It's an annual rite. On the Monday after Super Bowl, the water cooler/breakroom/coffee shop debate is always "which Super Bowl TV commercial 'won?'" Forget the game (even if Super Bowl LI was the most amazing Super Bowl ever), it's all about the commercials and which scored highest in USA Today's Ad Meter or captured the attention of critics in various media outlets, not to mention those spots that generated conversation at Super Bowl parties and morning-after conversations everywhere.
I asked 50 esteemed colleagues in the advertising, sports marketing, media and communications sector to let me know their favorites. I asked this group, representing agencies and companies from across the country, four questions:
- Which Super Bowl ad was most effective and why?
- Which Super Bowl ad was least effective and why?
- Which Super Bowl ad was most entertaining?
- Which ad is work that you wish you would have done?
Many of these colleagues have developed Super Bowl commercials; many have clients who had spots in the broadcast. Interestingly, their responses indicated no clear favorite commercial and in some cases the opinions were the direct opposite of one another.
Here's what they had to say.
Most effective commercial
- Airbnb. "Very simple and timely message about inclusion; fits the brand idea of home away from home." (Ad agency senior account leader) Another respondent, from the world of higher education, also liked Airbnb: "They managed to be timely and relevant. The #weaccept message was timely, brand relevant and likely to strike a chord with Airbnb's core audience of issue-oriented millennials."
- Busch. "The original 'Busch' can opening noise was a brilliant take...and was directly related to a sensory benefit of the product." (Chief Creative Officer at Midwest ad agency)
- H&R Block. "This one caught me by surprise - the use of Watson as basis for consideration and trial is very compelling." (Senior marketing consultant)
- "The timing of the diversity/immigration ads was amazing. I'm sure they were received 50-50 by the U.S. audience but the companies - Coke, Anheuser Busch, and even Airbnb - want to reach and appeal to their diverse audience and they nailed that." (Sports marketing agency owner)
- Budweiser. "Great American brand made by immigrants." (Agency founder and veteran of numerous Super Bowl commercials)
- Ford. "Go further versus being stuck - nice premise for getting across all the new dimensions of Ford's efforts."
- Michelin. "It's all about safety and security of your loved ones. Haven't they been saying that for awhile?"
- Kia Nero. "Entertaining, engaging, well produced and clearly focused on a single message - 'You may not be an Eco Warrior but you can drive like one.' Melissa McCarthy is great in this spot. I knew exactly what the brand wanted me to take away as a message." (Senior account leader in Midwest ad agency)
- "A tie based on the realities of the new world of advertising - Intel's promotion of Lady Gaga's drones and 84 Lumber's ability (at least based on my Facebook feed) to make a spot work THE DAY AFTER the game." (Senior marketing strategist)
- Audi. "They nailed it with 'equal pay'." (Communications agency owner)
- Avocado and Bud Light. "To me, they broke through the clutter with humor. Points also go to 'Bai, Bai, Bai' and the Melissa McCarthy Kia spot - again, they made me laugh and I was engaged with them immediately. Special mention to the Sprint ad because it was funny and strategic." (Senior marketer)
- "I thought the T Mobile ads were really good; at first, I wasn't so sure because the Bieber ad felt like just a bunch of famous people being thrown at me, but the 50 Shades spoofs were very funny and I think they hit the market of 'uncannier' by slamming Verizon in a very humorous, memorable way." (Business consultant and partner)
- Bai. "I'd never heard of them. Creative use of Justin Timberlake and his song was easy to get and memorable. Winner." (Agency executive) Another respondent, from the technology sector, also said Bai "for sure pure brand support."
- Coke. "I'm always a sucker for the Coca-Cola commercials. They give me the chills and don't shove anything down your throat as far as politics. Coke simply makes you associate love and happiness with their product. I want to go out and grab an ice cold coke as much as I want to help others and be inclusive." (Digital agency account leader)
- "No clear cut winner this year." (Sports marketing agency executive)
Summary: Bai, Audi and Kia were mentioned most frequently as ads that were effective.
Least effective commercial
- More than one of my colleagues mentioned the mobile gaming ads and movie trailers given "no relevance," their violence, and the dark tone of each of these commercials. One respondent said "Nothing but violence at a time when the country didn't really need that." Another said, "Enough with the bizarre movies and video games."
- "So many of the spots seemed to be bent on making a 'statement.' Normally, I might think those can be powerful but in today's climate I felt more of a turnoff than a positive." (Chief Creative Officer)
- "I'm sick and tired of being lectured about how I'm supposed to feel and act right now. All of the spots, from Coke to 84 Lumber to Budweiser, just turned me off completely." (Senior marketer)
Specific spots mentioned as least effective included:
- Busch. "Confusing to me as to their objective."
- Yellow Tail. "Learned nothing new."
- T Mobile. "A litany of quirky, punchy and awkwardly funny ads packed with more pop culture references than you could count."
- "The Busch and Bud Light ads were terrible; for a category that prides itself on high production quality, clever humor and sizzle, both the Busch guy and Spuds McKenzie were terrible."
- H&R Block. "Huge budget to spend on production and media and I'm very unclear what the product offering is and how it's different."
- Fiji water. "After viewing my reaction was 'Zzzz.'"
- Sprint. "Faking dad's death - so relatable. UGH!"
- Mercedes Benz. "I get the Fonda joke but way too subtle...strategically off the mark for this very speciality automobile."
- Honda. "The 'dream' spot neither advanced the perception of the brand, nor stood out, and the use of celebrities means they used WAY too much money."
- Buick. "I understand Buick wants to shift its audience but they're not to the point where they should have a polarizing, young sports figure as their featured actor. I don't exactly think 'Cam Newton' when pondering who might resonate with both Buick's old target (great grandparents) and their new target (Gen X, it seems.)"
Summary: Many ads were mentioned in response to this question with the above being a representative sampling. The most interesting outcome of this question was how the tone of the advertising turned off a significant number of respondents.
Most entertaining
- Kia. Multiple mentions.
- The Honda Yearbook ad received numerous mentions. "Great creative but I'm not sure it will sell cars." Another said, "Genuinely clever, fresh and original."
- Buick. "The Cam Newton spot." (Business owner)
- Squarespace. "The premise along with the chops of John Malkovich captured my attention. Ironically, while Squarespace may help you build a website, I'm unsure about its capability to buy domains."
- T Mobile. "These ads made me laugh out loud. The two ads I won't forget are the Coke 'It's Beautiful' ad and the Google Home ad. I imagine it's because I am feeling particularly raw within this divisive political climate but these two ads really hit a chord, made me smile and nod my head, and regain a little of the pride I have as an American watching America's most heralded sporting event."
- "The Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart T Mobile spot." Another agency exec mentioned T Mobile, saying "Uncomfortably funny and memorable way to take on Verizon."
- Intel.
- "For pure entertainment, I like 'four years of bad hair' and also liked the AFLAC 'surgery' spot. The Turbotax stuff was pretty interesting; interesting use of Terry Bradshaw and the 'stain' by Tide."
- 84 Lumber. "Fantastic storytelling. Cinematic production. Compelling message with timely, relevant and polarizing subject matter. The only spot that inspired me to go to a website to see more of the story. I genuinely wanted to see more to complete the story." (Agency exec)
Summary: The spots mentioned most frequently as entertaining were Kia, Honda and T Mobile.
Work you wish you would have done
Multiple mentions went to...:
- Hyundai. "It would have been great to have been a part of such a touching idea and then putting the plan into motion."
- Bai.
- Audi. "Audi's spot will live on in Super Bowl retrospectives, and the hearts of their female target, for decades."
Others had the following feedback:
- Kia.
- Tide. "The level of broadcast integration was unprecedented. Perfect personality and foil in Terry Bradshaw."
- Google Home.
- 84 Lumber.
- H&R Block. "I believe it likely did the most for their business."
- Anheuser Busch. "It doesn't make me want to drink their beer but it's such a beautiful vignette. And, it gives me a warm feeling about their company."
- Coca Cola. "Simply beautiful. Shines a light on American diversity and communicates a sense of hope when America needs unity and healing. Simple idea, done well."
And, finally, from one of the most well-respected creative folks in the business, came this - "None."
Summary: No spot stood out as the one that everyone wishes they would have done but the Audi, Bai and Hyundai spots received multiple mentions.
If there was one key takeaway from this quick, qualitative research it's that there was no consensus...on anything. Respondents differed as to the political overtones of some of the advertising. And, some of the same ads drew both "effective" and "least effective" responses.
What I found most interesting is the response to the ads that included copy and imagery about inclusion and diversity. Not only was there disagreement as to whether the approach worked, there was deep emotion by some about anything remotely political invading the broadcast of the biggest U.S. sporting event of the year.
While both responses are certainly understandable, I'll leave you with this considered response from a colleague who felt that the Super Bowl was the perfect forum for this dialogue.
"It was overall very touching to see so many companies spend so much money to make statements about inclusion and being a good steward of the planet versus the typical hot women and over-the-top comedy we typically see. There was perhaps no better way to reach such an audience and basically say, 'What's happening in this country is NOT alright.' It is absolutely amazing to see boycotts of Budweiser...FREAKING BUDWEISER happening because they featured a short story about a German immigrant meeting Mr. Anheuser for the first time. One of the biggest dangers this country faces is letting discrimination, fear, hatred, etc. become normalized. It's good to see major corporations are doing their part to keep that from happening."
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