Blog : Super Bowl

Stripe’s Super Bowl ad top picks
Alice Bravery

Stripe’s Super Bowl ad top picks

I’m not a fan of American Football (I had to google ‘American Football sports terms/puns to write this) – but, I am a fan of the Super Bowl ads.

So, while some stayed up all night watching the game. I got a good eight hours and then opened up YouTube to watch (and rate) the collective creativity of the ad industry.

So here is my, and several of my fellow Stripes, play-by-play on the ads that scored a touchdown this year.

 

Oatly

Let’s kick off with the big winner in my eyes – Oatly.

Oatly’s ad saw its CEO singing about oat milk, in a field of oats. Most people seem to think it wasn’t great – but I can’t help but admire the simplicity of the ad, or deny that i’ve spent the morning singing the tune ‘Wow, wow! No cow!’.

With the brand releasing shoppable t-shirts straight after the segment saying ‘I totally hated that Oatly commercial’ its clear they were looking to split the audience to get people talking. And they did just that, trending on Twitter last night. A win in my books.
 

Squarespace

Squarespace also knocked it out of the stadium with a remake of Dolly Parton’s famous tune 9 to 5. Its update (5 to 9) played perfectly into the pandemic passion project trend, and encouraged people with more time on their hands now the commute is waning to follow their dreams and start up a side hustle. Short, sharp, clever and clear with a strong insight at its heart.


 

Reddit

Reddit blew its entire marketing budget on a five second add celebrating the power of the underdog and capitalising on Game Stop fame. Very on brand and the right moment to do it.

 

General Motors

Finally from me – General Motors harnessed the spirit of the Super Bowl and America’s love of competition and pointed it towards positive change for the planet challenging America to suit up and beat Norway by buying EVs. Let’s hope it gets people pumped about saving the planet!


 

Stripe Team Verdicts

Naomi Penn, Senior Account Executive

“This year’s comical hit from M&Ms suggests that the chocolatey treat is the perfect way to say sorry. From common mishaps such as kicking the seat of the person in front of you on a plane, to topical apologies such as “I’m sorry for calling you a Karen”, the gift of a bag of M&Ms makes it all better.

“I loved the advert for its tongue-in-cheek take on the things we often don’t think about apologising for (Mansplaining, anyone?), and was thrilled to see a guest appearance by my personal TV treasure, Dan Levy, star and creator of the award-winning Schitt’s Creek.”


 

Tom Hallam, Senior Account Manager

“Pure star power, with Mahomes and Rodgers getting attention before you even get to Paul Rudd and Drake.

“Super simple for the talent to act to, doesn’t push a product, just keeps that longstanding association and presence in American life ticking over in consumers minds.

“Uses the ‘neighbour’ concept at a time where our social circles are smaller and reliance on neighbours probably has gone up. The comparison between a massive insurance company and being a friendly local neighbour is tenuous but they get away with it with the comedy.”


 

Sarah Jackson, Director

“Taking inspiration, I am sure, from the Google ‘Home Alone’ ad’s and the Jeep Groundhog Day retelling last year, Cadillac this year recruited Winona Ryder and the current “homme de l’heure’ Timothee Chamalet for an Edward Scissorhands inspired advert to promote their new electric Cadillac Lyriq.

“However this was far from jumping on a bandwagon. It is a beautifully shot ad in homage to Tim Burton, well cast with Timothee, and the perfect way to promote Cadillac’s self-drive vehicles – demonstrating their ease of use even when you have blades for hands. The ad was a touchdown for ad agency Leo Burnett for me.”

Brands going for gold in sport
Joe Boyle

Brands going for gold in sport

Whether you gushed at the sight of sausage dogs gleefully running around in hot dog buns towards humans dressed as giant bottles of Heinz Ketchup, or winced at the unborn baby shooting out of its mother to snatch at a bag of Doritos, it was hard not to sit up and take notice of what brands were doing for Super Bowl 50.

My personal favourite brand involvement wasn’t an advert. It was a stunt (shockingly!). Airbnb OWNED it with theirs. They offered Super Bowl fans the chance to stay in the home of Carolina Panthers star Roman Harper – complete with pool table, sky lounge and yoga room – to watch the game while he battled for the big prize against the Denver Broncos. At a heavy cost of $5,000, Airbnb gifted the money to charity too, which was a really nice touch (down) from them.

The Super Bowl is a worldwide phenomenon and one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Reuters claimed this year’s game attracted over 111 million TV viewers in America alone. With these colossal off-the-scale viewing figures, it’s no wonder some of the world’s biggest brands are paying $5 million for a 30 second window to push their latest products to win the ‘brand battle.’

This is obviously a budget which can go a long way towards creating a fantastic campaign, but to global consumer brands such as Snickers, Budweiser and Pepsi, it’s a drop in the ocean.  Considering over 111 million people watched Super Bowl 50, the cost of $45 to reach one thousand people doesn’t seem that much for them. What would be the impact of NOT advertising or pulling off a stunt?

If we look at brands involving themselves at major sporting events closer to home, it’s worth noting the increase in sales Tunnocks Tea Cakes and IRN-BRU experienced on the back of the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. The giant tinfoil covered cakes and cans of Scotland’s favourite soft drink took to the stage as Glasgow welcomed nations from across the world to the city for Scotland’s biggest sporting event of the century, with over 9 million people in the UK tuning in to watch the show.

Whether we agree or disagree with the money spent by brands that are pushing product awareness during big sporting events, it’s hard to argue against the return on investment.

It remains to be seen what the best form of association is for brands looking to put themselves out there before, during or after big sporting event, whether it be advertising, sponsorship, joining the discussion on social media or turning round a cool and funny stunt to spread the word. What’s clear is that if a brand’s objectives fit well with a particular sport and they have the budget to be involved then it makes perfect sense to take advantage and increase their exposure. But, it does have to be done right and in line with their brand values.

With the Euro 2016 Championship in France just around the corner, I’m looking forward to seeing how far brands will go to get noticed. Watch this space.