It’s time to stock up on chips, dips, and wings for the biggest eating day of the year next to Thanksgiving. Super Bowl LIV is just around the corner. Fandoms are fired up and the speculations are swirling around the time-honored competition that is fought off the field. Who will win the ultimate kudos for creating the best Super Bowl ad?
Last year, 100.7 million viewers tuned in to Super Bowl LIII where the New England Patriots faced off with the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. 2019 was not a great year for the Super Bowl as the fewest people in 11 years attempted to find excitement in what many described as mostly “meh” moments. Nothing says it more succinctly that the USA Today Sports headline: “That Super Bowl Was So Boring.”
That was then. This is now.
This year is going to be different and here’s how we know: Last year advertisers spent $5.3million for 30 seconds of in-game ad time. This year, that figure has swelled to $5.6 million, and that’s not all. These astronomically expensive ads sold out in record time. Super Bowl ads are a phenomenon in their own right, shored up by scores of social media predictions and recaps.
During 2019, Super Bowl fans spent 641 thousand hours watching the ads on YouTube after the fact. That was a 58% increase over the previous year and it wasn’t even because the ads were considered exceptional. Like the game, 2019 Super Bowl ads fell short of high expectations and theories poured in on all fronts for months following the game. Forbes columnist Simon Mainswaring hypothesized that the problem was the “self-serving” position he saw as a common thread in many of the ads he described as “underwhelming.” In his article, “Why This Year’s Super Bowl Ads Were Nothing to Celebrate,” Mainwaring goes on to point out how even big brands failed to create stories that inspired and instead turned out unspecial, forgettable ads that showed how powerfully a social media backlash (Gillette’s 2018 SB ad) can discipline and even discourage an entire cycle of creative innovation.
Instead, he claims key advertisers in 2019 played it safe and lost ground in the process. He concedes a few exceptions like the NFL, Kia, Google, Yellow Tail, Microsoft and Verizon who Mainswaring says placed themselves in a more collaborative, community-oriented storylines that communicated authenticity and demonstrated their ability to relate to their audiences.
Advertisers in 2020 will have to be even better, because that’s the Super Bowl ad game. With the coveted in-game ad inventory selling out 2 months and a week in advance, this year kicked off with one surprising new twist signaling that advertisers want a piece of the Super Bowl 54 action, and they are willing to pay top-dollar for it. The advertisers who dilly-dallied lost their place in line.
There is even a hint of rebuke in statements made by Fox’s Executive V.P. of Sports Sales Seth Winter who had this to say about the losers: “There are a number of advertisers, frankly, who couldn’t land their spots with us because their creative wasn’t ready or because of some indecisiveness, so we are going to go to pre & post game inventory to land their units.” To put the significance of this into perspective, last year’s inventory did not sell out until February 1; only 2 days in advance of the game. Fox did not offer any fire-sale pricing as the clock ran down to the 2020 game, so hesitating was strongly de-incentivized from the start.
Who is in the Big Game
Advertisers had to decide early if they were in or out. Here are a few brands who jumped in early and bought their chance to shine on millions of screens:
Avocados from Mexico
They are going for the 6th consecutive year following 5 years totaling 27 billion brand impressions and a 73% increase in sales in the month leading up to the game.
Coca Cola
They took a pre-game slot (they’ve been appearing in-game since 2006) and notably sat out last year’s game.
Hyundai
Known for affordability and reliability, this marks their 12th appearance in 13 years.
Kia
Sensible and known for safety, this will be the brand’s 11th consecutive Super Bowl ad.
New York Life
Returning after 30 years, NYL will be using its Super Bowl time to highlight its 175th anniversary.
This Super Bowl virgin will run with a one-minute creative for its maiden launch in front of some of the most judgmental fans ever, who will then use its platform to share the final word.
Pringles
Is the 3rd time a charm? This year the stackable chip’s ad will answer the question with an ad featuring the popular animated duo Rick and Morty.
Pop-Tarts
It’s Pop-Tarts’ first time, but it’s unlikely that to be shy with “Queer Eye” personality Jonathan Van Ness promising to bring the fun.
What Makes a Successful Super Bowl Spot
The first Super Bowl broadcast came from two major networks in 1967 and was watched by 56 million viewers. Advertisers paid $85,000 for their 60 seconds of game-time glory and the phenomenon known as the Super Bowl ad has continued to evolve. Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl ad directed by Ridley Scott launched a level of brand storytelling that included a Hollywood halo, and for sure celebrities feature largely in these often iconic ads. In an era of hyper-fragmented advertising and mere milliseconds to connect with consumers, what does it take to make an ad that lives on?
Harvard Business School professor and co-author of “Super Bowl Storytelling” Shelle Santana says the secrets to creating an ad with a long shelf-life are timeless. You need a character and a well-developed plot – even for the shortest slot. There needs to be something the viewer can connect to in the conflict or challenge that has to be overcome. It can be funny, as we’ve seen in the best of the humorous Super Bowl ads, or it can be dramatic and trigger the waterworks. Regardless, Santana emphasizes that there should be a moral to the story – a take-home message that ensures memorability.
This year, advertisers lined up early, so clearly, they’re all in. At the end of the game it’s for the fans to decide if the brands’ creatives make the cut. Entertainment value counts when 78% of your viewership is evaluating your ad with this benchmark in mind. Does your ad deserve a place next to well-loved star athletes and possibly better loved once-a-year nacho extravaganzas? All around, the buzz is hopeful that this year’s Super Bowl ad game will be strong.
If you are interested in spreading your brand story to a national audience, contact us to learn how.
