Part 2 - Field Guide

Eight Lessons Learned From
Super Bowl Ads

Over $600 million was spent on Super Bowl network ads this year alone. Although your advertising budget can’t accommodate the rich $7 million 30-sec spot rates, you can bet that those who do invest these huge amounts don’t do so lightly. A great deal of thought, expertise, and research goes into every ad purchased in this high-profile program. So, what can you learn from these successful Super Bowl advertisers? 

1.) Don’t be afraid to be Edgy.  Stand out in the advertising crowd! This year, there will be more than 2 hours of commercials in the game, counting pre and post-game ads and non-planned time-outs, i.e. injuries, reviews, etc. If your ads are boring or mundane, they won’t get noticed or listened to.  Super Bowl advertisers invest in great creative in order to be remembered amidst all that clutter.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to be creative.

2.) Tell Stories!  Nearly every ad aired during the Super Bowl, radio, and TV will tell a story.  People love stories, people listen to stories, people even lean forward to focus in on stories.  Tell stories!

3.) Be consistent. Advertisers like Doritos and Anheuser-Busch InBev have had their ads in every game for ten years running and they continue to advertise throughout the year.  You can’t just run occasionally and then hide.  The dot-com era commercials taught us this lesson.

4.) Touch the emotions. Ads that make you laugh, cry, or stir up sentimental emotions create a powerful lasting impression. Touch their hearts, and their minds will follow.

5.) Go Big or Go Home.  A good 60-second ad is better than a good 30-second ad. A significant portion of advertisers elect to invest in longer commercials to engage viewers and improve their results. Nearly half of the ads aired during the Super Bowl are 60s.  A word of caution:  A bad 60-second ad is simply a bigger waste of money than a bad 30-second ad.  Don’t air bad ads! 

6.) Use multi-platforms and be consistent with your message. The most recognized Super Bowl advertisers increase awareness with a multi-media approach, and they make sure the message is the same.  Ads may need to be tweaked when aired on different media, i.e. the audio on a TV ad may need to be different than that of the radio ad. 

7.) Repetition sells.  Those multi-platform applications extend the reach and frequency of the advertiser’s message for more powerful branding and awareness. 

8.) Pre and Post event exposure. Many of the Super Bowl advertisers began teasing their Super Bowl message prior to game day and will continue to air their commercials following the event.