The Super Bowl is that rare occasion when advertising actually garners positive attention from society at large. Over the past 30 years with more than 20 Super Bowl spots under our belt, my agency has learned a thing or two about not just showing up at the big game, but helping clients stand out on the biggest stage in advertising. Creating spots and campaigns that rely on cultural shifts, technological trends, and emerging social platforms. Ideas that have an outsized impact on this annual event, and beyond. Experience has taught us that four things matter most:
1. Be Universal
One of the most significant learnings we've amassed as seasoned players of Super Bowl marketing is the importance of creating something universal. Forget carefully crafted audiences and personas; this is mass marketing at its most mass. Take for example, the 2017 Honda “Yearbooks” spot, Honda’s effort was a masterclass in universal appeal. It took a truth about the product, i.e. celebrating the CR-V’s 20th anniversary, and looking back on its humble beginnings in the '90s — like harkening back to kids graduating high-school, many would never have thought it would become America’s best-selling SUV. This speaks to anyone who’s ever wondered where they might end up in life when they leave school — no matter how humble their beginnings.
2. Build Anticipation
In a small office in late January 2012, a few people schemed for hours ways to maximize a very big Super Bowl ad investment by our largest client. We had just wrapped an ambitious production shoot with director ToddPhillips — a carpe diem journey of actor Matthew Broderick that painstakingly mirrored the journey of Broderick’s old teenage character, Ferris Bueller, in the iconic movie. The craft that went into the Super Bowl ad was significant. We planted Easter eggs throughout, knowing that fans would look for the tribute on YouTube after the game, looking to catch as many references to the movie as they could find. To create anticipation for the ad before the game, we decided on a teaser, with Broderick opening a set of curtains and asking, “How can I handle work on a day like today?” We posted the video to YouTube that night and reached out to a reporter, asking if he wanted an exclusive, on the condition that wouldn’t disclose our agency or our client. The teaser went viral, eventually becoming the most viewed YouTube video of that week. In the weeks afterward, chats and comments exploded with Easter egg finds and debates about which ones were the best.
3. Go Beyond the Spot
The best ads’ effectiveness is amplified by their cultural relevance. When we worked on Intuit QuickBooks' Small Business Big Game campaigns in 2014 and 2016, we knew the months leading up to the game were as important as the ads themselves. For the first time, small business ads would run during the game, with the winning businesses chosen through a months-long program.This initiative educated tens of thousands of business owners on how to use social media and QuickBooks to turbocharge their success. While the final ads entertainingly introduced the world to two new brands that both ended up on shelves at major retailers, small business owners across the country learned that QuickBooks was fully committed to their success.
4. Leverage the Multi-Screen Showdown
Critical to driving real business impact is building a comprehensive messaging approach to reach your prospective customers across the breadth of devices. We know that second-screen viewing is in full swing before, during, and after the big game, with social platforms buzzing with real-time conversations. This allows brands to join the dialogue and amplify their visibility. It’s nonnegotiable that brands seize this moment by executing targeted campaigns that complement a Super Bowl spot or capitalize on the surge in engagement. Super Bowl advertising has evolved beyond just in-game spots; having a robust social media strategy around the big game is now essential. To launch Homes.com during the Super Bowl last year, we ensured that Homes.com appeared on the highest reach second screen platforms, with high-impact takeovers includingYouTube First Position, Meta Moment Maker, ESPN Homepage takeovers, Reddit takeovers and more.
A Super Bowl spot can be transformative, but without a cohesive multifaceted strategy, it risks being a fleeting sugar-high for a brand. Effective campaigns connect the excitement of game day with long-term audience engagement, ensuring the investment drives results far beyond the final score.
