UNITED STATES—One of the biggest cooler room conversations the day after the Super Bowl seems to fixate on the commercials. I mean when you think of the Super Bowl, the first thing that comes to mind is not sitting at a television screen for four hours to watch a bunch of silly commercials. So why do so many companies spend millions to promote their products on this sports fueled day?
Well it appears to have a direct impact on most Americans. Me not so much, cause the trend has become quite apparent. I mean if I see one more commercial utilizing the cuteness of a puppy with a horse; it worked once, it won’t work every single time Budweiser. In addition, we see the same companies putting out ads every single year. The big time automotive manufacturer’s, Doritos, Insurance companies, when are we going to see some smaller companies get the opportunity to get into the mix.
Out of all the commercials, the two that I thought were the most creative and thought-provoking was the Coca-Cola ad and the ad chronicling what it means to do something “like a girl.” It seems some businesses had the notion to tackle issues more prevalent in the social sphere than to just copy what has been done over and over again in the past.
Will any of these ads force me to run out to the stores or pick up the phone to order these products? Not a chance in hell, but I will admit the TV spots for some major flicks grab my attention every time. “Furious 7,” “Jurassic World” and “Ted 2” you’re already on my list of must-see movies in 2015.
Why does a movie trailer grab my attention a lot quicker than an actual commercial? They do a much better job at teasing the audience in my opinion. It makes you want to indulge in the item a bit more. The commercials just tend to weave a tale to try to tell a story that doesn’t always convey its message. I think a 30 second spot cost a little over $4 million at this year’s Super Bowl, so tally all those numbers up; we’re talking about a few billion dollars in advertising sales.
So what could be more effective strategies for advertisers? If you’re going to promote a new product do just that. Don’t attempt to create an over-the-top marketing campaign that falters on every front. Simplicity is key, but originality is even more important. Imitation is flattery, but it doesn’t equate sales either. Heard of the phrase, “Been there done that.” So have much of America.
Remember who your target audience is and timing is everything. Putting out your product at a time where sales are not likely to spike is a loss in valuable revenue and marketing, moreover promoting a product to a niche market of consumers who might have little to no interest in what is being sold is never wise in my book.
The more that I think about it, its apparent ads showcased during the Super Bowl are there to do one thing: entertain. If the goal were to sell products, the companies wouldn’t try to hard to manifest such whimsical and outlandish concepts for their products.
