Pop Culture
Shen
Name: _______________________________
Superbowl Advertising (Extra Credit)
First, read the following:
Next week, we will be beginning a unit on advertising in the 20th-21st centuries. Given that many of you
will be watching the Super Bowl this weekend, this seems like the perfect opportunity to earn start the
quarter off right with some extra credit and a little preview of the unit to come.
The Super Bowl is the biggest advertising say of the year. In fact, many would argue that Super Bowl ads
rival the big game, with 55% of U.S. adults who plan to watch the game confessing that they are tuning in
as much or more for the commercials as for the game. Interest in ads is strongest among women, with
67% of female viewers saying they watch as much or more for the ads, compared to 44% of male viewers.
Last year, an estimated 108.4 million U.S. viewers tuned in to watch the game. The Nielsen Company
estimated that 48.1% of the nation’s TV households were tuned into the game at any moment and 71% of
sets in use at any given time were tuned into the Super Bowl. Early polls suggest that 72% of U.S. adults
will watch the Super Bowl this coming weekend.
“Ads continue to be an important part of the full Super Bowl entertainment package, especially for
women,” observed John Sawyer, chairman of Gravity Six Alliance and principal at partner agency Grey
Matter Group. “For brands, this is the one time each year when over 100 million people will engage with
their message. Not just notice it, but beg the room to quiet down so they can hear it, and then post and
tweet about it. No wonder advertisers line up to pay $4 million for a spot.”
Did you know? A 30-second advertising spot during the 2014 Super Bowl went for an average of $4
million (with some as high as $4.5 million), which is up about $300,000 from 2013!
Your assignment, if you choose to accept it…
While watching the Super Bowl this weekend, do BOTH of the following:
1. Play Super Bowl Bingo! For every time you see a commercial that meets the criteria on the
bingo board, write in the name of the commercial (product or company.) Once you have
bingo stand up and scream like an idiot. (YOU WILL HAND IN YOUR COMPLETED
BINGO CARD TO ME.)
2. Choose ONE ad on which to do a written critique – CHOOSE SOMETHING FUN!
While you’re watching take notes on the commercial. Questions are on the back of the
page. After the game, please type up your notes into a more neat, comprehensible format
and add your reflection to the end. Be sure to include a title which makes clear which
advertisement/product you chose.
Hand in BOTH your Bingo board AND your typed notes/reflection for quarter 3
extra credit.
PRODUCT AND TARGET AUDIENCE/CONSUMERS
1. What product/service is being advertised in this commercial?
2. Who do you think is the primary target audience for this product or service?
PLOT AND CHARACTERS
1. What is the story line or plot of the commercial?
2. Who are the main characters, and how are they presented?
3. How, if at all, does the story line relate to the use and purpose, or the image, of the product or service?
4. How would you describe the commercial’s tone?
THEMES AND ELEMENTS
1. What themes or values are presented in the commercial?
2. How does the ad reflect current political or social concerns (such as war, climate change, the economy,
gender roles, personal health)?
ASSESSMENT
1. What judgment might you make about the product and its consumers based on the commercial? Explain.
2. How successful do you think it is in enticing viewers to buy the product or service? Explain.
3. Might you use or buy it as a result of this commercial? Why or why not?
FINAL REFLECTION QUESTION: Why do you think the commercials for the Super Bowl are considered a key
element of the televised sporting event?
Super Bowl Bingo
B
I
N
G
O
A good example of
playing to male
gender stereotypes.
Beer commercial
Hands-down, the
funniest
commercial of the
bunch.
Junk food makes
me cool!
I feel so warm and
fuzzy and proud to
be an American
now!
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
Quick! Cover your
little
sister/brother’s
eyes! (not family
friendly tv)
Shameless use of
sex to sell a
product that has
nothing to do with
sex.
I see dead people.
(Gunshot wounds
or other signs of
violence.)
Awww, furry
animals doing cute
but non-animallike things.
Look! More beer!
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
Oooh! I need that
I want to see that
because that
movie! Wait, it’s
celebrity told me to not coming out for
want it!
over 6 months?
_______________ _______________
Explosion!
Cars, cars, cars!
Generic Sexy
Woman
FREE SPACE
Chip commercial
“Wait, I was
distracted by the
hit song…what is
the product?”
_______________ _______________
How do I get that
darn jingle out of
my head now?
You have to try this
awesome new
product!
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
This is why we
have a nationwide
obesity epidemic…
What do half
naked people have
to do with this
product? Oh, right.
Nothing!
Ah, the wave of
the future!
(technology)
Quick, check out
this new website!
A good example of
playing to female
gender stereotypes.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________