Apparently there’s a sporting event connected to the Super Bowl. For some, the more compelling game is the advertising and marketing blitz on the TV screen between plays. This year, CBS sold out early, charging between $2.5 million and $3 million per 30-second spot. Some advertisers paid more than for last year’s telecast, despite the sour economy. The usual assortment of sexy models, furry animals and home-made ads were present, along with a highly anticipated advocacy spot from Colorado’s Focus on the Family. The Denver Post invited a panel of advertising experts to pick the winners.
Our panel: susan jung grant, assistant professor of marketing, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder; mike sukle, Sukle Advertising + Design; darrin duber-smith, an expert in “Marketing Through Sports” and a visiting assistant professor of marketing at Metropolitan State College of Denver; pocky marranzino, chairman of Karsh/Hagan, and gregory l. wagner, longtime adman and lecturer, University of Denver Daniels College of Business.
Tim Tebow
Company: Focus on the Family
Description:
As Tim’s mother begins to explain their story, she is knocked down (via special effects) by her Heisman Trophy-winning son.
From the panel:
Duber-Smith: “Really tame. If not for the ‘Focus on the Family’ at the end, I wouldn’t have gotten what it was about.”
Grant: “Anticlimactic. After all the pregame chatter, I was expecting heated sanctimony. This was more like a warm washcloth. The undertones of Pam Tebow’s decision not to terminate her life-threatening pregnancy lingered in her motherly expressions of concern for her son, but it was difficult to find the spot objectionable.”
Wagner: “Her pro-life message, though relevant, didn’t really cut through. Confusing at best.”
Dove Men+Care
Company: Unilever Dove
Description:
A 45-second male life journey from birth to fatherhood, set to the William Tell Overture, introduces Dove’s first moisturizing product for men.
From the panel:
Grant: “Dove makes no appeal to men wanting to recapture their virility. Rather, it suggests that accepting your situation brings peace. This message makes sense for Dove. It was the brand that introduced its ‘real beauty’ campaign during the Super Bowl a few years ago, daring to suggest that women look inward for their beauty and catching positive regard for it.”
Wagner: “Don’t know if real men are ready for such an honest message.”
Green Police
Company: Audi
Description:
An enforcement team protects the environment, starring the Audi A3 TDI.
From the panel:
Marranzino: “The worst ad for the money was Audi trying to make their diesel green.”
Duber-Smith: “The old adage is, just because it’s funny doesn’t mean you remember the name. They should have reinforced the brand.”
Grant: “Unbearably holier-than-thou,” and “a questionable departure from the German automaker’s more established positioning around sportiness and luxury.”
Bud Light
Company: Anheuser-Busch
Description:
The “bridge is out!” and the sendup of the ABC series “Lost” join the Clydesdales among the five minutes’ worth of commercials.
From the panel:
Marranzino: “Bud Light gets my award for greatest advertiser comeback after the uninspiring ‘drinkability’ campaign.”
Grant: “I like this ad because its unfolding is clever, it fits with the American values of Budweiser’s brand — resourcefulness, community, hard work — and suggests the lengths to which people will go to get their Budweiser beer.”
Wagner: ” ‘Lost’ parody was my favorite. Entertain before you sell.”
Sukle: ” ‘Lost’ was a nice surprise and entertaining. I think people forget how difficult that is.”
“Crash the Super Bowl” amateur ads
Company: Doritos
Description:
Frito-Lay again offered cash prizes to budding filmmakers.
From the panel:
Wagner: “All in all, Doritos amateur spots did very well. Simple stories, good punchlines. Remember my name and like me.”
Sukle: “Not very good. I’ve seen the funeral idea before.”
Talking Baby
Company: E*Trade
Description:
The campaign, a hit since 2008, returned, complete with what baby boy’s mother described as his “milkaholic” girlfriend.
From the panel:
Duber-Smith: “It’s not interesting enough to keep our attention after a couple of years. They needed to do something more creative with the babies. A sign of agency malaise.”
Grant: “It’s all fun and giggles, but the enchanting effects ultimately distract from the ad’s purpose — connecting the viewer to the benefits of E*Trade.”
