Super Bowl ad is a different kind of beast.
Seldom you have an audience who is actually waiting to see your ads. Also seldom you are fighting the attention with biggest sport event and the biggest performers in half-time show. In Super Bowl you have to do great entertainment just to get noticed. Seldom they actually win any advertising awards either. Super Bowl ads are the populist creativity at its fullest. You have paid big price of the attention of the people, what are you going to with that attention?
To get noticed and be loved, the recipe for succesful Superbowl ad in recent years has been the following:
Make it funny+Make it Epic+Add some Celebrities in the mix+(Add Hashtag or Facebook URL if you remember)
Although there has been great non-funny Superbowl ads, it is usually easier (not easy) to be funny in 30 seconds than to make people truly sentimental. Surprisingly this year´s Ad Meter winner was not slapstick comedy, but this tearjerker from Budweiser:
I was not that convinced so I decided to watch them all through to find better ones. It took approximately the same time than it took to watch The Master. I recommend heartily the latter more. This my top 10 list of Superbowl Ads. As you can see, I like simple ideas and celebrity comedians.
Tide: Miracle Stain
This was the favourite of the bunch. Seriously funny and also adds some topical twist to predictable ending. Reminds me about this scetch from Mitchell and Webb.
Best Buy: Asking Amy
Great way to add funny celebrity and lots of product shots as well. Simple but effective.
GoDaddy: Your Next Big Idea
Despite the more buzz about and around the akward “Bar Rafaeli Makes out”-spot, this was actually the better one. In terms of attitude, I have to give it up for GoDaddy-marketing. Rafaeli-spot got the lowest ratings in ad-meter, but also generated most buzz. Despite the angry feedback, it was also commercially succesfully and GoDaddy had record sales after the game day.
Audi: The Prom
Mercedez-Benz: Soul
Lots of car commercials as usual, but these two were my favourites. The prom is classic aspirational story about the ego-boosting capabilities of the car with great soundtrack. In terms of making truly epic ad, Mercedez-Benz scores quite high. Willem Dafoe as the devil is not a bad start. However, the ending which actually got the price of the car to the ad, made it to my list.
Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai “Stuck” ads were quite funny as well, but Kia Babylandia was probably the worst. Babies and cute animals score well, but still why you do this? Missing the hamsters already. The Fiat topless ad I liked as well, but probably more because I am male and also a sucker for Isaac Hayes soundtrack (for women viewers in the same bandwagon was the controversial Calvin Klein ad)
Samsung: The Next best thing
Actually the extended version is not bad either. Good balance between the funny banter and product features. I have to still admit that this still felt more like insider joke for ad people. The industry insider jokes did not score well in Ad Meter either.
Taco Bell: Viva Mas
Refreshing to have old people instead of babies or dogs in ads. Just for that reason, this requires to be in the list.
Oreo: Whisper Fight
Dramatizing the evergoing debate around the Oreo to the fullest.
Century 21: Wedding
Good idea and the whole series around this is good. Gets better with repetition as well, Might be a campaign for years.
Doritos: Goat 4 Sale
I just love the concept “Crash the Superbowl”. Crowdsourcing and UGC seem to be more curse words nowaday, but this program has maintained its quality and interest over six years. It was tough call between this and “Fashionista Daddy”
Quite ok year, but none of the ads seems to be a true classic like this one.
And one last thing, who thought that it was good idea that fish would sing No Diggidy?
Just asking.
Stand-Up Strategy 