Which of the Super Bowl ads do you remember?

While 2012’s Super Bowl will go down in history as a nail-biter that could have resulted in a different winner in the last few seconds of the game, the ads garnered more publicity pre-game and during the game than ever before and can now be called the Brand Bowl.

According to Mashable, at the end of Sunday’s game between the Giants and the Patriots, Twitter reported that there were 12,233 tweets per second – which became a new record for the #2 spot on the “most tweets per second” list. According to the NFL, 61 million Americans viewed this year's Super Bowl. Out of those 61 million Americans, 40% of them watched the game but weren’t football fans, and 25% were women.

But enough about the game, how about those ads? As a brand marketing professional, I can remember a large number of the ads, but then, I may have been more interested in the ads than the game (since no California teams were playing). Read about my faves and flops, and then a guest chimes in.

My favorites have always been the Coca-Cola polar bear ads and the Budweiser Clydesdales ads, and this year, those ads did not disappoint. But what others stood out? I liked the Hyundai “Cheetah” ad because the cheetah did not want to race the car. Check out the “Behind the Scenes” video on YouTube to see how the ad was made. I also enjoyed the Chevrolet “Happy Grad” ad – very amusing and definitely made me laugh. And I was entertained by Pepsi’s “King’s Court” ad featuring Elton John – the theme was universal because everyone wants “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”

Everyone was waiting for Volkswagen’s follow-up to last year’s Darth Vader ad. Since that ad was my favorite last year, I hoped VW created something special. But there was no “Wow” factor in the “The Dog Strikes Back.” Sure, I liked the exercising dog and the “ad within an ad” featuring the Star Wars bar scene, but maybe, VW should have taken a year off?

There were some ads that fell flat for me. I didn’t like Bud Light’s “Platinum” ads – they lacked energy and as a result, didn’t seem to have a message. The Hulu ads were boring. The Chevy Silverado “Apocalypse” ad was too dark – the theme that Chevy trucks are the most long-lasting could have been achieved in a better way. Audi’s “So Long Vampires” lacked creativity and didn’t focus on why an Audi vehicle may be the best in its class. The Jerry Seinfeld/Jay Leno ad for Acura and the Doritos ads were bland. Finally, last year’s Go Daddy ad featuring Joan Rivers was funny, and unfortunately, that same humor was missing from many ads this year.

The one brand that was noticeably absent was Apple. There could have been a montage of Apple products in memory of Steve Jobs, and that would have been a fitting final farewell – especially based on the impact of Apple’s “1984” Super Bowl commercial. No one who saw it that year will ever forget it.

Now, please welcome Julia Carcamo to my blog. We watched the ads from miles apart and wanted to collaborate on a “She Said, She Said” post. 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 United States. Julia is 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. Follow Julia on Twitter and on her Blog. Without further ado, here's Julia...

I have to say that the Super Bowl this year was a bit of a flip for me. The game was great until the very end, but the commercials were less than satisfying for me. I think I miss the creativity of beer commercials and I honestly don’t know how that happened because I’m not looking for another round of WASSUP! However, I do think there were a few spots that stood out in the plethora of B and C-rated work.

“M&Ms: Just My Shell” – Kudos to them for continuously creating these characters we love to watch (and eat). This one literally made me laugh out loud. It was so unexpected and so much fun.

“Budweiser: Return of the King and Eternal Optimism” – This is just classic Budweiser advertising. It tugs at your sense of patriotism and reminds you that Budweiser is always there at the intersection of life and celebration. Plus, in my book, anytime you throw in the Clydesdales, I think you have a winner.

“Skechers: Mr. Quigley” – Who in their right mind didn’t laugh as this French bulldog crossed the finish line in style? Throw in a little contract negotiation with Mark Cuban, and you’ve got the unexpected humor that only great commercials can deliver.

“Chrysler: It’s Halftime in America” – I’ll admit I wasn’t blown away by last year’s anthem to Detroit, but this year, my story is different. It was another tug at the patriotic heartstrings, but with the punch of the all-American tough guy, Clint Eastwood. Everything was so well programmed – the copy, the timing, the reveal. I think this one will go down in my book as one of the smartest ads I’ve ever seen.

“Honda: Matthew’s Day Off” – How could I make a list of top spots without Ferris Bueller? I just loved this spot (but I don’t think I’m going to buy a CRV anytime soon). It felt very true to the original inspiration and for that, they deserve a top spot on my list.

I would like to thank my brand marketing colleague, Julia Carcamo, for sharing her perspective about this year’s Brand Bowl – I enjoyed her insights and hope my readers did also. 

The countdown for next year’s Super Bowl and Brand Bowl begins today, but if you didn’t see all of this year’s ads or want to watch them again, here’s the link for all of them:

http://mashable.com/2012/02/06/super-bowl-2012-commercials

Leverage Your Leadership Skills and Become a Better Leader

What’s the core of leadership? I have often wondered about this. Like everyone, I have worked for people with the capacity to inspire and energize an army, and I have also worked for people who would have been better off in a cave far from civilization. I read an interesting quote awhile ago that has remained with me, and I believe it defines the true core of leadership.

“Being a manager or a leader is a privilege. It’s an honor to have others respect your abilities enough to allow you to lead them. It’s an honor to have others trust you to guide them and support them as you work together.” Liz Weber, the Dragon Lady of Leadership Accountability, shared this quote in her new book: Something Needs to Change Around Here, The Five Stages to Leveraging Your Leadership.

Ask yourself, how often – between meetings, conferences, projects, employee reviews, etc. – have you considered being a leader or manager to be a privilege? Ever? Be honest when answering. This is exactly my point. If more managers and leaders considered the process of supervising, guiding, teaching, training, mentoring, and managing others as a PRIVILEGE, our workplaces would run more smoothly, and employees would be more engaged.

You’ll have to read Liz’s book to gain insights into the specifics of her five stages to leverage leadership, but here are some of her key themes:

• Just because you have the title “manager” or “leader,” it doesn’t mean you can lead.
• Employees don’t care about your title, they care about what you can do.
• Until you free up your time and some of your mental capacity to focus on “what’s next,” it’s terribly difficult to become an effective leader.
• When leaders lead, managers manage, and doers do, everyone knows what they’re all working toward.
• In order for an organization’s strategic projects to morph and evolve, the leadership needs to grow, evolve, and let go…If you don’t let go, others can’t do.

As Liz Weber writes at the end of the book, “Someone needs to change around here…you.” So, I challenge all the leaders out there reading this post, alter your mindset and behavior, and then watch your employees. You just might notice a difference.

For more details: http://www.wbsllc.com/blog

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lizwebercmc

Connect on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LeadOrLeave

Find Your Focus - It’s Easier Than You Think

Strategic advisor, management consultant, and blogger Peter Bregman has written a book that will clearly resonate with everyone who wishes that there were more than 24 hours in a day. He blogs regularly for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes magazines and also provides commentary for CNN and public radio – so he understands this wish in today’s era of instant communication and too many priorities. In his words, “To get the right things done, choosing what to ignore is as important as choosing where to focus.”

Bregman’s book, 18 Minutes: Finding Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, should be required reading for all new hires and also provided to longer-term employees on their anniversary dates. Imagine a typical day at the office. After arrival and start-up of the computer or laptop, you open your email only to find 200 emails in your inbox. Then, the phone rings, and your boss wants you to completely change your projects for the day. Then, the network crashes. Well, you get it – just like the tagline for Calgon beauty products that has become a cult phrase, “Take me away.”

The book provides secrets to cut through the clutter and distractions so that you can focus and accomplish your objectives. Here are some:

• Regular rest stops are useful interruptions.
• Don’t settle for being less than you are. It won’t serve others and it won’t serve you.
• Know what outcome you seek.
• Recover your passion – think about what you love doing.
• Failure is inevitable, useful, and educational. Just don’t give up.
• The time to judge your failures and successes is never.
• Plan your day ahead so you can fly through it, successfully maneuvering and moving toward your intended destination.
• Reduce your overwhelm by putting your tasks in an organized list.
• If you really want to get something done, decide when and where you are going to do it.
• Never leave things on your to-do list for more than three days. They’ll just get in the way of what you really need to get done.
• The right kind of interruption can help you master your time and yourself. Keep yourself focused and steady by interrupting yourself hourly.
• Spend a few minutes at the end of each day thinking about what you learned and with whom you should connect. These minutes are the key to making tomorrow even better than today.
• The world doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards productivity.

And now, here’s a breakdown of Peter’s 18 Minutes:

• Step 1 – 5 Minutes: Your morning minutes – plan ahead.
• Step 2 – 1 Minute Every Hour (8 Minutes): Refocus – manage your day hour by hour. Don’t let the hours manage you.
• Step 3 – 5 Minutes: Your evening minutes – review how the day went.

According to Peter, the key is to add this 18 minute review to your routine EVERYDAY. “This particular ritual may not help you swim the English Channel while towing a cruise ship with your hands tied together. But it may just help you leave the office feeling productive and successful.” Now, who wouldn’t want that?

For more information, visit: http://peterbregman.com

Follow Peter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterbregman

Like Peter on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterBregmanAdvisor

Connect on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/peterbregman18

Aspiring Leaders: Define Your Purpose and Build A Strong Personal Brand

Selena Rezvani wrote an interesting book entitled, The Next Generation of Women Leaders, What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School. While the book targets women, there are some important lessons within the book that resonate with all aspiring leaders, male or female.

While it's important to discover and define one’s purpose, an aspiring leader must hold onto his or her core beliefs and spirit. A successful example is Maxine Clark, the CEO (or Chief Executive Bear in company-speak) of Build-A-Bear (follow on Twitter). Clark saw an opportunity in 1997 and founded the company. Today, there are more than 400 stores worldwide as a result of her idea of building personalized stuffed animals.

In order to define one’s purpose, Rezvani suggested that the following questions will help:

• If you had unlimited power, how would you use it?
• What did you love doing as a child?
• What do you love doing in your spare time?
• When do people ask you for help?
• What is the single biggest barrier preventing you from leading?
• How would your professional biography read if you had the perfect career?
• When you get compliments at work, which ones are the most satisfying?
• Is there a job you love so much that you would do it for free?
• What work activities have you engaged in where time seems to fly?
• If you were on the cover of TIME magazine, what would the cover caption say?

According to Rezvani, building a personal brand is also critical for all leaders. As a brand marketing professional, I totally agree and assist others to promote their strengths and build their personal brands. In the words of Tom Peters, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in…our most important job is to be the head marketer for the brand called You.”

If you want to be inspired and gain some useful leadership tips, check out Rezvani’s book on her website and follow on Twitter.

Click here to read a previous blog post entitled, “Who do you represent: your company or your individual brand?

Click here to read Tom Peters’ article in Fast Company that, while written in 1997, is just as timely today entitled, “The Brand Called You.”