Super Bowl Sunday

Last night was Super Bowl Sunday. In tribute I sat till 3am alone in my living room, drinking weak American beer, washing down a heroic dose of hydrogenated fats. Perhaps this has something to do with my particularly un-sunny disposition today. I’m on a level 5 MSG comedown.

Here are some musings from this year’s event, circus, hoo ha…

Ads are still King (in a way)

Fifty-one percent of people most enjoy the commercials that air throughout the game when compared to the Super Bowl game itself.

As per usual the ads oozed money. Not surprising as some 30 second spots carry a media cost of around $3 million.

The big boys come as no surprise. Anheuser-Busch top the tree having spent over one hundred million dollars in last five years in media. While Doritos put 80% of their TV budget into Superbowl ads alone.*

This years offerings were an interesting bunch.

Brand Republic suggest that Snickers were one of (if not the) best received. It’s about football, it’s got a joke in it, a campaign line, and a old age pensioner being snapped in two and saying ‘yo mama’. God bless you America.**

Google were a surprise addition to this mega brand wall pissing competition. Their ad was simple, it had charm. In other words it didn’t really fit with the vibe of SB. I like it. A lot.

Interestingly, Pepsi had announced that they would be sitting this one out to invest in social media campaigns. I’d like to think this was a considered gamble based on belief, but it does correspond with a very difficult time for the advertising industry.

Just because I want to, I’ve posted a recent favourite of mine. Coke remade a classic ad of theirs with current iconic NFL star Troy Polamalu

First the original they were parodying with Mean Joe Green

and the Troy ad

Over on our side of the pond, this year viewers were treated to repeated reminders about the risks of Chlamydia. That’s all very well but I can’t help but think, it is a fittingly British way to ‘do’ Superbowl ads. Pick the UK ad from this list of advertisers Doritos, Burger King, Ford, Chlamydia. During the coverage broadcaster Sky thought it would be a good idea to check in with Vernon Kay in some sports bar in London, to see what he was up to for the game. Christ only knows why.

It's all a show

At half time, Pete Townsend and Roger Daltry, did their stuff. They banged out a melody of big hits on a stage that must have cost a few Polar Bears. On the basis of my research (arguing with some geeks online) it didn’t go down well. Thinking back to last year, The Boss and Sylvio from The Sopranos told us that we were ‘Born to Run’. This year 65 year old Daltrey summoned mod culture and offered it up. Not so difficult to understand why it won’t go down as a classic. They wouldn’t even be there if it were not for some TV theme tunes.

Don’t forget the game

In the game itself, Drew Brees, a quarter back overlooked and rejected by others teams, threw a near perfect game for his underdog side to bring some happiness back to a City that deserves it. Not so much a happy ending, but a welcome distraction. Fitting.

Sources:

Band Republic

http://bit.ly/by7vUW

Nielsen

http://bit.ly/7A1vnU