5 of the best Superbowl Ads
Major sporting events such as the Olympics and the Superbowl give advertisers such as sports apparel retailers the means to reach a much broader segment of their target audiences. Here are 5 of the best Superbowl ads that capitalised on America’s favourite football event:
1. Brady Everyday – Intel®
Tech manufacturer Intel®’s Superbowl ad featured American football legend Tom Brady. In the ad, Brady is shown waking up in bed, brushing his teeth, and scooping a flapjack off the floor and eating it before his dog can get to it, each time in 360-degree camera work. The ad shows off the function of the company’s sports replay technology, using humour instead of a dry approach.
Ad monitoring is useful for seeing how brands like Intel® use humour to get their message across while entertaining audiences.
2. Skittles – Wrigley
The candy manufacturer Wrigley shows a teen throwing Skittles sweets at a girl’s upstairs window at night, to get her attention. The action cuts to the girl swiftly catching sweets in her mouth inside, and she shifts over as one by one family members (even the grandmother) take a turn. The connection to the sports event is only tangential (everyone in the family gets athletic for Skittles).
The ad is a good example of advertisers creating a link to a major event without necessarily depicting or mentioning the event itself.
3. Snickers live commercial – Mars, Inc.
The ad team behind Snickers’ Superbowl creation got in on one of the hottest trends in social advertising last year: live video. The western-style ad, shot and shown at the same time as the Superbowl’s airing, used the actual half-time score in its storyline to prove it was live.
4. Budweiser’s immigration story
At a time when much of the US has been divided over President Donald Trump’s travel ban, many advertisers took political stands. Budweiser’s ad cleverly combines a pro-immigration stance with the brand’s own history, telling the story of a German immigrant who comes to the USA to found a beer company.
Ads that take political sides may be risky, but Budweiser’s video became the number one trending video on YouTube within 24 hours of airing.
5. Audi’s gender politics
Automotive giant Audi focused on the issue of gender pay gaps in the workforce. A father’s voiceover wonders what to tell his daughter as she grows older about different treatment of men and women in society. While the father’s voiceover runs, his daughter is shown racing in a cart. This was also well-timed, given recent women’s protest marches around the US and the world.
It’s evident from the 5 ads listed that the best Superbowl ads were diverse. Not only did they capitalise on the themes of a trending major sports event – they also ignited conversations around hot current events and political topics. The latter is something South African brands such as Nandos have been doing for years.
Use ad monitoring services to learn from the ways competitors tell their stories effectively. If you’d like to know more, contact Adcheck today.