Volkswagen Darth Vader

The Cheeseheads are still savoring their 31-25 victory over the Steelers, and while Green Bay prepared for a ticker tape parade to celebrate their champion Packers, the rest of us home viewers are left to look back on the various ads that debuted during the big game. Which were memorable? Which were controversial? And what were the emerging trends, if any?

In an informal poll conducted among my family, a favorite ad was one of Doritos’ fan videos.  An increasing trend in recent years is for fans to create their own ads for their favorite products, and Doritos has embraced this trend. It was an intrepid fan who thought of a Doritos fanatic so in love with the taste of Doritos that he licked the cheesy bits wherever he could find them…even the fingers of his co-workers. Definitely cringe-inducing, but also memorable.

Each year, popular websites make the move to TV with Super Bowl ads. Last year it was Google; this year it was two hot group buying sites, Living Social and Groupon. Both were controversial. Living Social’s ads seemed to indicate that buying its deals will transform you…from a burly fisher to a lipstick-wearing cross dresser. It was very odd. Among four Groupon ads that appeared was one featuring actor Timothy Hutton, and what we think will be an ad about the plight of Tibetans instantly changes tone and promotes Groupon, where you can buy a meal for half off at a Chicago area Tibetan restaurant! For those who found the last ad in poor taste, know that Groupon is donating funds to a charity benefiting the Tibetan cause, along with others mentioned in the other Groupon ads that aired during the Super Bowl.

Social media and the internet certainly had an impact on the reception of the ads. Didn’t like a particular spot? You can take to Twitter and let the brand know how you felt. The makers of these ads know that they will receive instant feedback, both good and bad. The Volkswagen ad featuring a young Darth Vader was leaked online a few days before the Super Bowl, where it garnered some good buzz. So both before and after the Super Bowl, advertisers know that their ads will be criticized in real time through social media.

Tim Tebow

For football fans everywhere, especially in Indiana and Louisiana, Super Bowl XLIV represents a contest between two great teams and 3 hours or more of riveting football action.  For non-football fans, the Super Bowl is still something to look forward to.  Some people go to the bathroom during the game and stay glued to the TV set to see the most original, most outrageous, funniest, and yes, the most expensive commercials of the year.  The Super Bowl is a chance for lesser known companies to get the word out and drive traffic to a site (witness the success of GoDaddy.com), as well as a chance for established brands like Budweiser and Doritos to wow audiences each year with new, humorous ads.

It is because of the Super Bowl tradition of raucous, funny ads that I cringe at the prospect of Tim Tebow’s ad for Focus on the Family.  I strongly support anyone exercising their First Amendment right to free speech, and from what I understand, the commercial will be about the Tebow family’s very personal pro-life beliefs.  I respect their beliefs, but I think that the airing of such personal and potentially contentious views during what is normally a fun-filled afternoon of chips, beer, football, and funny, original advertising is simply not being done in the right context.  Leave the controversy off the field, and let everyone enjoy a (relatively) controversy-free Super Bowl Sunday.

What do you think?

Vancouver Olympics 2010

For myself and most of the people I know, 2010 offers a plethora of top level sporting options. Whether they are the annual events such as the Super Bowl, March Madness, Stanley Cup Playoffs and World Series or the upcoming Winter Olympics and World Cup, this year is going to require numerous hours in front of the television with some frosty malted beverages.

While this is exciting for sports fans in a year of economically squeezed ad budgets, event organizers and their sales teams are scrambling to maximize their ad revenue. Some larger sponsors such as McDonald’s, Visa, and Coca-Cola are high level participants in both the Olympics and the World Cup. However, it will take more than that to make the games a success for NBC.

The world economy, location, and weather are just among some of the challenges facing the event organizers this year. For marketers, stretching budgets for traditional large markets such as the United States, or emerging powerhouses such as Brazil or China, is quite a bit easier than for markets not considered to be as powerful such as Canada and South Africa.  Additionally, the fact that both events are occurring in the same year means that many sponsors who would like to participate in both will be forced to choose.

More about the advertisers participating can be found in this article from Advertising Age. Otherwise for all of us spectators it is going to be a very exciting year. Go USA!