Well, another Super Bowl has come and gone, and while I might offer my opinion on the game itself, I’m more qualified to comment on the commercials that support the broadcast.
Some quick background: I’ve been in advertising for fifty-two years, a creative director for the last forty, and I worship at the feet of Bill Bernbach. For those who don’t know who Bernbach is, Google him. If you’re in the advertising business and don’t know him, you really should discover everything about him. And fast.
Now before you assume that I’m some old creative dinosaur stuck in the brilliance of the groundbreaking advertising of the 1960s and 70s, know this: I am. Well, sort of. You see, I have managed to stay current and enjoy most of the technological, sociological, and cultural changes that have happened in my lifetime. But I still believe advertising – aside from being creative – should inform us about what the advertiser is selling and interest us enough to want to know more. In my opinion, too much recent advertising – while being creative and brilliantly produced – left me wondering who the advertiser was or what they were selling. If your target doesn’t know who you are and what you do, all that creativity has gone to waste. Not to mention the client’s money.
Most Super Bowl advertising is produced to raise awareness, make a statement, and create a buzz for the advertiser’s brand. Advertisers invest millions ($6.5 million for a thirty-second spot this year, plus millions more for production) on this once-a-year opportunity to reach zillions of consumers, so their commercial better be memorable and informative. That means consumers better understand what the advertiser’s commercial taught them about its brand, more than they remember how much jewelry Snoop Dogg wore during the halftime show.
So, here’s my top five of this year’s thirty and sixty-second multi-million-dollar productions that kept us glued to the tv in between passes, interceptions, and punts:
FTX – Larry David is perfectly cast as the naysayer, who throughout history is wrong about everything new – from the wheel to the lightbulb and now, FTX. Will Larry be wrong about this product that claims to be the safe, secure way to get into crypto? Only time will tell, but the odds favor FTX.
CHEVY SILVERADO – A brilliant recreation of the Sopranos opening, featuring Meadow – not Tony – in the driver’s seat of a new Chevy Silverado. With all the Sopranos content floating around the social media universe, this spot will resonate with the new generation of Sopranos fans…and truck purchasers.
E-TRADE – The talking baby returns! The original campaign was a Super Bowl favorite, and e-trade brings the baby back to remind investors they can get better advice from them than “… getting investment advice from memes.”
UBER EATS – Excellent execution of strategy: To inform us that Uber Eats delivers more than food. Great use of celebrities not understanding why they can’t eat the aluminum foil, diapers, and other non-edible items delivered by Uber Eats.
SQUARESPACE – Great concept. Great copy. Actually, very sweet while being very informative. This well-produced spot featuring Zendaya should score well with today’s new generation of marketers.
The rest of the commercials ranged from very good, to so-so, to awful, but I chose to compliment the great ones rather than criticize the not-so-great ones. I realize there will be those who will disagree with my choices, but advertising is so subjective, and I may be more analytical than the average commercial viewer, and that’s ok. Hopefully, my colleagues will produce even better work for future Super Bowls, so, as they say in sports, “I can’t wait until next year!”