What’s hot and not for Super Bowl ads
Commercials push online interaction hard. More first-time advertisers.
February 4, 2016
So many Super Bowl ads are released online ahead of the game you can already cull some of the big themes for advertising ahead of Sunday’s kickoff. Companies are pushing online interactions hard. Sun Trust, for example, has launched a new website just to promote in the game. Meanwhile, a couple of ads have gotten buzz for their content. Mini has a commercial loaded with celebrities, and Avocados from Mexico once again has a clever premise that’s drawing laughs. Michael Pavone, president and chief executive officer at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, agency Pavone and founder of Super Bowl commercial polling website SpotBowl, talks to Media Life about what ads look good, which don’t, and what people will be talking about after the game.
What do you see as the big themes in Super Bowl advertising this year?
This year, like previous years, online interaction is key.
A lot of ads are driving viewers to websites or encouraging participation on social media in an effort to extend the investment and extend the experience with the brand.
Which Super Bowl ads are getting the most pregame attention?
Mini is getting lots of attention for its spot, which features what could be a record number of celebrities-six at last count. The ad shows celebrities-each with a personal connection to the Mini-talking about what the car is to them.
It’s a bold and powerful spot with some powerful underlying messages. We expect it to do well in our SpotBowl poll.
What do you think could be the big “breakout” ads from the game?
There are plenty of rookies in this year’s game-12 at last count-which is the most first-time advertisers in the Super Bowl since the “dot.com” bowl of 2000. Of that group, there are plenty of big brands but also lots of smaller brands hoping to make a big splash on a national stage.
Some of the first-timers are established brands but are looking to move to the next level in terms of awareness. Brands like Marmot (outdoor clothing), Bai (low-calorie beverage) and Persil ProClean (premium laundry detergent) could have a break out ad this year.
Any Super Bowl ads you think sound less than stellar?
So far, this year’s crop has looked good, at least what we’ve heard from announcements and seen in teasers and pre-game releases. As always, the pressure will be on the car companies to make a splash and set themselves apart from the many other car ads that we’ll see on game day.
What lessons do you see the second-year advertisers, such as Wix and Avocados from Mexico, applying to their super bowl ads?
Wix and Avocados from Mexico are both playing it smart by tapping into established cultural references. Wix is working with Dreamworks and will include the characters from “Kung Fu Panda,” and Avocados from Mexico has a very funny spot filled with cultural references.
That’s always a good play, but we’ll see how it works for them when the votes are counted.
Which companies have had the most successful ads the past few years and why?
Anheuser-Busch always does well.
They’ve won each of the last two SpotBowl titles, thanks to an adorable puppy and its iconic Clydesdales, and six of 12 titles overall. It makes sense, because they’ve got a brand and a portfolio of products that allows them to create entertaining and engaging ads. The puppies won’t return this year, but the Clydesdales will, so we’ll see if they can defend their title.
Colgate has an ad focused on conserving water in this year’s game. Do you think there’s room for serious ads in the Super Bowl? Why or why not?
There definitely is. A lot of brands will “go for the funny” in a Super Bowl ad, and that’s not a bad thing, but an occasional “serious” ad can sometimes stand out in a sea of humorous spots.
At the same time, the approach can backfire. There’s a fine line between serious and depressing.
If you’re serious, people will watch. If you’re depressing, they’ll tune out.
Are celebrity-focused ads any more effective or non-effective in the Super Bowl than other ads? Why?
With the right celebrity, they can be very effective. A celebrity provides an immediately recognizable face and someone viewers can relate to or identify with.
As an advertiser, you just have to be careful not to let the celebrity overpower the spot and the brand at the center of it.
There was a big bump in rumored pricing for this year’s game. What’s your stance on the whole “is the Super Bowl worth the price” question?
It’s absolutely worth it.
Even though the spots may cost $5 million, the game reaches such a large audience-a record 114.4 million viewers in the 2015 game-that the cost for advertisers works out to about 4 cents per viewer.
That’s close to the same rate that you’d get for events like the Grammys and Oscars, and those are events in which viewers aren’t paying nearly as much attention to the commercials.
Tags: ads super bowl, michael pavone, spotbowl, super bowl, super bowl ads, super bowl advertising
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