Super Bowl ads usually provide a mirror image of society, but on Sunday, they provide a window into the future.
Dozens of Super Bowl advertisers ignored the country-wide coronavirus pandemic and instead looked to the better times they hoped for. Few as one of the characters in more than four dozen ads spread across 19 different interruptions, were seen with masks or social distance, and some were seen gathering in small groups – including a horde of “Bud Light Legends” that exist from characters from decades of the drink’s popular commercials. “Come on, let’s grab a beer,” said one friend elsewhere in a cozy spot of Bud Light’s parent, Anheuser-Busch. When was the last time many people heard this?
“Brands are going to have a much lighter tone this year,” said Brad Emmett, co-creative head of the Detroit office of McCann Worldgroup, part of Interpublic Group. He helped make a Super Bowl commercial for General Motors based on the comedy Sal Salell.
Madison Avenue’s sunny nature did not come by accident. Managers at some of the smartest marketers in the country say consumer research has told them that this year the Super Bowl public wants to laugh or feel optimistic, and not wring their hands over difficult times. According to PepsiCo, 93% of consumers are expected to watch the CBS Super Bowl LV broadcast, in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, alone or in small groups, according to Rachel Ferdinando, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the company. Frito-Lay snack unit. “There is more responsibility on us to create more smiles,” she says.
Other top advertisers agree. “I think it’s a massive release,” Andy Goeler, vice president of Bud Light marketing, said in an interview, referring to how customers might view the Super Bowl. “So many people from all over the country are going to enjoy the opportunity and get away from all the things we’ve been through.”
Some advertisers have deliberately tried to make people happy while making a new point about a product or service. Procter & Gamble called in Jason Alexander and dozens of facial expressions to show what happens to a hoodie that has not been washed properly. Uber Eats revived the “Saturday Night Live” sketch “Wayne’s World”, complete with visits from Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey. DoorDash tapped the residents of Sesame Street. And Shift4 has asked viewers to see the prospect of a civilian trip to space.
Even one of the beleagured film companies in the country has tried to offer a ray of hope, with Comcast’s Universal studio promising to release films like ‘Old’ in theaters soon.
And guest stars were very popular. Carol Goll, head of international brand entertainment for ICM Partners, estimates that advertisers have increased their celebrity use by about 10% over 2020. Samuel L. Jackson took the lead for Verizon Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina took Ferrell ‘ given a boost. Winona Ryder and Timothee Chalamet revived the 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands” commissioned by Cadillac. Amy Schumer advertised Hellman’s first time in the Super Bowl. The opportunity “is still the biggest stage, and you have to get it right,” she says, noting that an observation of celebrities could help compensate for more difficult production hurdles due to the pandemic. “Having talent definitely makes a bigger impact and creates awareness and helps to create the emotional connection between the products and the consumer,” she adds.
Simply put, consumers just can no longer see coronavirus ads, suggests Chris Beresford-Hill, creative director of the New York office of TBWA Chiat Day, who helped create a Super Bow spot for ‘ a new fragrance from Mountain Dew. These ads, which appeared in masses last spring and spoke of a nation going through ‘unprecedented times’, quickly erased their welcome, he says, ‘it has become quite difficult to watch.’
When ads hit serious issues, they tried to inspire. Toyota told the story of Paralympic Jessica Long, who had her legs amputated below the knee at a very young age. And Jeep called in no one but Bruce Springsteen, who called for the nation to come together in a two-minute film-like place after a period of division. “It was a ballistic, ball-like game,” said Chuck Meehan, the other co-creative officer at McCann’s Detroit office who watched the work of a direct competitor of his client.
An ad does not have to lower its jaws to be successful this year. Several advertising executives thought two places for Rocket Mortgage led by comedian Tracy Morgan made the point. The place had ‘classic’ echoes, Beresford-Hill says.
The Super Bowl was an interesting field for experimentation. ViacomCBS has used its promo time to push for the launch of its new Paramount Plus streaming service. In several places, there were people from all over the big media company – including Stephen Colbert, Norah O’Donnell, Dora the Explorer and Patrick Stewart – who climbed on a search for ‘Paramount Mountain’. Participants appeared to have been individually filmed, which raised the bar to set its mark. Verizon has planned a kind of after-party, a live concert to raise money for small businesses with musicians like Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile.
Meanwhile, Mountain Dew asked viewers of its ad to count the number of bottles featured in the ad and then tweet the figure to add $ 1 million dollars. “We think it has a chance to see the ad in Super Bowl history the most,” said Greg Lyons, PepsiCo’s chief marketing officer. At a time when more consumers could switch between different screens and devices, executives felt that the concept would encourage people to watch it via TV and YouTube, says Beresford-Hill and therefore “gamify” the ad.
Some efforts do not seem ready for big league play. In an ad from Oatly from the oatmeal producer, its CEO is played playing music in the field and feels more like a pre-ad for a choice on YouTube. An advertisement by Dr. Squatch, a manufacturer of soap and hygiene for men, does not have the great production values expected of Super Bowl advertising players.
The broadcast was ripe for marketers. CBS sold ads to 17 Super Bowl newcomers, a sign of the ad market that developed during the pandemic. Some stalwart brands – Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Budweiser – place their flagship products on the bench. And while PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch were big spenders, there were also new and new beginners like Fiverr. Pious and Mercari. Only seven starters bought ads in last year’s Super Bowl broadcast, meaning the 2021 Super Bowl ad list includes a whopping 142.8% more first-round hits.
Advertisers did not talk about the pandemic, but they still forced people to think about it. “We are in strange times,” says Cedric The Entertainer, the comic actor who was under the big cast in Bud Light’s commercial. The Super Bowl has’ the best energy around it, it’s very festive. We’re used to it in America. This is the second New Year’s Eve. ”