With the Super Bowl right around the corner, two different types of people will be tuning in: those that watch it for the actual game, and those that watch it for the ads.
Companies have realized that advertising during the Super Bowl is a worthy investment because it starts a conversation. Even prior to the actual airing of the ad, such conversations are initiated due to the release of teaser commercials, or even full advertisements before Super Bowl Sunday. The element of surprise is traded for the possibility of having the ad go viral – every company’s dream.
This year’s ads are playing it safe and are following the classic trend of “longer commercials that pull on our heartstrings,” said Bloomberg Business contributor, Gerry Smith. However, this year companies do not intend to pull our heartstring to the extreme – think Nationwide’s 2015 commercial that featured a boy with tousled hair who would never ride a bike, travel the world, or marry because he was killed in a preventable home injury – yikes. Instead, these are the four most popular trends you are likely to see during this Super Bowl Sunday.
- Lots of Humor
Laughter is cheap medicine. Might as well go all out, no? According to David&Goliath founder David Angelo, “we’re going to see a shift from somber, doom-and-gloom themes to focus on more uplifting and humorous messages.”
Take the Dorito’s 2016 Super Bowl commercial for example. It shows an unborn baby reacting to his dad eating a bag of Doritos on an ultrasound screen. As the dad moves the bag of chips near his wife’s stomach, the baby reaches out to grab the bag. The 30-second commercial concludes with the baby wanting to get out of his mother’s womb as soon as possible in order to get a first taste of Doritos. Although it sounds a little bit insane, the actual commercial is quite funny – watch below.
- Products vs. Concepts
It’s no shock that brands want to stand out and engage with their target audience, especially during the Super Bowl. However, this is probably the most difficult time to do so because all brands compete against each other to have the most memorable commercials.
We usually see brands introducing new concepts, but this year, some brands are focusing more on their products. In addition to being noticed, brands want to become more practical. For example, laundry detergent brand Persil will introduce its ProClean detergent to a national audience through their ad. Their goal is to promote its premium laundry detergent by focusing on what it does and how it works. “For those consumers who haven’t yet heard about the brand-Persil is ready for its big debut,” said senior Vice President and general manager-laundry & home care division, Andreas Hartleb.
Check out the ad below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9vOMGsB8Bc
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- Creating a Sense of Movement and Optimism
There is always that one Super Bowl ad that gives you chills and makes you want to do something good for society. Last year, it was Always’ #LikeAGirl campaign. It’s monumental goal was to change the meaning of the phrase #LikeAGirl from an insult to a compliment – and that is exactly what they did.
This year, Colgate’s Every Drop Counts campaign has the potential to be impactful on society and create a movement. The campaign aims to motivate people to take action and save water by pledging to turn off the faucet when brushing their teeth, showering, cleaning dishes, or washing their hands.
Check out the ad below.
- Utilizing all Platforms
The majority of brands who invested in advertising during the 2015 Super Bowl failed to integrate TV ads with their online strategy running during the big game. This year, the focus is to use all platforms like never before – to the extend of having TV become the second screen.
It is essential for brands to consistently connect their TV advertisements to the following platforms:
- Website: A brand’s ad should appear on their homepage, rather than having consumers scroll down to find the ad.
- Mobile: This being “the year of mobile,” brands must show their ad with compromised visibility so it still engages consumers who are on their mobile devices.
- Search engine optimization: Having an ad in the Super Bowl, to say the least, provides many opportunities for brands. However, in order to optimize the success level of the brand, it is imperative to use keywords that will make the ad appear online when consumers, media, or competitors want to re-watch it.
Take a look at some of the commercials airing this Super Bowl Sunday and tell us which one is your favorite!
