GAME TIME

The Super Bowl is truly a fantastic time of year. There is something for everyone. For the sports fan, there is the game. For the not so athletic folks, there is the Puppy Bowl. And for the rest of America, there are the commercials. Super Bowl commercials have always been the high point of the day for me. That, and the delicious food (We're making fajitas and I can't wait. The crazy rain here in Houston won't stop us from grilling).

Sunday is the culmination of 364 days of planning and strategizing. I'm just gonna put this out there...I LOVE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS. I love seeing what each of these companies have hidden up their sleeve. At no other time of the year will you find me so in love with TV commercials. I realize I'm an ad person, but let's be real. There are only so many Sham-Wow commercials a person can put up with. 

Past Super Bowl commercial favorites of mine have included classics such as the E*Trade Baby, the Betty White Snickers commercials and of course, Bud Light and company typically bring their A game and churn out some pretty solid :30second spots.

Up until recently, the majority of the "big" commercials were kept a secret until their big reveal at the time of the game. But a lot of companies have decided to release their commercials early, in hopes of increasing their total reach. It makes sense, from a business point of view. But as a viewer, I felt kinda let down. 

In the NY Times article, "Before the Toss, Super Bowl Ads", Brian Smith, VP of marketing at Lexus likened the recent trend of companies releasing their commercials early, to Christmas day. 

 "As much fun as it would be to come downstairs and find presents without knowing it was Dec. 25, he said, it is 'a lot more fun when you’ve gone through the buildup, the anticipation, when you know what’s coming.'"

 Sorry Mr. Smith, but I disagree. That's one thing I've realized as I've grown up. When Christmas day comes, it is great to be able to see my family. But the surprise and the "magic" of  all the gifts waiting under the Christmas tree is starting to dwindle. Anticipation comes from waiting for the unknown. Even if I know what's waiting for me, I still love it nonetheless. But that little extra something is missing.

But I digress. 

Another recent trend I have seen developing over the last year or two, is the transition of Super Bowl commercials to Super Bowl mini campaigns. A goal of any ad or any commercial is to increase awareness and with the tremendous increase in Social Media, this has given agencies some unexplored territory to play around with. Instead of just creating a :30 second commercial, agencies are putting the ad not only on TV, but they are also creating additions and spin-offs for Facebook and Twitter. Some notable examples include Coca Cola and MetLife.

This year Wieden & Kennedy has created two versions of a :60 second commercials for Coca Cola. One to be aired if the Giants are ahead and one to be aired if the Patriots are ahead. AdAge recently published a report entitled, "Coca-Cola Preps Two Versions of Super Bowl Ad" where Natalie Zmuda gives more insight into Coca Cola's plans for the Super Bowl. According to Pio Schunker, the senior-VP of integrated marketing at Coca Cola,  

"It appears to be a first-of-its-kind endeavor, requiring the beverage giant to have execs on site at NBC during the game. They will be in the traffic room to decide which spot runs when the game goes to a commercial break."

The commercials will also be part of an integrated campaign utilizing an online Facebook application featuring the two polar bears watching the game live. They will show real time reaction to plays, halftime shows and commercials occurring during the game. To watch the bears follow this link: http://apps.facebook.com/cokepolarbowl/.


MetLife has also ventured into the Social Media realm. Stuart Elliott notes in his NY Times article that many of MetLife's new Facebook "likes" include notable characters like Scooby-Doo and Voltron. The characters routinely post on the company's page with messages like "Rook out for me and Shaggy on TV Feb. 5th!". Beth Hirscholorn, the executive UP and CMO at MefLife explains,

..."between now and Sunday, 'it’ll build and build'...until 'people figure out why the characters are talking.'"

Consumer brands aren't the only ones taking to Social Media this Super Bowl Sunday. A recent Mashable article discussed the partnership between Google+ and NBC. Together, these two will host "Ad Blitz" where people can call in to "Hangout" to voice their opinions on the Super Bowl commercials. I agree with the article's author, Peter Pachul, while this may not have been one a part of Google's master plan, it is definitely one of the better uses of the Youtube/Google integration.


New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley, who is already very active on Facebook and Twitter, made a very clever move that I think other companies should take note on. Spotify is the new music listening craze and it's recent Facebook integration has allowed it be more of a social networking platform as well. Ridley created a Super Bowl Pre-Game Mix on Spotify, then shared it with his Facebook followers. I see this as a new and unique way for celebrities and brands to create deeper and more intimate connections with their fans. If it's not already, Spotify should be added to your Media Mix when it comes to Social Media. Music is one thing that has the possibility of connecting hundreds, thousands, millions of people. The sky is the limit when it comes to the potential uses for Spotfiy.


Well that's all folks! Y'all have a wonderful evening and enjoy the game tomorrow. Comment below with of your favorite commercials from the game!




[And for all you wondering why I didn't talk about the Star Wars ads, just take a deep breath. I'm doing a Star Wars Ad post soon where I talk about the growing trend in Star Wars advertising. No worries, I love me some Star Wars too much to just pass up on them.]