If you were one of the 111 million viewers that tuned in to watch Super Bowl XLV, you’d probably agree that this year’s ads weren’t all that they’re usually cracked up to be. Most feedback – from consumers and analysts alike – expressed disappointment in what seemed to be dull advertising. Among some of the flops was the Snickers spot featuring Roseanne Barr and Richard Lewis, and the GoDaddy commercial showcasing a scantily clad 77-year old Joan Rivers as the new “GoDaddy Girl.”
With the price ticket on a :30 ad coming in at a whopping $3 million, what gives?
One explanation is that there were a lot more car ads with spots from more than eight auto companies running throughout the night. According to The Wall Street Journal, comedy can be risky for auto advertisers as safety plays a much more important role in purchasing decisions than funny. Coupled with a plethora of movie trailer spots, the result led to less funny commercial breaks overall.
In addition, some familiar favorites seemed like they may be getting stale – such as the CareerBuilder ad with the chimps that make it impossible for their human coworker to park his car. It might be time for a refresh there.
Or, the commercial with the Budweiser Clydesdales who deliver fresh cases of beer just in time, causing everyone in the bar to break out into a group rendition of “Tiny Dancer.” The beloved horses were barely shown in the spot.
And then there was Groupon’s Tibet commercial that lit up the social media networks and has received criticism from around the world. The bottom line? If you have to issue an apology letter to explain the point and theme of the ad, you probably shouldn’t have run it.
What did work, however, was Volkswagen’s “The Force,” where a boy in a Darth Vader costume tries to apply his imaginary powers to random household items. When he approaches his dad’s VW Passat in the driveway, Dad turns the car on with his remote control key as he looks on in the kitchen. The next day, it seemed everyone with a young child with a wild imagination could relate to the commercial – and even if you didn’t, you could still see the humor in the simple approach. Maybe next year advertisers will take some cues from VW and try to highlight some of the humor found in every day life – it’s the simpler approach that seems to resonate with today’s consumers.
What did you think of this year’s Super Bowl ads?