Commercials during the Super Bowl are big business. This year, 30-second ad slots sold for up to $4 million. In the week before the Super Bowl, NBCNews.com had no less than half a dozen articles on just the ads themselves, not including all the actual football news and analysis. We’ve talked before about whether the ads matter in terms of brand growth and if consumers can even recall those ads later in the year. Regardless, market research has found that more people are drawn to the Super Bowl primarily to watch commercials than to watch the game itself. So what were some highlights of the 2013 advertisements?
- As always, a handful of ads created some controversy before the game. Volkswagen’s ad with office workers speaking in Jamaican accents, Go Daddy’s commercial featuring a graphic make-out session, and Mercedes Benz’s teaser ad showing model Kate Upton in a tank top and shorts raised red flags with some viewers.
- A number of companies placed teasers and full ads available online prior to the game, which may have ruined the surprise for some viewers.
- In addition to the Facebook and Twitter links present in television advertisements, many companies sought to engage consumers and included a social media call to action. Coca Cola asked viewers to vote for an ending to the “Mirage” campaign via their website or with hashtags on Twitter. Budweiser was taking suggestions for a name for the newest Clydesdale foal via Twitter and comments on Facebook.
- The blackout affected more than just the football game. We noticed that the Bud Light “Lucky Chair” commercial and the Subway “Februany” ad were shown twice after the lights went out. It will be interesting to see if companies report any advertising fallout from the blackout.
What did you think of the ads? Who were your winners and losers? Do Super Bowl ads convince you to buy products or go to specific stores or restaurants? Are they just fun to watch but have little effect on your purchasing decisions?
I asked some of The Pert Group bloggers to share their opinions of the commercials this year. Here is what they had to say:
Cheri Tabel
To me the most impactful marketing message wasn’t an ad at all, but rather a tweet from Oreo once the power went out. Being able to react, real-time, when millions of people are watching and participating online is powerful. But we’re here to talk about the ads! It used to be that the standard bearers of great Super Bowl ads were beer and soda. Budweiser delivered with the “Brotherhood” spot – the music, the storyline, all delivered a punch. America loves Clydesdales! Other beverage ads did not pack the same punch (a fish singing to a bottle?) this year. America also loves farmers and wow, did Ram Trucks deliver with its “Farmer” ad. Nostalgic and pitch perfect in every way, including Paul Harvey, made this ad a winner. Some others that scored well with me were the Best Buy ad with Amy Poehler (let Amy be Amy – always a winner), as did the Mio “Anthem” ad with Tracy Jordan (“change!”) which was funny and brand relevant. I saw some missed opportunities, including Lincoln’s “Once Upon a Tweet” ad. Why mention Jimmy Fallon and not use Jimmy Fallon? He has a great following and the brand could leverage the energy of his devoted fan base.
Courtney Marinak
I am not a crier, but the Budweiser Clydesdale commercial got me to cry. How cute! I loved that the ad was geared towards a more emotional man and most definitely women. Another favorite for me was the Taco Bell ad, with the octogenarians running from cops and eating Taco Bell on the hood of their car. I think my least favorite was the Go Daddy commercial with Bar Rafaeli. Unlike a lot of people, I didn’t have any issue with the content; I just didn’t think it was very funny.
Allison Polanis
Super Bowl commercials (and those normally aired) aren’t likely to change what I buy, so I watch them more for the fun of it. I’m a chocolate fan and I enjoyed the M&M’s commercial that aired early in the game, but content wise it wasn’t that different from their other ads recently. My husband really enjoyed the Audi commercial, but since I had already seen it online (preparing for this post) it wasn’t as impactful for me. We both really liked the Budweiser Clydesdale ad and thought the Bud Light ads with Stevie Wonder were a neat tie-in to the city of New Orleans. On the other hand, we didn’t see anything special about the Budweiser Black Crown ads. I also appreciated the extra effort in terms of scope and celebrities in the Mercedes Benz ad for the new CLA.
Regan Mik
What commercial still has me smiling? Taco Bell’s “Viva Young!” Everything about this ad is fantastic – it’s truly funny because it just about turns everything you think about Taco Bell’s target consumer on its head. And the music was perfection. The biggest surprises for me were Coca-Cola’s “Camera” and Dodge Ram’s “Farmer” ads: I thought both ads were incredibly engaging and reminded me of the positive and hard-working people who are among us all. Both the Budweiser Black Crown and Beck’s Sapphire ads were confusing and lacked the Super Bowl energy I’ve come to expect as a consumer. After viewing the simply superb teaser, I had very high expectations for Samsung’s Next Biggest Thing. Although Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan still have a huge place in my heart, I couldn’t help but feel let down.