Let's pause from the more serious content on strategy, L&D, leadership, communication, and writing for just a moment, and let's discuss the best ads from Super Bowl LVIIII on February 11, 2024! Actually, in the spirit of making connections and aligning our focuses, this certainly falls under the content category, so we shouldn't feel bad about how much fun it was to write. Let's dive right in.
I'm a huge sports fan, so I'd love to discuss the game itself for hours and hours with you. But I'm also keen on sticking to agendas and refining content around a single lede, and the point of this piece is to explore some of my favorite ads from Super Bowl LVIII, diving into why they resonate and how you can apply similar principles to your content. So I'll hold in my comments about the 49ers vs. Chiefs game and put my marketing hat on.
Let's begin!
My favorite ads:
1.) NFL: Born to Play
Beautiful message: Everyone loves football. Where you come from doesn't have to hold you back. If you dream, and you work hard enough, you can do it. There is a place for everyone in the world of sports. And programs like this are empowering and necessary as they present opportunities to everyone.
The ad offered a beautiful storyline with some heartwarming humor at the end when the boy gave Osi a little poke to see if he was real. We followed the little boy's journey, which may have also stirred feelings inside of us if we have been on similar paths led by dreams.
2.) Dunkin' Donuts: DunKings
Referenced a previous commercial; felt like another chapter in the saga.
People from Boston love Dunkin' Donuts, and they love Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. This pairing was natural and evoked Boston pride!
HILARIOUS! Matt Damon's little comments had me in stitches.
Tom Brady's cameo was great! Not forced, not overwhelming--just enough.
It would've been too zany and silly if it were just Ben Affleck doing his rap, but with Matt Damon playing the straight man and JLo responding the way we might, it was still grounded in reality while being super funny.
I also saw a billboard on the highway that said to get ready for 2.11.24, so when the commercial started, I felt excited for whatever was about to come! (I don't like to watch Super Bowl commercials beforehand, as I like to enjoy them as part of the intended viewing experience, but in this case, the marketing touchpoint before the actual commercial was well done.)
3.) BMW: Talkin' Like Walken
Instead of packing as many celebrities as possible into one confusing smattering, this ad focused on Christopher Walken and something we all know and love--that everyone loves to impersonate him. We got to see his perspective, as everyone imitated him to his face and he was politely unamused. This works because we know and love him and doing impressions of him.
This ad had a great "aha" moment at the end when Walken tied it all together for you explicitly but gracefully. The point was that everyone tries to imitate Walken, but there's only one original, just like there's only one original BMW. It built on the story we just enjoyed and applied our own conclusions about the ad's meaning to BMW's brand identity. Very well done!
4.) NFL: Tackle Bullying | Character Playbook
As the commercial starts, you might assume these statements are truly how the NFL players feel. But then you find out that they are giving a voice to children who feel bullied. They are empathizing with the bullied children by stepping into their shoes, and they are also using their power and influence to both represent them and make things better for them. Representation matters. Influence matters. Your voice matters.
5.) Kia: Perfect 10
This one felt like a mini movie! The story was simple yet compelling.
This ad pulled on our heartstrings. By tapping into our emotions, we empathized with the little girl, we remembered our grandparents, and our hearts swelled when they finally got to be there for each other.
The cherry on top was the showing of Kia's tagline, "movement that inspires," since we just saw an ice skating performance (movement) and felt emotional as a result (inspiration).
6.) Google Pixel: Javier in Frame
This ad evoked extreme empathy from viewers. We literally saw things from someone else's perspective; we struggled with him. And then, we celebrated with him. We empathized with his situation, and we were thrilled at the prospect of a tool making things better for him. Isn't that what society should be about?
Google Pixel conveyed that they build products with their customers in mind. They don't benefit from these features; you do. They care about you, and they want you to know that.
When the third face entered the frame...I lost it. So beautiful and heartwarming.
7.) Budweiser: Old School Delivery
Classic. It isn't a Super Bowl without a Clydesdale and a puppy. Enough said.
(But if you wanted to say more, you could talk about the power of nostalgia, going back to basics, respecting tradition--and unlikely friendships.)
8.) Uber Eats:
This one was fun. I loved the nostalgic aspects, as I am a huge fan of Friends, so seeing Ross & Rachel together again was great. But Rachel didn't remember Ross?! How absurd! This played on the fact that everyone knows Ross & Rachel belong together, and that's how badly she must have wanted to use Uber Eats! If you can fathom Rachel choosing to forget Ross, then you can imagine how great this product must be.
What did the top ads have in common?
They took the viewer on a journey. Storytelling is still king and always will be.
They evoked emotion. If you don't feel something, you won't remember it later, because it didn't matter to you. Tap into values or beliefs or memories or traditions to make the viewer relate to the characters in the ads and feel deeply for them.
They built off existing schemas and things we knew and appreciated, such as cherished celebrities, recognizable tropes, or nostalgia. The Talkin' like Walken commercial wouldn't have made sense if we didn't know Christopher Walken and know that everyone loves to do impressions of him.
Some of the ads incorporated the element of the unexpected or the element of surprise, such as the ending of the Google Pixel commercial or the NFL: Tackle Bullying commercial. Others relied on humor, like the DunKings commercial, to lighten the mood and lean into the power of comedy as a way for people to connect and for messages to resonate. And others tapped into nostalgia, like the Budweiser commercial, to make us feel safe and secure in this crazy world.
The best ads feel like 30- or 60-second movies. We remember things, feel things, wonder things, laugh at things, cry at things, and/or feel a calm resolution by the end--when they're done well.
Apply It
How can you evoke emotion in your content? What emotions do you want your readers or viewers to feel when they engage with your brand?
Can nostalgia play a role in your content? How can you tap into existing schemas, traditions, or values to connect with your customers?
What adjectives do you want people to use when they describe your brand? How can you make that visceral for them?
What storytelling elements are you using in your content today? How can you tell a better story in your content tomorrow?
