The Super Bowl has come and gone, and of course we are going to see a lot of takes and insights on what worked, and what didn’t, related to what brands did for their commercials.
I am going to take a slightly different approach and focus on what the brands did (but most cases didn’t) do on social media.
Celebrities >>>>> Social Media Creators. This is something I was surprised to see. We saw a TON of celebrities at the game, featured at the game, attending the game, and of course in the commercials. Where were the creators and influencers? This was a big thing just a few years ago, and it seemed to be non-existent. With influencer marketing and relations being a huge focus for most businesses, I am surprised to see this was not as heavily focused or promoted in the commercials as previously stated.
No more hashtags or social CTAs in ads. This is surprising for the most part – you usually see this for ads during the Super Bowl – whether it was a call out to engage on social, do a challenge, etc. The overall focus for the most part appeared to be on the celebrities that were in the commercial.
Digital Currency for the win. However, we have to give props to the Coinbase team. Their simple QR code got a ton of hits (I’ve heard at least over 20 million people got to the website, so that’s why it went down!), and they got praise across the board because people were able to remember the ad, and they knew what it was for. Pepsi also was active not just with their halftime show, but also giving the fans a chance to win their NFT.
I think this was all great to see as it was held in LA, but I think there is room to grow even for these brands who had some big wins. Along with building awareness, I think showcasing some insights, stories, and even provide additional resources to educate others on what this all means. We can’t assume everyone understands how NFTs work, and what Coinbase and other associated brands are doing with their digital currency practices. his could have been a great place to bring awareness, education AND understanding to the mix. We got the name brand recognition, which is great. Now we need name brand loyalty.
Brand cringe was in full force interjecting themselves into social to stand out. There’s a fine line between being engaging on social media, and then there is crossing the line where you motivate people to actually block your account. This is what happened to Mr. Peanut, TurboTax, and a few others on social media.
I always tell my students: Imagine you are at a physical party and networking event, and having a conversation with group of people you want to have a conversation with. And then – all of a sudden – you had someone interrupt your conversation with something that was not relevant whatsoever, and they were not invited. You’d feel pretty weird, right? Same goes with social media. This is 2022, and we should know by now this is not the way.
Social media for inspiration of a Super Bowl Ad. Yep, this happened to McDonalds. This all started off on social media, and then the global brand decided to turn it into a Super Bowl ad. Many thought it was very on brand for the company, and generated a lot of discussion. It’s key to be culturally relevant for your audiences off and online.
New players taking notes and names. Watch out, everyone! There’s a new brand in town who entered the ring silently, but will (and already is) a star for their work. If anyone noticed, Betty Buzz has entered the conversation with their tweet and image showcasing their product and tying it into the Super Bowl.
If you also notice, this image was created by a creator named Marilyn, who worked with American Aviation Gin before and takes some stunning photos. The fact the brand 1) created a simple copy with a beautiful image, 2) used no hashtags, and 3) gave credit to the original creator of the photo is a clear winner in my book.
Clear social media engagement winners: I would have to say that there were some clear winners in my book for engaging not just brands, but fans and audiences, on social media. Auntie Anne’s, Hellmann’s, and Expedia were good in my book for doing this really well. They were engaging and interactive across the board, which was good to see here. That’s what social media is for – to be social!
Summary and Final Thoughts
In summary, I think there were some brands that did win the night, but there were others that spent a lot of money, that may not see the return. Where there any commercials that really are going to be iconic? Not really in my opinion. The feeling that came from watching the commercials from some of these brands is that it appeared they looked tired. Tired in the sense that creativity took a back seat and they pushed forward with a commercial for the sake of having one. That’s an expensive decision to make, especially when it is $7 million.
What does this mean for the industry? It means we can’t always assume we are going to get the best creative work at these events. Previously, the brand commercials and campaigns at the Super Bowl were leading the way with trends, ideas, and perspectives for the year. What will happen moving forward?
Let me know what you think!
Best Wishes,
