What Makes A Good Super Bowl Ad?

February 9, 2023

Super Bowl Sunday is around the corner, and while ads for the event are being released earlier and earlier each year, it’s hard to tell which ones will start a buzz until game day. Here’s a look at last year’s hits to determine which ads will be MVP and which will fumble the ball. 

Originality

Easily the most talked about ad from Super Bowl LVI was Coinbase’s 60-second spot featuring a QR code bouncing around the screen like an old-fashioned screensaver. The minimal and unexpected commercial was so successful, it even crashed Coinbase’s app for around one hour.  A cryptocurrency app being the star of the show comes as a surprise for an event where snack and beer companies typically reign supreme. While something as simplistic as a bobbing QR code isn’t likely to stun audiences a second time, what really lies in the success of that spot was its uniqueness compared to other advertisements played during the game. Originality is a great predictor for which ads will stay in the post-game conversation. 

Familiar Faces

Many notable ads from last year’s game utilized the time-honored tradition of featuring a celebrity cameo. The “Mind Reader” spot for Amazon Alexa with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost was one of the most tweeted about ads last year and garnered high levels of engagement, becoming last year’s most viewed spot on YouTube.  BMW’s “Zeus and Hera” starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek and ranked highly on USA Today’s Ad Meter. Zach Braff, Miley Cyrus, and Idris Elba were among other celebrities whose ads received high engagement.


A Sense of Humor 

An A-list celebrity alone isn’t enough to keep Super Bowl audiences engaged. Amazon Alexa and BMW’s commercials didn’t just have Hollywood stars, but they also had the light, humorous tone that viewers look for in a Super Bowl ad. Tugging on heartstrings can be effective in marketing, but audiences are drawn to humor during a lighthearted event like the Super Bowl. Audiences don’t want to be reminded of reality while they eat their guacamole and drink their beers, they want to escape it. 


True to the Brand

While originality, star-studded casts, and laughs are all factors of a great Super Bowl commercial, it’s important to remember that above all else, they are commercials. Brands that cater to engaged Super Bowl audiences while staying authentic to their own positioning are ultimately the ones who will take home the trophy at Super Bowl LVII.

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