I planned on writing about marketing lessons to be had from some of the better Super Bowl commercials until I read 5 Marketing Lessons From the Super Bowl’s Most Popular Commercials from the fine folks at Entrepreneur this morning via Pulse. So that’s been done.
Speaking of the Super Bowl commercials, I felt like they grew more interesting along with the game in the second half, and more specifically, after the blackout. Or I should say during the blackout.
How about Oreo? It almost seemed as if the company knew the blackout was coming. (Hmm, cue up the conspiracy theorists.) More likely, this fun brand was just prepared for the big game instead of sitting back and watching its ad run. Talk about great social media management. And better yet, it’s impromptu ad reminding us all that “You Can Still Dunk In The Dark.” actually made me crave an Oreo. Go figure, an ad that sells!
As of the writing of this post, Oreo’s clever tweet had earned nearly 16,000 retweets and almost 6,000 favorites on Twitter alone not too mention its success on other social media platforms. There’s something to say about being ready to take advantage of an opportunity!
Of course, Budweiser weighed in with another winner. I almost expect this giant in the beer industry to top USA Today’s Ad Meter and satisfy fans annually. The company used its famous Clydesdales for instant brand recognition and included a direct call to action, which many ads did not. People watching the commercial were asked to help name the baby Clydesdale pictured in it by suggesting names with the hashtag #clydesdales on Twitter.
Budweiser just launched its first-ever Twitter account on January 27th (after Twitter introduced age verification), so the commercial was a great way to attract attention to its new handle. As of February 5th, the new account already has nearly 10,500 followers despite being restricted to fans at least 21 years old.
Last, but certainly not least, let’s not forget about JELL-O! The legendary snack company came on right after the dramatic ending to congratulate San Francisco on being #2. How many companies have thought of that strategy?! JELL-O promised fans in San Fran free product today (Feb 5th), because winners shouldn’t have all the fun.
In addition to free pudding, distraught 49ers fans can install the Baltimore Blocker Google Chrome extension, which replaces the words Baltimore and Ravens anywhere they appear on the Internet with blah blah blah and swaps out pictures of celebrating Ravens fans with cute animals. This strategy has people talking on Twitter, Facebook and watching the pudding drop on the company’s website. “Who’s the big winner now, Baltimore?”
Well, that’s my wrap on Super Bowl XLVII, which despite a dramatic second half and some intriguing commercials, will be remembered for a blackout. While I had no loyalties on either side, I am happy for Dean Pees, current Baltimore defensive coordinator and former Kent State head football coach. Way to represent, Coach Pees!
What’s your take? Did you enjoy the game? The commercials? Or did you switch over and watch Downtown Abbey? (I DVR’d it.)
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or hit me up on social media. I”m always up for a discussion, especially on football or commercials.
Waiting for pitchers and catchers to report-
Jaime
Join the conversation:
clearly conveyed communications 
The commercials were not as good as previous years.
The movie trailers? The Lone Ranger seems meh, Star Trek Into Darkness? I’ll be there (I was psyched already). Iron Man 3-I suppose so, sure. Fast & Furious 6? Really?!?
The USO/Jeep ad was strong. I’m not a fan of Oprah much, but it was stirring.
The GoDaddy ad w/the supermodel & nerd? The worst, if not for the Budweiser ads for its new beer. Exactly what demo were they looking at reaching with those-hipsters w/goth pretensions? Dumb.
The Clydesdale ad stood out because it was emotional, a little sad, a little happy. It wasn’t as good as their post-9/11 ad or “Rocky”, but still quite excellent. They know their stuff when it comes to those horses.
Some other observations:
1. It’s time for E*Trade to retire the talking baby. Nice gimmick but it’s 2013 now.
2. Doritos-some funny spots, although I’m not sure I’ll remember them a few months from now.
3. Toyota’s spot w/Kaley Cuoco was quite good, just the right thing for this big event.
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Hi Paul, thanks for adding your thoughts. Always appreciated!
I agree that the ads overall were not as effective this year as in years past. Sometimes I couldn’t believe the companies actually paid $3.7 million for the spot. I spent the better part of the first half on Twitter and YouTube.
Dodge really utilized the surprise factor. The company didn’t release its ad early, so it really captured people’s attention when it aired. I actually stopped and listened. Plus, the brand understands its target audience and connected with them.
Tide did a great job involving the actual teams playing in the game and drawing their fans in. The connection to its brand was also obvious, which isn’t always the case.
The GoDaddy ad was hideous. I’ve never been a fan of ‘all publicity is good publicity’ but all I saw was a negative response on social media. I know the company said it had its best sales from a SB ad, but I find that hard to believe. Of course, it won’t release actual figures. 🙂
Let’s hope companies and agencies come up with some better commercials for 2014 that actually make us want to buy their products.
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