The Super Bowl has always been a who is who of the advertising game. Ever since television first started airing the game in 1967, the captive audience was too good for businesses not to invest in the best ads. Today, NBC charged a reported 6.5 million dollars for a 30 second spot. This of course doesn’t include the cost of producing the actual commercial, which depending on the approach could be exorbitant.
As I observed the reaction of the media and even the people around me, there were three commercials that created a splash and are worth learning from if you are interested in promoting your business.
The first one I’d like to mention stirred up an emotional reaction from the masses. It was the BMW commercial featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek. Putting the veteran celebrity of the Governator portraying Zeus addressed the emotional connection that people love to feel. The ingenious component in my eyes was that both of the actors announced their appearance in the commercial at press releases about their upcoming films, two weeks before the commercial aired. What this did, was create a buzz about the commercial that grew on social media in anticipation.
Regardless of how you feel about the product, Nissan came up with a great concept. Sending the message that Eugene Levy could be transformed from the king of the urban sophisticated man he is into a action hero aging Fabio looking bad boy, was shocking. Shock and awe is another emotion that people love to feel. The cameo appearances of other celebrities within the commercial reinforced the emotional note with that of surprise. Finally, for those who are a fan of Mr. Levy, the appearance of his long time work partner Catherine O’Hara was a moment of nostalgia. It was a highlight of the night.
Proving that a commercial or ad campaign need not be expensive, Coinbase takes the prize in our eyes. If you didn’t see it, it was nothing but a black screen with a floating QR code. The response in the room where we were watching was immediate. Everyone seemed confused and surprised. The majority of attendees scrambled to find their phones and scan the code. Doing something completely different than what others are doing certainly paid off. As people watched the floating QR code for an entire minute, they broke the internet to the point that people reported getting error messages. Those who got through ended on a landing page where an offer for 15 dollars in bitcoin for free if you sign up, plus entering a raffle for prizes adding up to 3 million dollars.
At ARTC, we keep a very watchful eye in the ad industry because our clients deserve that we provide them with the tools to take their business in the direction they want it to go. We aim to make unique and effective brand strategy that tells their story as something truly extraordinary.
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