Is Super Bowl the Golden Globes for Ads?
Where were you this Sunday? Most likely glued to your TV like a whopping 100.1 million viewers watching Super Bowl and their commercials.
Well, I was right there with you. While my friends complained about commercials interrupting every 4 minutes, I complained about commercials being interrupted every 4 minutes! Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart talked about scented candles, Jim Carrey wondered where you’ve got your wireless wifi from, and Pete Davidson got tackled while joking about looking punchable (tip of the hat to Kanye).
These commercials have A-list stars, A-list writers, and A-list budgets.
So what are we talking about in here?
Well, Super Bowl happens at the beginning of the year and almost acts as a trendsetter for what will be considered a GOOD commercial. Super Bowl commercials have become the Golden Globes for advertisers. Every year, dozens of brands pay around 10 million dollars for a 30-second spot to get our eyes on their product. So what does that have to do anything with us? I’d like to forecast what I think will be trending in the commercial world in 2022.
1. Your Talent
While we don’t need to hire Dolly Parton (or she’s a touch out of your budget), the common denominator in all of Super Bowl 2022 ads is HUMOR. All the best commercials have a punch line in them, which definitely has something to do with professional copywriting. However, it all comes together with the right talent.
Casting for commercials is an integral part of pre-production. Who do we want as the face of your brand? Do they match your style? Your values? Did you check their Twitter and Instagram? By spending time and effort selecting the right talent for your project, you ensure maximum success for your brand.
Pair that personality with a good sense of humor, and you’ve got yourself a winning combo. I genuinely believe that the past two COVID years are gloomy enough, and the only way to overcome our issues is by laughing at them.
Don’t think this point applies to your serious business? Let me refer you to the TurboTax commercial, or Rocket Homes and Rocket Morgage. In 2022 it’s all about lighthearted comedy.
2. Locations
When you have an average of 6 million dollars in ad budget, scouting a perfect office space or a virtual reality wall with motion tracking is easy. But we’re tracking 2022 trends here, so what happens to locations?
Your location should align with your business and your brand. Planters ad taking place in a restaurant makes sense. You want to make it easy for your audiences to understand what you are selling. By giving them as many visual cues as possible, you’re making that neurological link stronger. Additionally, you’re building new patterns in their brain. For example, next time I am in a bowling alley (a bit of a stretch, but let’s use our imagination), I will change into bowling shoes, get to my table, and order a beer. What was that beer everyone drank and looked cool? Right! Michelob Ultra. Make it two. I heard Steve Buscemi might frequent at places like this, and maybe he’ll drop by.
Bottom line, you can be creative with your locations, but if we’re trying to make ourselves memorable, we need to help the audience associate the place with the product.
3. Clear messaging
Are we clear about what product you’re selling? Or do we understand what your service is?
This may be a silly example, but the Uber Eats ad with Trevor Noah eating deodorant is on my “What was that?” list. Now watch this Uber Eats ad and tell me if you understood it. If you did, send me a message on one of our social media platforms, and I’ll respond with a golden star! When it came to me, I had to google it. Turns out, it has to do with the fact that Uber Eats delivers non-edible items, such as household essentials and more. Now that makes sense. But was it obvious? Not so much. Here’s an extended version that shines a bit more light: Uber Eats 1-minute ad.
This ad, in my personal opinion, is an excellent example of when you have a perfect talent and great locations but decide to skip on clear messaging.
What’s even worse? Some viewers are prone to believing everything they see on the screen. Remember the Tide pod eating challenge? Or maybe a bleach drinking challenge? Well, now the FDA is issuing a statement bashing Uber Eats and strongly advising the viewers NOT to eat the soap. I guess bad publicity is good publicity, but only if you have a solid plan in mind and a good roaster of lawyers, or you’re Jake Szymanski.
To sum it all up, I believe that this year will be full of new and exciting approaches to advertising. As we’ve already seen with the Super Bowl ads, we’re pushing the limits with comedy, film references, and doing silly things.
As a production company, we’re here to bring your vision to life and help you find new ways to advertise your product.
My personal favorites from 2022 Super Bowl Commercials: