Sage’s Super Bowl 2015 Ads Analysis – Winners and Losers
As the dust settles from a terrific Super Bowl, which saw the Patriot’s eek out a victory over the Seahawks, we want to take a moment to review the other competition that was going on between the plays – the Super Bowl Ads.
Each year, advertisers step up their game to set their products and services apart from the other companies. With the average 30-second spot costing $4.5 million, and a 60-second spot at a mind-boggling $9 million, companies resorted to pre-game teasers of their commercials days and weeks in advance of the game to raise awareness and start conversations early.
As sports analysts discuss and breakdown the biggest plays from this year’s Super Bowl, Sage Communications spoke with our own David Gorodetski, COO and Executive Creative Director for his analysis and breakdown of trends and winners and losers from an advertising and marketing standpoint.
Winners:
As we review the Super Bowl ads of 2015, we can categorize most as winners or losers. A major trend we saw among the winners this year was advertising a strong, emotional, or bold message meant to resonate with the audience. Many of these ads were not promoting a specific product, but a relevant message such as a stand against domestic violence or bullying. The big winners who kept with this trend were Coca-Cola, the NFL with the “No More” spot, and Always. Another major trend we saw with this year’s ads were the “teasers” released days before the actual Super Bowl. Leaking ads prior to the game took away the mystery and amusement that usually accompanies the infamous Super Bowl ads.
NFL PSA: No More (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTJT3fVv1vU)
This was the ad to watch during the Super Bowl. As the past year proved controversial for the NFL, this commercial brought to light the issue of domestic violence, which has plagued the league recently. Airing this PSA gave much credibility to the stand the NFL is taking against domestic violence and sent a powerful message to those watching.
Dove: #RealStrength (http://youtu.be/QoqWo3SJ73c)
Talk about hitting the mark. In their ad, Dove Men + Care, redefined what it means to be a man and a father in 2015. Appealing to the emotional creature in all of us, Dove reminded us with the hashtag #Realstrength that being a “man” can mean many different things.
Always: Run Like a Girl (http://youtu.be/yIxA3o84syY)
The female-focused brand sparked a conversation nationwide with their ad aimed at empowering young women with the hashtag #LikeAGirl. Redefining what it means to “run like a girl”, or “throw like a girl”. Without marketing any of their products, Always gained major brand recognition with this ad and should be seen as synonymous with female empowerment.
Coca-Cola: Make It Happy (http://youtu.be/ibgvkXm9Qkc)
Coke sent a resilient message to young people with an anti-bullying ad. Keeping with this year’s trend, Coke hit the mark on sending a strong message to one of the largest audiences they have throughout the year. Taking a stand against bullying with a multi-million dollar “feel good” ad shows what Coke stands for as a brand, and that is what resonates with audiences across the country.
Fiat: Blue Pill (http://youtu.be/YAcLViTHDOo)
Fiat takes the sex appeal synonymous with their brand and turned it into this hilariously clever ad fit for the many families who tuned in. It was memorable, funny, and unexpected, everything you want in a Super Bowl ad.
Dodge: 100 Years of Dodge (http://youtu.be/JKKlqMs19tU)
Dodge did it. This ad is both entertaining and honest. It features several people around the age of 100 (the same age as the Dodge brand) giving hilariously honest life advice. Keeping the theme of Dodge’s edgy brand, and adding a little tug at our heartstrings, this ad is a win.
Budweiser: Lost Dog (http://youtu.be/xAsjRRMMg_Q)
Queue the adorable puppy lost in the woods, being saved by the infamous Clydesdale horses, and you have a winner every time. Budweiser is a Super Bowl heavyweight, continuing to appeal to the puppy (and beer) lover in all of us. But with a brand of this magnitude and track record, we expected nothing less.
Local Winner: Michael and Son with Obama (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK_o0YBXW0U)
In their ad, this local plumbing company was able to successfully parody the “Deflate-gate” situation plaguing the Patriots, working with an Obama impersonator to inflate a football. It’s a win in our book.
Losers:
The biggest loser of the 2015 Super Bowl wasn’t the Seahawks; it might have just been Nationwide, with their dead children ad. It was too high of a shock value for a game being enjoyed by families and friends all over the country. There is a better time and place to bring awareness to this issue – and this wasn’t it. Other ads that didn’t quite make the cut include, GoDaddy, Jublia, and Square Space, all of which left us confused, unentertained or just disappointed.
Nationwide: Dead Children (http://youtu.be/dKUy-tfrIHY)
Nationwide spent $4.5 million on a commercial with a dead child providing the narrative on safety. It’s an important message and something that needs to be discussed. But Nationwide’s commercial missed the mark and sparked outrage across social media platforms. While this is an important message, people don’t want to deal with the death of children while watching the Super Bowl. Wrong place. Wrong time. Perhaps this brand should take a lesson from Coke, who brought a serious issue to light in a much more appropriate manner.
Square Space – Omm with Jeff Bridges (http://youtu.be/BKIlfLReHyo)
Did anyone understand this ad? The ad featured a seemingly irrelevant website “dreamingwithjeff.com” referring to Jeff Bridges, as he sits beside the bed of a woman, playing an instrument and chanting. It just didn’t make much sense and the effort was lost on most viewers. Further research and knowledge was required to fully understand the message. A lesson for Square Space would be to provide your viewers with a full context of information in every ad, especially during the Super Bowl.
Jublia: Tackle It – Toe Fungus (http://youtu.be/y5Ybz4Tkflk)
When most people are watching the Super Bowl, we are sitting around with friends enjoying the game, eating and drinking. We understood the football references, but were not enthused by a depiction and description of toe fungal cream. Jublia should have focused on a more appealing way to advertise to viewers during the Super Bowl.
GoDaddy: Replacement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI9wq2ZDoKM)
After pulling a previous ad that received much flak when a teaser was released, GoDaddy seemed to throw this ad together within a few days of the big game. Lacking humor and creativity, this ad did not seem up-to-par with other Super Bowl advertisements. Perhaps if they had broken from the trend of pre-releasing their ad, the original may have made it to TV.
Carnival: Going Back to the Sea (http://youtu.be/d_bhL4yu2FU)
Carnival’s “Going back to the sea” commercial, while not bad, didn’t quite get there. Instead of featuring the luxurious services or exotic locations Carnival offers, the ad pointed to the fact that “we all came from the ocean” and are tied to it. Yes, we may have originated in the sea, billions of years ago but the context of the ad was too deep to be well-received in a 30-second spot.
Carl’s Jr.: Too Hot For TV (http://youtu.be/4WTA_8waxTo)
This brand is infamous for pairing half naked women and meaty burgers together in commercials that are almost “too hot for TV,” which is the slogan they ran with for this years ad. This ad clearly targets one specific segment of a very large audience, leaving it lost and unappreciated by the majority of those watching. Know your audience, and take a lesson from Fiat. Sexy doesn’t always have to be so in your face,
Victoria’s Secret: Let the Real Games Begin (http://youtu.be/8lZgpaVpKQk)
Surprise, surprise. Victoria’s Secret has always been somewhat shameless in their advertising of scantily clad women in wings. Over the years VS has continuously branded themselves as a sexy/confident company, and what better audience to keep the conversation fixated on this than the male dominated Super Bowl crowd. That being said, this ad played on the exact same message and visuals with nothing new and lacked the creativity we expect from Super Bowl ads.
