Where's the Pump? - Super Bowl Ads Could Use a Bit More Air

As many pundits and fans remain surprised with the Seahawks end-of-game-play calling, I strongly believe that “surprise” remains a strong tenant of great Super Bowl advertising, and it at one time drove the very entertainment value associated with them.  Among my Super Bowl XLIX favorites was one full of surprise as the advertisement for Chevrolet’s Colorado (http://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/chevy-colorado/) actually and unabashedly simulated a signal loss early in the game to highlight the availability of LTE Wi-Fi in its Colorado model which would have provided an option to continue watching (via stream) the game had this catastrophe actually happened.  “I almost panicked” as I was also part of the USA Today Ad Meter team and was rating each ad as it aired in real-time, not to mention wanting to keep up with the game.

The only other surprises, from my perspective came from some of the first-timer ads like Loctite’s ‘Positive Feelings’ (http://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/loctite-super-glue-super-bowl-commercial/) and Jublia’s ‘Tackle It’ (http://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/jublia-toenail-fungus-super-bowl-commercial/ ).  That’s a big risk for a glue company and a foot fungus company to even place ads in the Super Bowl!  No, I didn't like either of the commercials, but admire their bravery!

Interestingly many of this year’s commercials sought and actually garnered media attention well before they aired during the big game.  This strategy recognizes the changing nature of advertising as it shifts the focus from just TV to a multi-platform digital environment.  Advertisers like Budweiser, Fiat, Nissan, Microsoft, Doritos, Geiko, Game of War, T-Mobile, Mercedes, Sprint, and Coca-Cola all pre-released teasers or their ads weeks before to generate interest and conversation, or as we know it – free media.  Wondering how they did?  Visit the USA Today Ad Meter Results: (http://admeter.usatoday.com/results/2015 ).  From my perspective, I had already grown tired of many of the pre-released ones especially Geico's "Push It" featuring Salt & Peppa.  Still like the song!

On the other hand, two companies used the ‘pre-release’ strategy as a premium.  GoDaddy’s “Journey Home” the story of a lost puppy who found it’s way home only to be readied for sale by a puppy mill was pre-released then after a barrage of media coverage pulled and replaced by a kinder gentler ad (http://youtu.be/VwLwSMk7oG0 ).  The conspiracist in me sees a more sinister angle to this ad pull, as there was another commercial that also told the story of a ‘lost puppy returning home’. But the later one was from "a" or "the" most widely known and long-standing Super Bowl advertisers – Budweiser’s ‘Lost Dog’ (http://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/budweiser-lost-dog-puppy-super-bowl-commercial/ ).  With Budweiser having had the #1 rated Ad Meter ad several times over the past ten years, I'm thinking NBC may have had a significant role in negotiating (leveraging) the change.

Similarly, Carl’s Jr. also pre-released an ad for its All Natural Burgers featuring Charlotte McKinney ‘Au Naturel’ (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/02/01/carls-jr-debuts-sexist-super-bowl-2015-commercial/ ), who followed in the paths of Kate Upton, Paris Hilton, and Heidi Klum.  The ad did not run during the Super Bowl but certainly built a significant following via social and digital media.  The persistent media coverage and chatter on social media stoked the brand recognition of both the Go Daddy and Carl’s Jr. offerings.  My question though is what is the real difference between machine Zone's "Game of War" featuring Kate Hudson, Victoria Secret's "Let the Games Begin", Universal's "Fifty Shades of Grey", and Carl Jr,'s "Au Naturel"?

As Super Bowl games go, this one provided the perfect backdrop for advertisers, as the game was undecided until the very last seconds unlike in years past.  When advertisers are prepared to plunk down $4.5 million for :30 sec ($150,000/sec) they certainly want audiences to be tune-in for the full 4-hours and not distracted from a boring game.

The Super Bowl in actuality is an annual celebration for players, fans and advertising!  Accordingly, “Good Ads let the imagination fill in the blanks and build and build with anticipation.  Great ads also connect and engage with the audience at its level.  Advertising has become an integral part of this party and is often considered its soundtrack although that is more the province of the half-time show.  Which raises the question of why would albeit important, yet more somber “party-pooper/Downer” ads like that from Nationwide Insurance’s ‘Boy’ (http://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/chevy-colorado/ ) and to a lesser extent  No More’s "Listen" spot (http://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/listen/) choose this occasion to educate the audience in this manner. While both ads are strong from a design and message/content standpoint and I fully understand how important it is to capture audience attention in delivering a message (be it educational or as a public service), I believe for ultimate success advertisers should always select content with decorum that befits the occasion or programming.   Possibly the sheer temptation of 10 million viewers was just too much to take a pass and go for a calculated risk. You’ve got to applaud the attempt.

One thing is for sure,  people do watch the Super Bowl which, signals that the ultimate winners may have been NBC and the NFL.  And this year the audience was record setting. TV brought this audience, so as long as it continues to deliver the future of advertising on television will live!  Next up for television - the Academy Awards, the Grammy’s, the NBA All-star Game, NCAA March Madness, and the NBA Championship Playoffs – may they fare as well?