2014 Super Bowl Ads: Consumers Want Your Story

So, the Super Bowl has come and gone and most people agree, the game and the ads left a lot to be desired.  I’m guessing all those marketers who paid $133k per second for the ads that didn’t get much attention or buzz had some uncomfortable meetings on Monday morning after the game.  Very few advertisers told a memorable story.

So, why with all of the hype and anticipation did some of the ads not deliver?  I mean, goodness, many of the advertisers had their agencies working since June on coming up with that one ad that would get the attention at the various parties, get millions of hits on social media and the high fives walking through the office on Monday morning after the game.

Super-bowl-commercials-brand-vitalityAccording to the USA Today Ad Meter survey of over 6,000 participants, Budweiser’s Puppy Love was the best advertisement AND it appeared in the fourth quarter.  I’m sure you remember, it was the one with the cute puppy and the Clydesdale.  It received a huge “awwww” in my family room as did the beautiful story of the veteran returning home from Afghanistan, by Budweiser.  This year, it seems like story telling is so important to consumers and ads designed for cheap laughs are passé.

Which is why marketers need to get out of their status quo efforts and build integrated campaigns that tell your brand’s story.  In today’s social media marketing focus, more and more marketers are partnering social media with experiential marketing to tell their story and drive their brand’s relevance.  Experiential tells the story in a live face to face “advertisement” and the social media reach, like the Super Bowl ads, happens before, during and after the event.

Super Bowl ads work to drive awareness – I get it.  But if you are looking for a behavior changing marketing spend where you convert the purchase decision from a rational decision to a more emotional decision (stronger connection), an integrated story telling approach is necessary.  And, if you are looking to spend $4 million dollars, you can do a lot more with $4 million dollars than a 30 second TV spot.