Super Bowl Commercials: America’s Annual Festival of
Advertising
William M. O’Barr
Advertising & Society Review, Volume 13, Issue 1, 2012, (Article)
Published by Advertising Educational Foundation
For additional information about this article
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/477906
Accessed 19 Jun 2017 03:43 GMT
Super Bowl Commercials:
America’s Annual Festival of Advertising
Fig. 1. The Super Bowl Is a Time for Parties1
“I think the Super Bowl deserves to be taken extremely seriously as a cultural
event, not least of all because it’s estimated that a hundred million people
watch it every year, which is equal to about a third of the US population. . . .
[It’s] probably the biggest communal cultural event that Americans engage in,
and as such, probably the broadest expression of American culture. But it
seems to me that it’s not the game itself that fills in most of this cultural
content, but the advertising. . . . It’s worth looking into these ads more closely
and analyzing them for their meaning as well as their effects, and not just
treating them as amusing things to vote on on YouTube.”
Video blogger ContraPoints2
FYI…
Read sportswriter/cultural critic Robert Lipsyte’s contrarian view of the
meaning of the Super Bowl as cultural event here or here.
1. Introduction
Every year in mid-winter Americans celebrate a gargantuan cultural ritual.
Weeks are spent in preparation for a single afternoon and evening of events that are
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shared by millions of people of all walks of life. Even many Americans living abroad
as expatriates or deployed military take part, synced through technology to the
precise timing of these events at home. While neither explicitly religious nor
nationalistic in nature, the celebration reverberates with aspects of both.3 This is, of
course, the annual Super Bowl football game.4
The Super Bowl encompasses much more than the football game at its center.
It also about the hoopla leading up to itsportscasters and fans discussing for
weeks ahead of time which teams are likely to compete in the game. It is about the
halftime show that is a mega pop cultural event on its own. It is about the parties in
homes, restaurants, and bars where people gather to watch the game on TV and
share the experience. And, not least of all, it is America’s premier advertising event
in which advertising professionals showcase some of their most creative work and
wealthy corporations tout their brands.
This unit focuses on the Super Bowl as America’s annual festival of
advertising. It examines the game’s spectators and the social setting in which they
watch it; the making, content, and cost of Super Bowl commercials; the meaning and
impact of the commercials; and public and critical assessments as well as the
publicity surrounding the ads.
2. Who Watches the Super Bowl?
Watching the Super Bowl is a communal event for most people. It is a time
for friends and family to convene, gather around the largest TV screen available, and
watch the events together. Watching and partying often begins several hours before
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kickoff. Televised pre-game shows provide the occasion to start the festivities. The
tens of thousands of spectators5 who watch the game in person pay dearly for that
privilege. Tickets cost from several hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on
location and source of acquisition. Millions more fans watch at home, or in special
party venues like restaurants and bars. One of every three people in America,
somehow, somewhere, watches. Although the Super Bowl is thus primarily a TV
event, the newer communications technologies provide other opportunities to view
the game, and/or parallel programming.
According to the NBC television network, an average of 111.3 million viewers
watched Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. This made it the most-watched mass
media event to date in US history.6
Proprietary information about details of the 2012 Super Bowl audience is
available from organizations like Nielsen for a price. However, a general breakdown
of the previous year’s Super Bowl audience demonstrates the event’s broad appeal:7
•
Gender: 54% male, 46% female8
•
Ethnicity: 80% Caucasian, 11% African American, 9% Hispanic
•
Age: 2-17 (16%), 18-34 (23%), 35-49 (25%), 50-64 (22%), 65+ (14%)
•
Income: <25K (12%), 25-50K (22%), 50-75K (20%), 75-100K (16%),
100K+ (30%)
3. The Social Setting of Super Bowl Viewing
Die-hard fans want the best technology available for watching the Super
Bowl. The choice of whose home or which venue may be as straightforward as who
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has the largest screen. Sales of new TVs always skyrocket in the days leading up to
Super Bowl Sunday. Newspapers, magazines, websites, and TV shows offer
suggestions for buying, preparing, and serving Super-Bowl-appropriate food and
drinks. Other tips are offered for how to prepare for the “big game,”9 such as
decorating with team merchandise, creating separate areas if opposing fans are
expected, or if no team is favored, using the Super Bowl advertiser’s logos to create
an advertising-themed party. In the meantime, super markets, party stores, and
other retailers stock abundant supplies of food, drink, and snacks. Like many
religious and national holidays like Thanksgiving Christmas and the Fourth of July,,
the Super Bowl is another American ritual of consumption.10
A distinctly macho aura surrounds the entire event. All the players are men,
as are the coaches, referees, and most sports commentators. Super Bowl parties are
occasions for masculine drinks, especially beer, and hearty, basic foods. Frilly, fancy
stuffexpensive wines and canapéshave no place. It may be the one occasion all
year when some men plan a menu, and buy, cook or prepare a significant amount of
food. Pride of place in front of TV screens usually goes to men, who are generally
considered the primary and most knowledgeable viewers. Women, who are
becoming more involved, celebrate this day of machismo as well, but are often
careful not to interject naïve or inappropriate comments and questions.11
A few journalists and commentators invariably offer viewing tips in the runup to the actual event.12 These do’s (throw yourself into the game, follow the men’s
lead, offer support and/or consolation to avid enthusiasts, etc.) and don’ts (talk
when the game is on, even think of switching channels to see what else is on, or
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show a lack of enthusiasm) go a long way in defining the social setting surrounding
Super Bowl viewing. It is clear that the Super Bowl is an extraordinary eventone
of the most special days of the American yearwhere there are culturally
appropriate ways of celebrating, and deviations from expected behavior are
frowned upon.
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Fig. 2. This M&M’s Ad Portrays the Ideal Party.13
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4. Super Bowl XLVI (2012)
The Super Bowl’s massive viewing audience means that the cost of
commercial airtime is extraordinarily expensive. The press reported the cost for a
30-second spot during the 2012 Super Bowl to be as high as $3.5 million.14
Appearing in the Super Bowl commercial lineup is in many ways an advertiser’s
dream. It does not get any better for marketers than having their company’s Super
Bowl spot(s) noticed and talked aboutideally in praiseworthy terms for such
things as wit, humor, entertainment value, etc. Many large corporations invest
heavily in Super Bowl advertising and consider it money well spent.
The accompanying table lists the companies that advertised in the 2012
Super Bowl and provides links to online versions of the spots. Most of these spots
have high production values and were costly to produce, adding significantly to the
advertisers’ overall investments in Super Bowl exposure.
Advertiser
Agency
Online Video
8
Bud Light Platinum
Audi S7
Pepsi
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Bud Light Platinum
M&M’s Milk Chocolate
Best Buy Electronics
Coca-Cola Classic
Chevrolet Silverado
Bridgestone
Go Daddy.co
Lexus GS
Budweiser
Doritos Tortilla Chips
Chevrolet Camaro
General Electric
TaxACT.com
Volkswagen Beetle
H&M
Coca-Cola Classic
Chevrolet Sonic
Teleflora.com
Skechers GOrun Sneakers
Cars.com
Doritos Tortilla Chips
E*Trade Financial
Toyota Camry
Hulu Plus
Bud Light
Chrysler
Fiat 500
Pepsi Max
Toyota Camry
Coca-Cola Classic
Dannon Oikos
Century 21
Acura NSX
General Electric
Budweiser
Bridgestone
NFL.com
Honda CR-V
MetLife
Hyundai Genesis
Bud Light
Kia Optima
CareerBuilder
Samsung Galaxy Note
Cadillac ATS
Go Daddy.com
Translation
Venables Bell & Partners
TBWA\Chiat\Day
Innocean
Translation
BBDO
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Wieden+Kennedy
Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Richards Group
In-house
Attik
Anomaly
Amateur / Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Amateur / Goodby Silverstein & Partners
BBDO
J.W. Morton & Associates
Deutsch Inc.
In-house
Wieden+Kennedy
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Fire Station Agency
Siltanen & Partners
DDB
Amateur / Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Grey
Saatchi & Saatchi
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Cannonball
Wieden+Kennedy
Richards Group, Dallas
TBWA\Chiat\Day
Saatchi & Saatchi
Wieden+Kennedy
Poptent, Young & Rubicam
Red Tettemer + Partners of Philadelphia
RPA
BBDO
Anomaly
Richards Group
Grey
RPA
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Innocean
McGarryBowen
David&Goliath
In-house
MDC Partners' 72andSunny
Fallon
In-house
5. Value and Ideology in Super Bowl Commercials
Factory
Vampire Party
King’s Court
Cheetah
Work
Just My Shell
Phone Innovators
Superstition
2012
Performance Football
Body Paint
Beast
Return of the King
Man’s Best Friend
Happy Grad
Power and Beer
Free to pee
The Dog Strikes Back
David Beckham
Catch
Stunt Anthem
Give and Receive
Go Run
Confident You
Sling Baby
Fatherhood
Connections
Hulubratory
Welcome to Halftime
Halftime in America
Seduction
Check-Out
It’s Reinvented
Arghh
The Tease
Smarter. Bolder. Faster.
Transactions
Building Something Big in Louisville
Eternal Optimism
Performance Basketball
Timeline
Matthew’s Day Off
Everyone
Think Fast
Rescue Dog
A Dream Car. For Real Life
Business Travel
Thing Called Love
Green Hell
The Cloud
9
It is tempting to think that a Super Bowl spot is one of the best ways to
promote brand awareness and consumer action in the marketplace, or, as has
happened occasionally, to introduce a new product. However, many commentators
on advertising and the Super Bowl question whether the $3.5 million dollars or so
for airtime and the millions more to produce these commercials actually reinforce
brand loyalty, encourage consumers to switch brands or try new products, and
thereby translate into bottom-line successes.
What is certain is that Super Bowl spots get a lot of attention. Viewers of the
Super Bowl do tend to watch them. Internet postings encourage further viewing.
Advertising pundits comment on them. In short, a commercial that airs on the Super
Bowl gets about as much attention as it is possible for an advertisement to receive.
Their social and cultural impact, however, goes far beyond the issue of
whether or not they boost sales. What they unquestionably do is promote certain
values over others and instill certain ideologies about the role of commodities in our
lives. It is to these matters that we now turn.
Representations of women. Given the large number of men who watch the
game and the overall macho, heterosexist orientation of the event, it is no surprise
that a great many Super Bowl commercials feature attractive women and put their
bodies on display. The commercials tend to be organized from the point of view of
the ideal spectator being a heterosexual male. They depict women as men
presumably want to see thembeautiful, sexy, scantily clothed, receptive. For
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female viewers, the images in the ads are models of what men supposedly expect of
them. Three Super Bowl commercials illustrate these patterns.
The M&M’s commercial was one of the most popular in the 2012 pool,
scoring high in viewer polls ostensibly for its humor and many popular cultural
references. It introduces Ms. Brown, the latest in the series of the brand’s
“spokescandies.” The vignette features both human and animated characters at a
party. As Ms. Brown is talking to other women, she is being eyed by a man in a red
shirt. The other women tell Ms. Brown that the guy thinks she is nude (because she
is brownthe color of M&M’s candy beneath its outer coating). Suddenly, Red,
another spokescandy, appears. He looks at Ms. Brown and proclaims that he didn’t
know it was that kind of party. Red quickly unzips his outer shell so that he can
dance naked.
Video 1. “Just My Shell”15
On one level, this is an amusing little story about a misperception that results
in a male character making a fool out of himself at the party. It is easy for viewers to
relate to being in a situation where a major social faux pas can result from a hasty
assumption.
However, on a deeper level this is yet another of the many lessons about
gender relations from the world of advertising. A woman is minding her own
business at a party while chatting with friends. A man ogles her and chuckles about
her appearance, but she ignores him. Put more simply the message here is that
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women’s bodies are always on display and are eye candy for men. It’s okay for men
to prey on women and pursue them even when such advances are unwanted.
This ad can also be seen from the point of view of female spectators of the
Super Bowl who are not amused by silly male antics but instead rebel against them.
In this context, Ms. Brown is an outraged and vocal woman who refuses to turn her
body into a mere object of the male gaze and turning the commercial into a critique
of business-as-usual heterosexist male assumptions.
The Fiat 500 commercial plays on a familiar fantasy of how men look at cars.
The male protagonist sees the Fiat 500 as a beautiful woman who comes on to him,
slaps him around a bit, teases him, and ultimately seduces him. The commercial
invites the (male) viewer to share the fantasy of car as sexy Italian woman.
Video 2. This Commercial Likens a Car to a
Sexy Woman 16
Equating the woman and the car transforms the woman into an object to be
desired, admired, and ultimately possessed. For the car, this equation takes the
attributes of the womansexuality, sexiness, attractiveness, pleasure giving, and so
onand transfers them to the inanimate machine. Once again, it’s a man’s world
and the story is told from his point of view.
12
The Teleflora commercial features fashion model Adriana Lima instructing
male viewers about buying flowers for Valentine’s Day. Lima is shown in elegant
surroundings dressing herself sexily in black lingerie, painting her full lips red to
match a bouquet of red roses, and preparing to go out for the evening. Near the end,
she looks directly into the camera and says, “Guys, Valentine’s Day is not that
complicated. Give and you shall receive.” These words appear on the screen: Happy
Valentine’s Night.
Video3. “Give and you Shall Recive” 17
This commercial is unmistakably a message about sex. It might as well simply
say, “Buy a woman flowers and she’ll give you sex.” Note that the point here is that a
commodity stands at the center of, and mediates, the relationship between the man
and the woman. Moreover, this commercial is about sex, not love. And by “paying”
for it, the commercial turns the woman into a whore as opposed to a lover.
Representations of men. The discussion above concerning imagery of women
in Super Bowl commercials also contains imagery of men. The various commercials
show men as daring, reckless, obsessed with sex, and even mistaking inanimate
objects with people. This section examines some additional aspects of how men are
represented in several Super Bowl commercials.
The Chevy Silverado commercial is a high-budget drama about the predicted
apocalypse when the Mayan calendar cycle ends. It is set amid destruction and little
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seems to have survived, save a few men who find one another in a clearing among
the rubble. They have all arrived in their Chevy pickups (which survived the
apocalypse) but a friend is missingthey surmise because he was driving a Ford
instead of a Chevy.
Video 4. Only Chevy Trucks
Survive the Apocalypse18
The men in this commercial are rugged individualists who look out for
number one. They shed no tears over the loss of the world and their families and
friends. They even remain stoic when they talk about their missing buddy. The
preeminent values of individualism, independence, stoicism, and survivalism are the
essence of masculinity in this spot.
Another car commercial, this one for Acura, features Jerry Seinfeld who is
obsessed with the idea of being the first owner of the new Acura. He learns that he is
number two and the storyline largely follows his shenanigans designed to convince
the other man to give up his first-place spot to him. In the end, Seinfeld loses out to
Jay Leno who makes an even more fantastic offer to the man.
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Video 5. This Commercial
Sells American Values As Well As Cars19
The spirit of this commercialnamely, being number one and winning at
everythingfits with the logic of the Super Bowl. It is all about which teams have
succeeded in winning a place in the Super Bowl and then which one will be the best
of all. Competition, blind ambition, and the most valiant of efforts to succeed are
masculine values celebrated here.
Along with cars, beer is one of the commodities frequently promoted in
Super Bowl spots. A Bud Light commercial features a man and his dog, Weego. The
scruffy-looking dog, whom the audience learns early on is a rescue dog, performs an
amazing trick, thereby gaining his owner the admiration of his friends. Weego’s trick
is to fetch Bud Light whenever someone says, “Here Weego.” The commercial also
features a tie-in via Facebook to Bud Light’s support of The Animal Rescue
Foundation (ARF).
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Video 6. A Particular View
of Masculinity is Represented in this Beer Commercial20
The man in this commercial is a modern nice guyhe invites his friends to
parties, he is generous with food and drink, and he shows them a good time while
enjoying himself. But he is also somewhat hedonistic, his best friend is a dog rather
than a person, and he exhibits no deep ties or relationships with anyone.
The H&M commercial for David Beckham brand men’s underwear features a
photographic study in close up of the soccer icon’s body. There’s not much to the ad
except for the male body on display, making this a sort of, “what’s good for the goose
is good for the gander,” situation by giving female spectators the opportunity for a
change to objectify the male body. American society does not condone straight men
admiring other men’s bodies, unless those bodies are on display in a sporting event
such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the like. However, women’s bodies are
amply displayed and this is not only condoned but also greatly enjoyed in context of
heteronormativity.
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Video 7. David Beckham Promotes his own
brand of Men’s Underwear21
Here are some comments posted on various websites about the Beckham
spot:
The H&M commercial is brilliant. Why? Because it speaks to a
demographic that is usually completely ignored by super bowl ads:
women. Last year, 46% of people who watched the super bowl were
women and women are more likely than men to be watching for the
commercial. Take into account that women frequently buy underwear
for their boyfriends, fiances and husbands and you realize that H&M
is . . . brilliant. Just because the commercial isn't designed for the
straight male, doesn't make it a bad commercial. 22
ummm, women do NOT buy underwear for their guys (unless he's a
pretty pathetic boyfriend) . . . it was targeted to the gays who would
be turning out in droves to see Madonna [in the Halftime Show]23
Women's standards for sexy need some adjustment. They need to get
out more. He has more wrinkles and less muscle tone than I do, and
I'm probably twice his age. His body is covered with more graffiti than
a ghetto building. You can see by the fist he is making that he is
straining to show some barely detectable muscle definition. Hopefully
he can play football better than he can model underwear. Oh, and they
didn't show his front side, because they are saving that for the Vienna
sausage ad. 24
hmmm . . . I think he's ridiculously hot. I really can't get enough of him.
Why are you being so critical? 98% of the sexy ads out there are for
you guys to enjoy, why are you ragging on the one commercial we get?
also, who cares about his wrinkles, you don't have to be 20 to be sexy
(unless you are a female in Western society, apparently, so be
17
thankful men aren't held to the same ridiculous standards that you
hold women to).25
This spot and the accompanying viewer comments show just how
controversial it is to treat the male body as the female body is so frequently
treatedillustrating again the great discrepancy in gender representations. Many
critics of the usual way of displaying women’s bodies do not feel that the solution to
the current situation is to treat men’s bodies in a similar way, but rather to rethink
the objectification and dehumanization of all bodies.26
The role of commodities in our lives. Above all else, Super Bowl commercials
teach us about the significance of commodities in our lives. People are presented as being
obsessed with owning the latest, the best, the most expensive, the showiest, the most
admired objects, and the implication of all this is that their very selves are defined by the
commodities that they own. This notion is one of the fundamental critiques of the
consumerist society made by academic critics of all sorts, and taken together, the 2012
Super Bowl spots provide all the evidence needed to mount an impressive empirical
validation of this critique.
For example, a Camry commercial shows the brand associated with all the highest
moments of life: birth in a Camry, a marriage proposal in a Camry, growing up in a
Camry. The single thread through these moments in life is the car that, in this narrative,
ties them all together.
18
Video 8. Camry associates itself with the High Points
of Life27
In his insightful YouTube analysis of 2012 Super Bowl commercials, video
blogger ContraPoints comments on this manner of linking genuinely important events in
life and history with commodities:
So you have the end of Prohibition and the man runs through the streets with
a newspaper shouting, and everyone comes together and they carry
Budweiser crates out of the horse drawn carriages, the Clydesdales
triumphantly rush through the streets . . . Community is restored and
America is back to life as a vibrant world power. The Depression is over
because Prohibition has ended, seems to be the motif they’re playing on. As a
country currently in the midst of an economic depression, this kind of
imagery is going to be very compelling, but offensive. Again, incredibly
offensive to suggest that Budweiser really is the unifying force in American
culture.
You see the same thing with Pepsi. Pepsi had this ad with the “King of
Pepsi”. . . who bestows Pepsi on the acts, on the performers, who please him.
And this female singer comes along and she sings well and so he gives her
Pepsi. But she overthrows the king and throws him into his own dungeon
and distributes Pepsi for all. So Pepsi becomes the driving revolutionary
force that’s going to overthrow monarchy, that’s going to give freedom and
justice for all. It’s all thanks to Pepsi, of course. Again, the high becomes the
low, the cheap soft drink is the driving force of social change.28
Thus, advertisements always carry two levels of meaning. The first is about
the branded commodity and what role it can play in the viewer’s life. The second,
more subtle and often overlooked, is about the social and cultural lessons that the
ad teaches. These lessons may be about gender, social relationships, power in
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society, the role of commodities in life, and so on.29 Often, a single advertisement
speaks about several such themes, along with delivering its primary selling message.
6. How the Internet Has Changed Super Bowl Commercials
The Internet has become an important factor in the marketing mix surrounding
Super Bowl commercials.30 In 2011, analysts realized the significance of web viewings
when it was noted that a Volkswagen31 spot garnered 90 million views on the web.
Several advertisers, including Lexus, Bridgestone, Volkswagen, Audi, and Chevy, have
now followed that pattern by pre-releasing spots or “teasers” on the web, and posting
them on various sites for viewing before the game and long after it is over. These
strategies start the “buzz” about the spots earlier and extend their life over a much longer
time frame. Moreover, the Internet is virtually free when compared to the high cost of
airing a commercial during game time.
Pre-releases also gain free media attention in the run up to the game, as TV
stations, newspapers, and other media search for Super Bowl-related content. In addition,
during the game, many viewers send other people messages using various social media
like texting, tweeting, or posting on Facebook, creating even more interest in the spots
and possibly also driving traffic to the web.
7. What Goes Into a Super Bowl Commercial?
Backstories on Super Bowl commercials tell of the extraordinary amount of time,
money, and effort that goes into producing these spots. There is no single formula for a
Super Bowl commercial except that it needs to be big, flashy, and hold the viewers’
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attention. Two stories reveal the kinds of marketing strategies and objectives that
motivate Super Bowl productions.
FYI…
Read about Coke’s polar bears in “Advertising and Christmas” in ADText,
and see all 34 spots created for The Coca-Cola Polar Bowl.
Coca-Cola recycled their popular polar bear theme in three commercials for the
2012 Super Bowl. However, the marketing mix did not end with the spots, but rather tried
to be “everywhere the consumers are.” To accomplish this, Coke, in conjunction with
Wieden+Kennedy of Portland, Oregon, planned an integrated marketing plan that took
advantage of what Coke’s research had shown: at least 60% of Super Bowl viewers were
expected to have a smartphone, tablet, or computer within arm's reach during the game.32
Utilizing these devices in communicating with consumers while they were watching the
game on TV produced what is called a “second screen” phenomenon.
Coke and Wieden designed a “media branding event” that was truly complex and
multi-pronged. It included an animated website featuring the polar bears as fans and their
reactions to the game and halftime show. Web-only commercials would be streamed
throughout the Super Bowl. For the broadcast of the game itself, Coke purchased three
commercial slots. For one of them, the Coke/Wieden team prepared alternative versions,
intending to choose the one most responsive at airtime to the situation at hand. A social
media tie-in allowed viewers to respond and react to the Coke materials. Finally,
participants on the website were invited to send congratulations or condolences to a
friend along with a coupon.
21
Video 9. One of the Coke Super Bowl33
Video 10. Another of the Coke Super Bowl Spots.34
Video 11. Another of the Coke Super Bowl Spots35
Here’s how one journalist anticipated Coke’s effort:
The CokePolarBowl.com site will feature the Coke polar bears watching and
reacting to the game in real time, thanks to live animation technology. One bear
will be rooting for New England while the other will be a New York giants fan.
They'll jump for joy when their respective team scores or has a big play, and don't
be surprised if they fall asleep if and when a Pepsi ad is shown on TV.
Fans will be able to comment or ask the bears questions via Facebook and Twitter,
and viewers will also be encouraged to upload game-related fan photos and videos
on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Coke devised the integrated campaign to
channel brand-related comments to its own Facebook page (which has more than
37 million likes) and its @CocaCola Twitter presence.
The responses, crafted by a team of ad copywriters, will highlight and amplify
social comments, photos and videos that might create buzz around the brand by
featuring them on the CokePolarBowl.com live stream.
Just five years ago, broadcast television was more of an advertising domain unto
itself, with success roughly measured by the millions of households, as measured
by Nielsen. Some companies were measuring correlations between broad brand
advertising and activity on Web sites. But only a few pioneers were paying
attention to how big an impact ads had on the still-nascent social networks.
22
Today, consumers react to ads (and, for that matter, unpopular corporate policies)
by immediately sharing en masse their thoughts on Facebook and Twitter; those
reactions also are carefully measured and dissected by advertising agencies,
digital media firms and the brand advertisers that hire them.
What Coca-Cola didn't discuss in unveiling its campaign to the media last week
was how it might mine the big data that the social media interactions will generate.
Social network profiles, likes and expressed opinions offer a treasure trove of
demographic and psychographic data that can be mined by social-media listening
(what are people saying?), sentiment analysis (what are they thinking?), and
social-network analysis (are talkers influential and what are they doing?)
technologies. Coke could use that data to measure the impact of its ad spend and
learn more about avid Coke fans.36
Doritos. Although agency-produced Super Bowl ads can cost hundreds of
thousands or millions of dollars, the Doritos brand of corn chips has found a way to
produce winning spots for $30 and $3,000 dollars. These were the costs of two consumergenerated commercials for the 2012 Super Bowl. More than 6,100 amateur filmmakers
entered Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl contest. After months of online viewing and
voting, the winning two were screened during the Super Bowl and their makers were
rewarded handsomely with cash from the company. Both ranked high on various lists of
commercials, such as Nielsen’s “10 Most Remembered” and “10 Best Liked.”37
Video 12. “Sling Baby”38
Video 13. “Man’s Best Friend”39
23
FYI…
Visit the Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” site.
This kind of participatory marketing is one of the key branding trends of the last
several years. According to Frito-Lay Chief Marketing Officer Ann Mukherjee, “The
idea [is] that consumers (people) aren’t just passive recipients of messaging but active
producers and distributors of brand content of all kinds. . . . The Super Bowl is the climax
of this story; the story starts in September when we put the call out for submissions.”
From that point on, Doritos tracks three communities: the makers (who enter the contest),
the lovers (who create buzz and follow the contest), and the watchers (who watch the ads
and vote in the contest). Once the finalists are announced, they become “brand
ambassadors” for Doritos.40
8. Measuring the Impact of Super Bowl Commercials
The 2012 Super Bowl marks a new high in providing advertisers informative
feedback on the various ways that their advertising affects consumers. The most
important factor in providing the increased feedback is the greater involvement of social
media in the total Super Bowl experience.
It had been common in recent years for USA Today and other media to publish
assessments of the Super Bowl commercials. These commentaries tended to focus on the
opinions of advertising experts and panels of viewers. In 2012, USA Today augmented
these sources with an even more relevant onethe opinions of real people collected via
social media. This step puts advertisers in closer contact with the very people whose
opinions matter most to them.
24
The USA Today/Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter invited viewers to vote for their
favorite spot in a 48-hour window following the airing of each ad during the Super Bowl.
Viewers picked a Doritos ad as their top choice and an Anheuser-Busch ad as runner-up.
Both ads use a humorous approach and animals, factors also present in many of the other
top-ranked ads.
Video 14. USA Today Ad Meter First Place
Winner41
Video 15. USA Today Ad Meter Second Place
Winner42
USA Today also used the more conventional approach of assembling focus group
panels (286 consumers) in McLean, Virginia, and Phoenix, Arizona. The panel results
resembled, but did not mirror, the choices of the much larger number of people who
voted via the Internet.43
Social media’s involvement in fostering advertiser-consumer engagement went
well beyond consumers voting on favorite ads. Here are some of the additional ways
social media were used:44
•
Viewers texted more than 985,000 comments about Super Bowl commercials
during the game.
25
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
36% reported planning to share their favorite ads after the game.
Viewers sent 10,000 tweets per second during the last 3 minutes of the game.
Brands posting Super Bowl-related messages on Facebook before the game had
60% greater engagement with their pages.
57% of ads mentioned a website; 16% included prompts for Facebook or Twitter.
Viewers used social media to talk to friends not in the room as well as those coviewing the game.
Advertisers used social media to send out teasers about their ads prior to the game.
Coke streamed its Polar Bowl simultaneously with the game, and also responded
in real time to viewer postings.
Anheuser-Busch offered to donate up to $250,000 to an animal rescue fund based
on the number of “likes” it received.
9. Criticisms and Controversies Surrounding Super Bowl Spots
Some Super Bowl spots elicit more than praise. They can actually stimulate
significant controversies. A two-minute Chrysler ad that ran during the 2012 Super Bowl
Halftime may have seemed innocent enough at first, but it became a political hot potato
in the days following. The spot featured famed actor and director Clint Eastwood using a
football metaphor to talk about America and the American economy.
It’s halftime. Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they
can do to win this game in the second half.
It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work and they’re hurting.
And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback.
And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game.
The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost
lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting
again.
I’ve seen a lot of tough eras, a lot of downturns in my life. And, times
when we didn’t understand each other. It seems like we’ve lost our heart
at times. When the fog of division, discord, and blame made it hard to
see what lies ahead.
But after those trials, we all rallied around what was right, and acted as
one. Because that’s what we do. We find a way through tough times, and
if we can’t find a way, then we’ll make one.
All that matters now is what’s ahead. How do we come from behind?
How do we come together? And, how do we win?
26
Detroit’s showing us it can be done. And, what’s true about them is true
about all of us.
This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up
again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines.
Yeah, it’s halftime America. And, our second half is about to begin.
Video 16. “Halftime in America”45
President Barack Obama’s chief strategist, David Axelrod, called the ad “a
powerful spot” in a tweet. Likewise, White House Communications Director Daniel
Pfeiffer tweeted that saving America was something that “Eminem and Clint Eastwood
can agree on.”46
Former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, retorted,
also in a tweet:
Why did Team Obama need to put this ad in a political context? That
made it appear that the president was being rewarded with corporate ads
by a corporation that received billions in taxpayer dollars they'll never pay
back. And guess whatmaybe he was!47
Needless to say, in a year with an upcoming presidential election, the press had a
heyday with the controversy. Even Clint Eastwood himself had something to say about
the flap: “Take the commercial for what it isa message about Americans' ability to
overcome our problems and march forward to a better future.”48
Another commercial drew fire from a competitor whose brand was mentioned in a
commercial. In the Chevy Silverado spot already discussed, one of the actors asks,
“Where’s Dave?” Another responds, “Dave didn’t drive the longest lasting, most
dependable truck on the road. Dave drove a Ford.”
27
The invidious comparison of Chevy to Ford—even if there is statistical data on
longevity of vehicles to support the claim of Chevy’s superiority—rankled Ford. Ford’s
protest in turn brought media attention that may have benefited Chevy more in the long
run.
In addition to such controversies, the Super Bowl has occasioned other criticism.
This time it was for singer M.I.A.’s behavior in the halftime show. Earlier in 2004, in the
infamous Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, Janet Jackson’s exposed breast was said
to have resulted from a “wardrobe malfunction.”49
FYI…
These websites offer opinions about good and bad Super Bowl Commercials.
10. The All-Time Best… and Worst…Super Bowl Commercials
After the last play on the field, the dissection of Super Bowl commercials
begins. Various commentators, news organizations, websites, and the like publish
their assessments of the best commercials (and often the worst as well). Scoring
high in these lists is the aspiration of every Super Bowl advertiser, and those whose
commercials are panned suffer a public shaming second to none.
The Super Bowl also comes with a lot of lore about the best and worst
commercials from previous years. Apple’s “1984” commercial50 is invariably named
as one of the best ever, while another Apple commercial51 that ran the following
year is often named as one of the worst.
12. Conclusion
28
No event or time in the world of American advertising parallels the Super
Bowl in the degree to which advertising becomes top of mind and enters so fully
into public discourse. People talk, analyze, text, tweet, and post about them in a
completely unprecedented manner. Yet, most of this commentary is about what is
liked, memorable, humorous, and so on. Much less attention is devoted to the values
and models of life and consumption that these mini-dramas present to us.
William M. O’Barr
William M. O’Barr is Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University where he
has taught since 1969. He holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Sociology
and English. He has been a visiting professor at Northwestern, Dalhousie, and Oxford.
He has been recognized for his outstanding undergraduate teaching by both the Duke
University Alumni Association and Trinity College (Duke University). His course
Advertising and Society: Global Perspectives is one of Duke’s most popular
undergraduate courses. His seminars include Advertising and Masculinity, Children and
Advertising, and The Language of Advertising.
He is author and co-author of ten books, including Culture and the Ad: Exploring
Otherness in the World of Advertising, Rules versus Relationships, and Just Words: Law,
Language, and Power. He has conducted anthropological research in Brazil, China, East
Africa, India, Japan, and the US. In addition to his interest in social and cultural aspects
of advertising, Professor O’Barr has researched law in a variety of cultural settings.
In 2000, he founded Advertising & Society Review and served as editor from 2000 to
2005. He is author of ADTextOnline.org, which will consist of more than 25 units
published as supplements to A&SR.
© mike1111981. Used by permission. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike1111981/6844871849/
“Ad Blitz 2012 (Critique of Super Bowl Ads),” YouTube video, uploaded by “ContraPoints,”
February 6, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU078KAKH5U.
3 Robert Lipsyte, “Four Reasons to Watch the Super Bowl,” last modified February 5, 2012,
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/02/20122413414398722.html.
4 The Super Bowl marks the end of the professional (American) football season, when the winners of
the respective National Football Conference and American Football Conference playoffs play against
one another for the National Football League championship.
5 The Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, site of the 2012 Super Bowl, accommodates 63,000
spectators.
6 Brian Steinberg, “Super Bowl Breaks Its Ratings Record Once Again:
How Much Viewing Growth Remains for TV's Biggest Spectacle?” AdAge, February 6, 2012,
http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/super-bowl-breaks-ratings-record/232563/.
1
2
29
7 “Gap Between Number Of Male, Female Super Bowl Viewers Is Shrinking,” Sports Business Daily,
February 1, 2012, http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2012/02/01/Research-andRatings/SB-demos.aspx.
8 The gender gap is narrowing with each successive Super Bowl. Ibid.
9 The NFL has trademarked the term “Super Bowl” and therefore restricts its usage. Thus, many ads
do not use the term directly but rather speak of “Super Sunday” or “the big game.”
10 See “Advertising and Christmas” elsewhere in ADTextonline.org.
11 There are women who watch the event because they are genuinely interested in the sport, but the
celebration and events are nonetheless distinctively macho. If Christmas is understood as a
celebration where women and women’s work take center stage in managing, decorating, present
buying, and cooking, then the Super Bowl marks a kind of reversal where men are in the limelight as
players and spectators. Such an observation is not meant to ignore the importance of the
contributions that the roles typically played by both genders make to the performance of both
celebrations, but rather to note the masculine versus feminine aura surrounding each.
12 See, for example, Justine Rivero, “My Dad’s Guide to Watching the Super Bowl,” in Forbes, February
3, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneywisewomen/2012/02/03/how-to-watch-the-superbowl-with-dad/; Leah Garchik, “How Not To Watch the Super Bowl,” in the San Francisco Chronicle,
February 5, 2012,
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/02/LVAT1MUUI0.DTL; and
[NSFW]“Super Bowl Sunday Song,” YouTube video, uploaded by “booyapictures” on January 26, 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg2QLgdWols.
13 Sports Illustrated, January 30, 2012.
14 Brian Steinberg, “Who's Buying What in Super Bowl 2012:
From Anheuser-Busch to Hulu and Volkswagen, How Ads Are Shaping Up for the Big Game,” AdAge,
February 3, 2011[sic], http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/buying-super-bowl2012/231122/.
15 “M&M'S ‘Just My Shell’ Super Bowl Commercial,” YouTube video, uploaded by “mmschocolate,”
February 1, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn3mktl30iw.
16 “FIAT 500 Abarth - 2012 Super Bowl Commercial – Seduction,” YouTube video, uploaded by
“fiatusa,” November 16, 2011, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpi2IAec9Ho.
17 “Adriana Lima Super Bowl Ad - Teleflora 2012,” YouTube video, uploaded by “TelefloraFlowers,”
February 2, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWrJgFjxlS0.
18“Chevy Silverado "2012" | Super Bowl XLVI Ads | Chevrolet Commercial,” YouTube video, uploaded
by “Chevrolet,” February 2, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxFYYP8040A.
19 “‘Transactions’ Extended Version - 2012 Acura NSX Big Game Ad #JerrysNSX,” YouTube video,
uploaded by “Acura,” January 30, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUFSHzT2xuY.
20 “Bud Light - Rescue Dog,” YouTube video, uploaded by “officialbudlight,” February 3, 2012,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyFWSys3TJU.
21 “OFFICIAL David Beckham Bodywear for H&M Super Bowl Ad,” YouTube video, uploaded by
“hennesandmauritz,” January 26, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQb_-OY7Z0E.
22 Kimberly McLeod, February 6, 2012 (9:18 a.m.), comment on “5 Worst Commercials of Super Bowl
2012,” Super Bowl Commercials, February 6, 2012, http://www.superbowlcommercials.org/14401.html.
23 Mark Briner, February 6, 2012 (12:54 p.m.), reply to Kimberly McLeod, comment on “5 Worst
Commercials of Super Bowl 2012,” Super Bowl Commercials, February 6, 2012,
http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/14401.html.
24 assmunch1, comment on “OFFICIAL David Beckham Bodywear for H&M Super Bowl Ad,” YouTube
video, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=eQb_-OY7Z0E.
25 TheScotchers, reply to assmunch1, comment on “OFFICIAL David Beckham Bodywear for H&M
Super Bowl Ad,” YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=eQb_-OY7Z0E.
26 Jean Kilbourne, Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women, (Northampton, MA: Media
Education Foundation, 2010) DVD.
27 “Camry Effect: ‘Connections’ :30 Big Game Commercial,” YouTube video, uploaded by “ToyotaUSA,”
January 30, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N406PJKJ_rM.
30
28 “Ad Blitz 2012 (Critique of Super Bowl Ads),” YouTube video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU078KAKH5U.
29 Any critical analysis of the Super Bowl must take note of the ways in which race, class, gender, and
sexuality play themselves out in the event. First, all of the players, coaches, referees, and most of the
commentators are men. Second, the majority of players are African-American,. Third, women have a
distinctly second place in the Super Bowl, except perhaps as halftime entertainers and cheerleaders,
and there is no parallel even in women’s sports that even comes close to garnering the attention
given to the Super Bowl. The one place where things are more egalitarian is the social class of the
audience. Super Bowl fans seem to come from all parts of society, although the franchise owners are
very wealthy themselves. It does not take much effort to notice the extraordinary heteronormativity
of the Super Bowl. There are never any openly gay players nor do any commercials ever feature
LGBT people except in a derisive way so as to reinforce heteronormativity.
30 Michael Learmonth, “Fresh Numbers: Honda Won the Super Bowl Before It Even Began:
Automakers Dominate Most-Watched Ads On the Web,”
AdAge, February 6, 2012, http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/honda-won-superbowl-began/232543/.
31 Ibid.
32 Doug Henschen, “Coke Super Bowl Campaign Blends TV, Tablets And Smart Phones,”
InformationWeek, January 30, 2012,
http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/bi/232500677.
33 “Coke 2012 Commercial: ‘Superstition,’” YouTube video, uploaded by “cocacola,” February 3, 2012,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CueNjgmG8UM.
34 “Coke 2012 Commercial: ‘Arghh’ featuring NY_Bear,” YouTube video, uploaded by “cocacola,”
February 5, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V1oNGOVo-4.
35 “Coke 2012 Commercial: ‘Catch’ starring NE_Bear,” YouTube video, uploaded by “cocacola,”
February 3, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2nBBMbjS8w.
36 Henschen, “Coke Super Bowl Campaign Blends TV, Tablets And Smart Phones,”
http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/bi/232500677.
37 Doritos’ “Sling Baby” Emerges as Most-Remembered and Best-Liked Super Bowl Ad, February 8,
2012. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/doritos-sling-baby-emerges-asnielsens-most-remembered-and-best-liked-super-bowl-ad/
38 “Doritos - Sling Baby -- Crash the Super Bowl 2012 Finalist,” YouTube video, uploaded by
“CrashtheSuperBowl,” January 3, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GIeIpcRv7o.
39 “Doritos - Man's Best Friend -- Crash the Super Bowl 2012 Finalist,” YouTube video, uploaded by
“CrashtheSuperBowl,” January 3, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bqbJduK2w.
40 David D. Burstein, “5 Lessons In Participatory Marketing From Doritos’ ‘Crash The Super Bowl’ And
CMO Ann Mukherjee,” FastCompany’s Co.Create, http://www.fastcocreate.com/1679605/5-lessonsin-participatory-marketing-from-doritos-crash-the-super-bowl-and-cmo-ann-mukherjee.
41 “Doritos - Man's Best Friend -- Crash the Super Bowl 2012 Finalist,” YouTube video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bqbJduK2w.
42 “Bud Light - Rescue Dog,” YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyFWSys3TJU.
43 Bruce Horovitz, Laura Petrecca, and Gary Strauss, “Super Bowl Ad Meter winner: Score one for the
Doritos baby,” USA TODAY, February 8, 2012,
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/story/2012-02-07/usa-today-facebook-super-bowlad-meter-winner/53004032/1.
44 Ibid.
45 “Halftime in America: OFFICIAL Chrysler Super Bowl 2012 Commercial,” YouTube video, uploaded
by “chevy,” February, 12, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PE5V4Uzobc.
46 During the previous Super Bowl, the rapper Eminem appeared in a commercial also praising the
Detroit auto industry’s return from near-economic collapse. Eminem and Clint Eastwood are known
to have differing political views.
47 Karl Rove, “Team Obama's response to 'Halftime in America' ad should make you nervous,”
FoxNews.com, February 07, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/02/07/team-obamasresponse-to-halftime-in-america-ad-should-make-nervous/.
31
48 Clint Eastwood, quoted in Mohamed A. El-Erian, “‘Half-Time in America’ Highlights Our Political
Dysfunctionality,” Huffington Post, February 10, 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mohamed-aelerian/halftime-in-america-highl_b_1269062.html.
49 “The Jackson incident resulted in the FCC going after CBS and inspired a broadcast-wide tightening
of live telecast content standards (though, obviously, mistakes can still happen). Ironically, the NFL
took over production of the annual Super Bowl halftime show after Jackson’s performance, to have
better control of the content. An NFL spokesperson says M.I.A. did not perform the gesture during
rehearsals.” James Hibberd, “M.I.A. Flips Middle Finger During Super Bowl Halftime ShowPHOTO,”
Entertainment Weekly, February 5, 2012, http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/02/05/middle-finger-superbowl-photo/.
50 See “The Interpretation of Advertisements” at ADTextonline.com for an in depth look at Apple’s
“1984.”
51 Apple’s “Lemmings” spot presented the very consumers the company hoped to lure to their
products as mindless people who followed the crowd off a cliff in the manner of lemmings. See
“Apple – Lemmings” YouTube video, uploaded by “applejuice” January 4, 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYP1Tjgt1Ao