First a true confession--- like many I got caught up in the actual GAME this year!!!! And I didn't complete my job as one of the panelists for the USA Today Admeter Ratings - got rolled up in the Chiefs comeback excitement and the victory celebration. So I missed the final deadlines to register my ratings for many of the ads (truly a journalistic faux pas for which I apologize). But, I did rate ads up and thru halftime and a few in the the 3rd quarter. Here are my assessments.
Actually though, missing the ads was easy since you might notice that I wasn't particularly impressed by many of the ads through my point of abandonment. To me, a good super bowl ad must connect with an intended targeted audience and tell a story. I know this is a challenge to most, but professional ad-makers are the very best at doing just this in 30 seconds or less! Truly a special skill and talent. Great super bowl ads must capture attention despite the clutter (for which there is plenty during the Super Bowl); deliver a memorable message; have a call to actions implied or explicit); and suggest sustainability across media platforms and beyond the game! At $5.6 million for a :30second spot, you certainly want this to have legs beyond the airing in the Super Bowl! The greatest Super Bowl ads Entertain! And as a result are memorable and often find their way into our psyche and lives as culture.
In the past ad experts have used sex, jiggle, technological wonderment, humor, intrigue and of course celebrity to achieve this. For the most part these were embodied entirely in the half-time show. Many of this year's crop of ads were just over produced, had crazy story- lines, and exemplified manic celebrity over use, bordering on abuse. They lacked connectivity. Notwithstanding there were a few that rose to my top of the heap. I have identified and used five distinct categories Sentimentality, Intrigue, Humor, Tribute, and Promotional (films, programs, events) to rank the ads rather than looking for an across the field ranking.
My SENTIMENTALITY winner and my favorite overall was "Loretta" from Google
Loretta by Google
My HUMOR winner (which pays respect to the art of building hype with a reveal in the Super Bowl) is Doritos -The Cool Ranch with Lil Nas X & Sam Elliott
My INTRIGUE winner is HULU - I'm Not Going Anywhere. the use of social media featuring the photo of Brady in silhouette certainly promoted speculation and curiosity.
My TRIBUTE winner goes to New York Life Love Takes Action - New York Life Insurance
My PROMOTIONAL winner is NFL - Next 100. You just can't go wrong with kids and the interplay between film and reality as the kids entered the stadium and danced on the field. BTW - only the NFL could pull that off (not to mention that it lasted well over 3 minutes).
That's what I saw while I wasn't celebrating the Chiefs' impressive, nail biting come from behind victory. Maybe next year the ads will have at least as much interest as the impeachment hearings.
Want to see the overall nationwide ranking of the ads? go to USA Today Admeter
or Google Trends Super Bowl Ads
Just add your voice and comments here.
