Dadvertising and Femadvertising Took on Super Bowl
This Super Bowl we saw plenty of advertising doing more than promoting products, they were connecting audiences and building brand affinity through emotion.
The softer side of men was a hit in a few spots that got everyone teary-eyed and wanting to hug their dads. Among the winners were Dove, Nissan and Toyota.
With more than an estimated 46 percent of the Super Bowl’s viewership being female, according to Nielsen demographic data, the Super Bowl time slot is a key point of engagement for brands reaching a broad spectrum of audiences, and for Super Bowl XLIX females had a lot to say.
The #LikeAGirl conversation had been going on well in advance of the Super Bowl across every social network and media outlet, but the Always #LikeAGirl ad certainly added to the broader discussion that started back in June with the launch of the brand’s campaign. The Always #LikeAGirl launch campaign video recently surpassed 54 million views, bolstered by its entrance into the Super Bowl advertising frenzy. This was the very first feminine hygiene ad ever to run in the Super Bowl, which created a lot of advance buzz. Always took the opportunity to build a stronger connection with its audiences through female empowerment messages in an otherwise very male oriented environment. We’ve loved this campaign since it rolled out in June and think it was a bold, smart move on Always’ part to jump into the Super Bowl. We expect this campaign to gain speed and evolve over the next year.
The Toyota Camry Ad featuring an ambitious Amy Purdy, a Paralympic athlete and Dancing with the Stars finalist, provided an engaging and motivating message that gave meaning to the #OneBoldChoice campaign. Camry, otherwise known as a safe bet, used the power of emotion to show that bold people drive safe Toyotas. The ad was strong, sexy and interesting, making it a great spot that we think we will hold strong in airtime even after the Super Bowl.
Other Ads of Note (like them or not)
Whether you loved it or hated it, Carl’s Jr was a win-win for messaging, including a direct call-to-action for the consumer and getting more airplay for its controversial content. If the ad was viewed online, it included an extended cut that ended with a promotion of $1 off any of Carl’s Jr’s all natural burger combos, and we bet Carl’s Jr was planning for most of its views to happen online for private viewing. The views were racking up well past seven million at the start of the game, but we can’t help but wonder if Ms. Charlotte McKinney was truly all natural. Pretty sure Carl’s Jr’s audience didn’t really care, but did buy into the all natural burgers message.
This Esurance Ad took a different approach with its use of Lindsey Lohan in a behind the scenes spot. It was a bit nontraditional, but we imagine Esurance was trying to engage a new audience with this content, especially since Lindsey was tweeting her social network with preview links to the video in advance of the game. The content was more celebrity access with subtle branding messages. It was surely working to engage new audiences, but the spot overall was a bit hum-drum. And judging by the YouTube views the ad may not have really moved the needle.
Mercedes-Benz – Fable
