Some New Moves for Super Bowl Advertising

Super Bowl Ads Highlight the Changing Nature of Advertising

“Teasers, Trailers, & Hash-tags,.... oh my”

These days, the real success of a Super Bowl ad is not just measured by how many people watch it during the game or like it in consumer polls, but how much it is shared in social media before, during, and after the game, says Dr. J. Anthony Snorgrass Professor of Advertising, Branding, & Strategic Media at Avila University’s School of Visual & Communication Arts.

Dr. Snorgrass (aka Dr. J.) along with Amy Winger, Chief Strategy Officer at VML; and Gavin Johnston, Group Planning Director, at InTouch Solutions; did some Monday-morning quarterbacking of their own when they gathered to discuss Sunday’s commercials and the changing role of TV in advertising on KCUR’s Central Standard segment on February 2, 2015. (http://kcur.org/post/future-television-commercials-digital-world).

Snorgrass suggests that advertising has not changed at all, but possibly the tools of the trade have with all the advances in consumer-oriented technology.  To him, advertising has always sought ways to ultimately enter one’s psyche via one’s head (logic appeal); or through a direct strike to one’s heart (emotional appeal); or thru one’s pocket (investment).  In today’s digital environment there is an even stronger almost morph-like relationship between marketing, advertising, and branding across social, internet, mobile, and traditional mediums which creates even more opportunities for access to minds, hearts, pockets and souls.  In old school advertising the only metrics were views and impressions.  In today’s digital advertising the metrics still include views and impressions; but also mentions in news, posts, tweets, pins, snaps, shares, tags, check-ins, comments, links, gaming, and yes, even memes.   All of these serve to expand audiences for advertiser messages.

Johnston, Winger and Snorgrass’ discussion of the Super Bowl and the relevance of TV was well timed, needed, and wholesome fun. The takeaway? Consumption is changing. As advertising and technology continue to evolve, marketers need to adapt their messages and provide an integrated, multichannel approach to connect with them.