Keys from Cossette to Consider When Super Bowl Advertising
With the Big Game only a few days away, nerves are running high as brands and agencies wait to see if their ads make the desired splash (and, if the Chiefs can be prevented from making the three-peat). Was the investment worth it? Did the celebrity cameos pay off? And are people still talking about the ad you made for the right reasons? Only time will tell, ultimately.
However, there are some things one can consider ahead of the Super Bowl – not days, but in the weeks and months leading up to the event – that can make a real difference. For Cossette’s chief creative officer, Driscoll Reid, as well as Cossette Media’s general manager, Andrew Butts, creative is important, but strategy and good media practice is everything. How you sell your brand in the run up, even from the start of the new year matters. Where you choose to place your ads in the Big Game is very important. And, believe it or not, budget might not matter as much as you think – there’s always a way to become part of the ‘Super Bowl story’, even if you’re not officially part of the night’s broadcast.
To break this all down and learn more about considerations agencies must make if they hope to have the desired impact, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Driscoll and Andrew for a chat.
LBB> What kind of trends do you expect to see in this year’s advertising? And what factors will be driving this?
Andrew> We could all use a little more humour, right? We know the impact that humour can have in effective advertising, and I suspect we’ll see a lot of it (or at least some attempts).
Celebrity cameos is another big one – in the last few years, these have seemed like the fallback for an effective campaign. I suspect we’ll continue to see lots of familiar faces.
Driscoll> Ditto! It seems humour is fully back. Given the state of the world, I think people see the Super Bowl and the ads surrounding it as a respite from all the other news out there. So humour seems right. Celebrity cameos, of course, too. In a way, the ads during the Super Bowl have become a bit formulaic. The truly great ideas transcend that formula or present it in a new way, in my opinion.
LBB> Andrew, as a media person, how would you traditionally approach advertising for this occasion? Are there special factors that agencies and brands should be considering when planning for the Super Bowl?
Andrew> You can’t plan for the day in isolation. You need to think about how and where you are showing up in the weeks and days before (and after) the game – especially this year with hockey’s Four Nations tournament, which means mass eyeballs and co-viewing opportunities will permeate Canada for almost all of February.
A few years ago, Squarespace did a great job of launching in the new year, linking its brand message to New Year’s resolutions and goal-setting. It then shifted messaging at the Super Bowl around sticking with your dreams and building your business.
For this reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jon Hamm pop up in a new Skip ad, or an extension of the McDonald’s ‘Showdown’ narrative.
Budget also isn’t a valid excuse. Sure, not every brand can spend on Super Bowl ads, but that doesn’t mean your brand can’t be part of the action. There are too many targeting options and creative opportunities now to make your brand part of the ‘Super Bowl story’. I’d say the Anna Kendrick work with Newcastle Brewery a few years ago sparked the movement around ‘not in the Super Bowl, but part of the Super Bowl’. So, again, the budget can’t be an excuse.
LBB> And what about placement? Are there certain slots one should always try to get on Super Bowl night in Canada? What can a media specialist do to ensure their brands get the best representation possible?
Andrew> Our research has shown that the earlier in the programming, the better. You benefit from a longer period to generate those site visits, and anything post-halftime not only risks losing the fringe audience, but the chance of a blowout or an uninteresting game.
To your second point, really, I think you addressed it in the question – relationships go a long way here. Established experts who know the sales teams can get an ongoing pulse.
The other critical piece is preparation. These campaigns are planned well in advance, coordinated between the agency and client team, purchased early, and in lockstep with the rest of the Q1 plan.
LBB> To this end, what sort of advice would you give your creative and strategy teams leading up to the Super Bowl? Is there anything they can do to make your life easier?
Andrew> As agency marketers, I think it’s our responsibility to create sound arguments – those that are justified and relevant. Relevance in the creative execution (fitting it into Super Bowl culture), and relevance in the audience (mass appeal that makes this reach make sense). And, most importantly, sales – why is this the right time for this message?
LBB> As a whole, what are some of your favourite all-time Super Bowl ads – ones that you think embody the perfect balance between media, strategy, and creative?
Andrew> I had to jog my memory a little, but Reebok’s ‘Terry Tate Office Linebacker’ was fabulous.
I was also a huge fan of the work done by Canadian brand Wealthsimple. In that example, it was less about the ad itself, and more about how it played into the brand so effectively by creating content after the fact, justifying the spend through sound financial analysis.
Honourable mentions go to ‘The DunKings’ and ‘God Made a Farmer’.
Driscoll> Obviously, there are so many great examples. I think the DoorDash work last year was a brilliant idea. But, it seems like there is always at least one great example of a brand hacking the Super Bowl every year now.
From a purely creative perspective, I’ve got to go with the OG, Apple’s ‘1984’. I think it fundamentally changed creative advertising, and also made the commercials during the Super Bowl as important – if not more important – than the game itself.
Volkswagen’s ‘The Force’ is another one that comes to mind; it was such a wonderful misdirect.
I wish brands still waited to unveil their spots on the big day, instead of releasing them early. There was always something wonderful about millions of people witnessing a great spot simultaneously in the moment.
LBB> Finally, ahead of the Super Bowl, is there anything you’re particularly excited to see on Big Game weekend?
Andrew> There are a few brands who have managed to create a story or narrative based on their Super Bowl continuity. Think Budweiser’s Clydesdales – I always look forward to seeing how that develops each year.
Driscoll> It will be my first time watching the Super Bowl from Canada, and I’ll probably have to catch up on the spots from the US online, since it’s a different media buy and broadcast here. I’ll be curious to see what brands in Canada have an ad during the game, and if any of them have been uniquely made for the broadcast. I’m also curious to see what Kendrick does at the halftime show. Finally, I’ll look forward to a break from the news cycle, but if I have a beer during the game, it will definitely be a Molson!
