Super Bowl advertisements have become almost as iconic as the actual game itself. Companies spend $8 million for a 30 second commercial window in the Super Bowl, with the goal of capturing the attention of the large audience tuned in to watch the broadcast.
Companies can take various different approaches to their commercials in order to get their audience to remember the segment, and also remember what business the ad was for, taking either a humorous, a sentimental, or even a thrilling approach.
The creativity in these commercials is essential to their success. Companies also implement the use of celebrities in order to appeal to the viewers as well.
South senior Peyton Siddell said that while he didn’t really have any favorites, the commercial that stuck with him the most was the Ram Trucks commercial with Glen Powell. Siddell said that the fact that it was based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with Glen Powell cast as Goldilocks, was so far-fetched and unique that it made him remember it.
Siddell will likely remember the commercial, and claimed that he will remember that it was for Ram as well. Although he is unable to speak for others, he said he is unlikely to buy a Ram truck anytime in the near future. This raises the question of whether or not Super Bowl commercials are worth how ridiculously expensive they are.
According to South business teacher Laurie Marburger, it is hard to determine whether or not a Super Bowl commercial would be worth it. She said that one main factor that she thinks makes a Super Bowl commercial good, and worth it for a business is that it is memorable. In one way or another, the companies need to stand out enough to their target audience so that a substantial amount of people remember the commercial.
Marburger further explained it is important for companies to make their commercials in a way that is not only memorable to their audience, but also linking it to themselves in some way so that the audience remembers what product or service the commercial was selling.She said that if the audience remembers a commercial but does not remember what it was for, then it would not be worth it for a business.
She elaborated stating that if a Super Bowl commercial is remembered, and people also remember what it was for, the final step comes down to whether or not the commercial entices people to buy the product or service.
South senior Isla Riddle said that one of the Super Bowl commercials that most stood out to her was the commercial for Reese’s new chocolate lava big cup. She said the absurd humor that they used in the commercial stood out; and while there weren’t any super notable celebrities in the commercial, the uniqueness of the commercial will make it stick with her.
She also said the humor being about an aspect of the product itself helped her remember that the commercial was for Reese’s, and she will not be forgetting that any time soon. She said the continuous showing of the product itself and making it look delectable also made her want to try it.
Marburger’s conditions for what makes a good super bowl commercial were all met from the Reese’s commercial as it used humor to influence the audience to remember the commercial and product, as well as enticing the audience to want to go buy it.
Another layer that super bowl commercials can implement is addressing current social trends or cultural issues and raising awareness. Depending on the target audience, a commercial could use popular memes or social media trends to target a younger audience, while it might not resonate the same with an older audience. The target audience is a major thing that companies should consider when creating super bowl commercials.
Both Marburger and Riddle noted the Novartis commercial about breast cancer awareness when asked about their top commercials from this past super bowl, while Siddell did not. This is likely due to the fact that the target audience of Novartis was women.
Riddle and Marburger both recalling this commercial shows that it likely succeeded in raising awareness to women.
Super Bowl commercials overall are much more than advertisements, the amount of thought that goes into them, and the cultural messages that they can send show how in some ways they can be a work of art.
Whatever emotions the commercials evoke from the audience, they have become a crucial part of the Super Bowl experience and will continue to be for years to come.
Sidebar:
Top 5 Super Bowl Commercials
- Nike – The Nike commercial uses a motivational speech and features popular female athletes such as Caitlyn Clark, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Jordan Chiles to appeal to women and to empower them to “win.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ezn5pZE7o
- Coffee Mate- The Coffee Mate Cold Foam commercial combined a unique and creative concept with humor, using the man in the commercial’s tongue having a party to emphasize the quality of their product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnbrFm-B3QI
- Reese’s – Reese’s used humor to advertise their Chocolate Lava Big Cup by making jokes related to the product itself. For example, the joke about people wanting to “eat lava” instead of Chocolate Lava in order to ensure the audience remembered that the commercial was for the Chocolate Lava Big Cups.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU_vZpbnYF4
- RAM – RAM combined a celebrity presence using Glen Powell with a creative and funny storyline casting Powell as Goldilocks trying to find out what is “just right” in order to create a memorable commercial over their newest line of trucks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS_0ojDfysA
- Mountain Dew – The Mountain Dew commercial used such absurd and random humor to emphasize that Baja Blast is like a “kiss from a lime.” Featuring Becky G as well as the musician Seal, casted as an actual seal ensures that it is unforgettable and that the audience members remember the commercial and remember it was for Baja Blast.
