I couldn’t let the biggest advertising day of the year go by and not talk about it on a marketing blog. As much as I like football, I’m really in it for the ads.
Over the years, spending isn’t the only thing that’s increased with Super Bowl ads – consumer interaction has too. With the increasing use of new media tools, we have come to a whole new level and it’s incredibly exciting. Brand interaction no longer stops after thirty or sixty seconds and consumers are given more power to determine the fate of the brands they love.
While this is true, I am disappointed with the lack of driving people from the TV to online/new media platforms this year. I guess I was expecting a couple ads to stop mid-way with continuation exclusively online – something that would create suspense and increase brand interaction. Oh, well – there’s always next year.
Overall, I thought the ads were “meh,” and I was left with a sense of disappointment. However, I did really like (and dislike) some ads. Here are my winners and losers:
Losers:
I’m not going to go into detail with these, but I do want to mention them, so you get a sense of my spectrum of ad like/dislike.
- Brisk Eminem – Especially in comparison to his much much better Chrysler commercial
- Kim Kardashian for Sketchers – Oh, Kim. I hate to see you devalue your personal brand like that. You get a pass this time, but don’t let me see you doing it again.
- GoDaddy – Really? Still shaking my head.
- Groupon – Pardon my language, but WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? You aren’t even getting a link.
Winners:
Despite my negativity, there were actually a number of ads I liked, including the Eminem Chrysler , Coke Guards, Hyundai Sonata and Chevy Cruze commercials. But my favorite favorites were:
- Bridgestone – Had you asked me pre-Super Bowl what I was expecting from Bridgestone ads, I would have said, “not much.” These pleasantly surprised me, though. I especially liked the ‘Reply All’ ad – who hasn’t been there?
- Volkswagen – Aside from being the proud parent of a Volkswagen Jetta, I love the Volkswagen brand and did even before I got my own. On top of wonderfully performing machinery, they have high-caliber advertising and marketing year-round. The Super Bowl ad did not disappoint, even though it was the short version compared to what was online pre-game. Feel free to watch this one on a loop.
- Glee Chevrolet – Technically, this one doesn’t count, but it’s my blog and I want to mention it – since they teased it during the Super Bowl, I deem it acceptable. I love the use of the classic Chevrolet song – a song I wish they used more often. I was singing this song for hours afterward.
Again, I was expecting more integration with new media. Audi is the only one who really wins that prize. After all, #ProgressIs shaking things up and changing the game. Maybe next year’s ads will satisfy my traditional-to-new media jump dreams that this year’s ads could not fulfill.
I am also looking forward to seeing how brands balance the pressure to create pre-game buzz by releasing their commercials before their spot (like VW) with the desire to create suspense and waiting for release during the game (like Budweiser). I think to satisfy this balance, the campaigns need to be more comprehensive and more fully integrated; they need to have TV, Twitter, YouTube and other tools all working together to tease people before, intrigue them during and entertain them after – a months-long process, but that’s how you will build a long-term following.
Only 363 days now…
*This post was originally from lieselolson.wordpress.com – the marketing blog of a Creative Company employee.