad did not
disappoint.
I was also impressed by Jeep's
"Whole Again" ad with a voiceover by Oprah (although notably absent
from Chrysler advertising was Clint Eastwood - was this due to the chair
performance at the Republican Convention?). The ad thanked America's armed forces.
Best Buy's "Asking Amy" ad with
Amy Poehler was entertaining because she asked questions that many customers
probably want to ask but are too embarrassed to ask.
GoDaddy's "YourBigIdea.co" ad
worked well because it showcased exactly what the product was. GoDaddy should
have stopped with that ad because its other ad "The Kiss" was too far
removed from the product's message.
Oreo's "Creme vs. Cookie" ad
was cute, and since there was an amazing Twitter follow-up during the power
outage, Oreo scored a touchdown. But more about that later this week.
But this year, there seemed to be more
flops than faves...
Since I recently gave up my BlackBerry
for an iPhone, I was eager to see the BlackBerry ad. But, it disappointed since
the focus was what it could NOT do vs. what set it apart from the competition. iPhones
and Androids, it doesn't look like you have much to worry about.
VW made a lot of pre-game noise with its
"Get In. Get Happy" ad, and I won't get involved in the discussion
about whether or not it was inappropriate. I will simply ask, what happened
with the creativity seen in ads during the last two years?
My favorite ads in the past have come
from Coca-Cola, but not this year. In addition to using an old ad,
"Security Camera," I have to ask, where were the polar bears? Someone
somewhere suggested using the mirage theme and three competing groups. But,
Coke's servers got overloaded and crashed during the Super Bowl, so the
Twitterverse couldn't even vote online for a favorite group.
I also wondered during the game, where
were Ford, Chevrolet, and even Facebook and Google?
Now, please welcome Julia Carcamo back to
my blog. After last year's Super Bowl, we shared a joint post on my blog and
also on hers. While we watched the ads from miles apart, we have discussed
which were hits and misses. Julia is the Vice President of Brand Marketing for
Isle of Capri Casinos, one of the most seasoned companies in the regional
gaming entertainment industry, operating 15 casinos in the US, and she's part
of the team responsible for the strategic planning behind the reintroduction of
the iconic Lady Luck brand as well as the repositioning and creation of other
Isle brands. Without further ado, here's Julia...
There are a number of reasons why this
year's big game was important to me. First and most important, there is the
economic impact of the game on my hometown of New Orleans. Second is the
opportunity to once again review the collection of ads in this year's game with
Debbie Laskey. My winners are a mix of ads that moved me, ads that I felt were
on brand strategy, ads that made me smile, ads that reminded me how much I miss
New Orleans, and the ads my fellow co-workers found to be the best. Here they
go, in no particular order.
Taco Bell's interpretation of “Cocoon”
made me smile, and it made an entire bar full of people stand up and cheer. For
that I say, "Viva Young."
Hyundai's ad "Stuck" spoke to
me every single time I've been behind someone on the road leaving behind mementos
of their time in front of you. I usually try to drop back a little further. Now
I see there is another turbocharged option.
Hyundai scores again in this homage to
“Ferris Beuller's Day Off." Who wouldn't want to give their family an Epic
Playdate?
Bravo Jared and Bravo to Subway for
delivering the point that always seems to be the downfall of the diet du
jour...keeping it off. No flash. No sizzle. Just the heart of the message.
Was it a good commercial, or do I just
love the vibe of New Orleans? Either way, I'm in for the Mercedes CLS Soul
spot...so much so that I might even forgive the billboard across from Napoleon House.
It used to be that the first break was
the marquee spot. Chrysler, however, has repositioned halftime as the
"it" placement. Most purists would argue that they are forgoing a
spotlight on their products. Some might say they are positioning themselves as
the all-American option. Ford, anyone?
In a past life, I sold radio. That
station featured a segment by Paul Harvey. Chrysler's Dodge Ram salute to
American Farmers was very moving to me.
My tearjerkers: I'm not a St. Louisan, but the Budweiser
Clydesdale spots have always been among my favorites. There is just something
about them that makes me feel un-American if I don't cry. This spot seemed to
be a hit among most of the marketers I work with on a daily basis.
As the officials on the field say, "Failed
to convert." That penalty goes to Go Daddy (even though they did somewhat
redeem themselves with "Your Next Big Idea." Go Daddy's Perfect Match
spot just made me feel a little dirty. Even if you weren’t in the same room,
the sound of that kiss was enough to send shivers down my spine. To quote one
of the marketing directors I work with, "I don't like the way they subjugate
web developers." Also, missing the point was Toyota. I guess Kaley Cuoco
is the latest hot property but I was so unmoved that I had the name of the car
make and model wrong when I wrote this sentence. Sorry Toyota. I guess your
wish wasn't granted. Honorable mention goes to Kia's Space Babies. Babylandia
looks so much more interesting than being slung in a sheet flying through the
air on the beak of a stork!
Of course, this Super Bowl will go down
in the record books for creating the biggest delay during the game due to a
power outage. Although media maven and social media expert alike always tout
extending your ad buys into social, Oreo and Tide were fast to take advantage
of the hiccup. Clever, timely, and on brand, they might be my winners for the
night.
A big thanks to Julia Carcamo for sharing
her comments, and we both look forward to the Snow Bowl of 2014, I mean Super
Bowl - and, of course, the Brand Bowl!
__________
Here's the link if you'd like to watch the
ads again:
Connect with Julia on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jccarcamo
Check out Julia’s Blog: http://juliacarcamo.wordpress.com
Last year’s review of the Super Bowl Ads:
__________
Image Credit: Thanks to Tom Fishburne for
use of his cartoon with this post. Tom is the Founder and CEO of Marketoon
Studios, a content marketing studio that helps businesses reach their audiences
with cartoons. Check out his work at http://tomfishburne.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment!