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So how do you balance pure entertainment value and the ability to position and promote your brand effectively. It’s not as easy as you might think. We have all seen major marketers fumble year after year. But if you cannot effectively position or promote your brand and make it memorable in the fuzzy haze of Super Bowl Monday then why are you spending $2.5 – $3. Million on a :30 spot anyway. Oh yeah, what’s with all the head butting, slapping and tackling? Here’s my take on last night’s show…
The Winners:
KGB: Sumo Wrestlers – I never heard of KGB, but I’m gonna check it out today. Message was quite clear.
Snickers: Betty & Abe – Really well done and made the product the star
Google: Searching through life – Said it all without saying a word, which is valuable considering all the obnoxious people talking during the game
Audi: The Green Police – Memorable and made their position clear
Bridgestone: Whale – Riding off the success of The Hangover, the spot had stopping power
Career Builder: Casual Day – Didn’t we see a Bud Light viral version of this last week. It was still a good spot
Budweiser: Clydesdales – They do it every year!
Denny’s: Grand Slam – Chicken’s rule! Who dat going to Denny’s tomorrow?
E-trade: Milkoholic – Great campaign keeps rolling out
NCIS: Headslap – Yes it was one of many slaps but this could really take off. Who watches this show anyway?
The Saints: They came marching through
The Losers:
Jim McMann Shuffle – Who was the client?
Go Daddy: Danica – Why?
BudLight: Voices – This is NOT the next Wassup
Tebow: Enough said…
Taco Bell: $5.00 Box – These black men had no rhythm
The Colts: It was actually kind of nice to see a Manning get slapped around
Queen LaTifah: WTF was that?
Local:
Charles Barker – Sorry Charlie
Cox – Nice tease for wireless
If you want to see all the spots, here they are: Super Bowl Spots
Posted by: Joe Takach, CEO, Meridian Group
- Published by Joe Takach in: Advertising
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7 Responses to “The best and worst of super bowl 44 spots”
Nice post, but I can’t for the life of me understand how Google winds up a winner in anyone’s list.
They are by far tops in search with over 70% of the market and it isn’t like people have no idea what they do, and for the most part do the best. I doubt they will be relinquishing that title to Bing/Yahoo/As Jeeves [sic] any time soon. So why spend millions of dollars to sell something so synonymous that it’s now a description for that specific thing. People Google with Bing, just as they Xerox on Canon copiers, just as they use adhesive strips to Band-Aid.
This isn’t even considering the target audience for the Super Bowl. Those watching don’t care about finding Chocolates in Paris at this time, much less any time. Maybe finding the best bars with the best beer, or the best deals on Ed Hardy t-shirts. It came off a bit pretentious in a time where everyone is letting their drunk freak flag fly.
It’s a beautiful commercial in a different situation, but don’t they have a phone to sell or something? It’s mind boggling they went for this under this circumstance. Feel free to help me out with a decent rationale to this. Thanks.
You mean the Doritos spot didn’t make your top pick?
Also, maybe the Queen didn’t kill it, but the singing the entire night was a horror in my opinion!
I liked the Google ad as well in my top 5. It really showed the brand’s capabilities. Younger generations aren’t using Google as often as we are.
I liked the Audi piece because of the marraige of the green space along with the brand reoutation.
Didn’t quite understand the placement of the back-toback underwear ads.
Hey Joe,
I guess the Letterman spot wasn’t considered a commercial., although it seemed like CBS was plugging his Show.
You know, the one where Dave is seated next to Oprah on a couch who is flanked by Leno. Munching on a stale Dorrito Dave says” This is the worst Super Bowl Party ever” That was it, but it was great !
-PD
Simple Michael,
They recognize that sooner then later someone will come up with a Google killer, what with the increasing competition and more clutter in the marketplace they finally reconized that they had better start branding themselves.
After many years of dismissing branding as a waste of money, they go and pour millions into a pure branding ad.
http://battellemedia.com/archives/005116.php
Some would say it was still a waste, but think of all the good will generated with this simple beautiful 30 sec spot. I think it is a brilliant move on their part.
While we may never know the result of this on the human brain, generating a feeling of emotional connections, the ahh…, warm and fuzzy feelings and linking it with your brand is a great move. How many people just think of Google is a place to go for search, with no emotional connection and would be more then willing to switch if there is something better… now they may have an emotional link to the brand Google, and without knowing why will stick a bit closer with Google over time – resisting change.
Google is smart. Scary smart, and this proves what great marketers have known for many years. Branding works.
Bob
I named Google as one on my winner’s list because it supported their brand promise and they did it without audio. Also think about how efficiently they used the production budget. The spot could have been produced for under $10,000 even though it probably cost them a half million. What do you think some of the real losers spent? Millions…
brand marketing and direct marketing = two very different things. Currently being on top doesn’t mean you’ll stay there – or top of people’s minds. Phone to sell, shmone to sell – it was clear to me Google’s direction was to begin to be a part of someone’s life, not just sell them something. Storytelling is powerful.
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