It’s the day after the Superbowl, what a thriller by the way, and that means it’s time to dissect and thoroughly judge what I consider the top ads of the night. Before we dive in, here’s a quick rundown of the criteria I personally use to judge a successful ad—this is obviously outside of being able to see actual sales numbers as a direct result of each commercial.
Criteria:
- Was it memorable?
- Does it tie back to the product being sold?
- Does it improve brand awareness?
- Does it tie back to the Superbowl (Does it leverage the event or the NFL’s brand)?
- Does it have “legs” (i.e. Does it have the potential for an ongoing campaign)?
“So Simple” Award: Pringles – WOW
Sometimes simplicity wins the day, which is the case for the Pringles “Wow” ad. It’s funny, to the point, and best of all it reveals a new use for the product. I have to say, that after seeing this spot, I did want to go out and buy a variety of Pringles cans to try and mix up my own flavors. While this didn’t tie back to the Superbowl, and I doubt this is something that has the merit to be developed into an ongoing campaign, I would guess that this does boost sales. Very well done!
“Old is New” Award: Jeep – Jurassic Jeep
A great example of utilizing brand association was the Jeep Jurassic ad. It leverages the reborn popularity of the Jurassic Park series by combining 90s nostalgia, highlighted by Jeff Goldblum himself, while also tying the original Jeeps in the movie to the all-new Wrangler. It’s exciting, funny, and very memorable. Best of all, it makes the viewer want to embark on their own Jeep adventures. Nice work! Side note: Kia also gave us the “old is new” treatment with their ad featuring Steven Tyler. Somehow, the concept along with the “Feel something again” line at the end felt more melancholy than motivating to buy a Kia (but maybe it’s just me).
“Got Ya” Award: Tourism Australia – Crocodile Dundee
With “setup” ads running for weeks, I don’t think anyone saw this one coming—myself included. This series of trailers for the upcoming Crocodile Dundee movie turned out to really be one of the most memorable ad campaigns for tourism in Australia. In my opinion, this has to be one of the most original ideas I’ve seen in a long time. It’s funny, memorable, ties to the product in obvious ways, a home run (or should I say touchdown) on many levels.
“Do Anything” Award: Toyota – Odds
Of the emotionally charged ads aired, Toyota delivered the biggest tearjerker. Interestingly, they used their airtime on a brand awareness piece vs trying to sell one of their vehicles. In any case, the idea that Toyota empowers determined athletes is a great tie to the Superbowl, athletes in general, and especially to those who may be challenged physically. Very unique and memorable!
“Let’s Dance” Award: NFL – Celebrations to Come
Jeep and Tourism Australia weren’t the only ones that used nostalgia to grab our attention. The NFL represented in a surprising commercial that harkened back to Dirty Dancing (I bet you didn’t see that coming). This funny commercial takes us behind the scenes with Eli Manning and Odell Beckham, Jr. as they prepare for next season, performing to the classic song, “Time of My Life.” Poking fun at the ever-increasingly complex touchdown dances, while also promoting the upcoming season—during the commencement of the current one, is a brilliant move.
“For Real?” Award: Tide – It’s a Tide Ad
I can’t remember seeing a better example of upcycling in advertising. This commercial uses (makes fun of) of typical ads and leverages them all into “A Tide Ad.” By joining a series of mock ads, as well as some classic P&G ad concepts together, they were able to run with the joke several times, each time making you wonder if you were watching a regular commercial or another Tide Ad, which is very engaging. While they didn’t tie to the Superbowl in any way, these spots were hilariously memorable, they tied back to the product, and they provide a campaign platform Tide can use ongoing.
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