Super Bowl Sunday is an American tradition in which people come together to watch some American football accompanied by expensive, sexually explicit, humorous and over-the-top commercials — but not this year. Fans may have gotten the entertaining football game they wanted but for most, the commercials more than fell short.
This year, advertisers were trying to send deeper, more meaningful messages and almost none of them elicited a lighthearted laugh. I believe the Super Bowl commercials went in the completely wrong direction than the upbeat atmosphere America is used to.
If you watched the Super Bowl, you’re among the over 110 million others Americans who tuned in. Advertisers were most certainly taking advantage of the number of eyes that would be watching and all had the same idea — to pull at the heart strings of viewers and send a more meaningful message than they have in the past, but this wasn’t exactly what America wanted.
For a thirty second commercial, companies paid an average of $4.5 million, according to AOL’s Mae Anderson. Companies used that time to fill the airwaves with sad puppies, cyberbullying prevention, preventable childhood deaths and domestic abuse awareness. It’s evident that advertisers understood that most of America was sick of seeing the stereotypical Super Bowl commercial with an objectified woman as the selling point. However, they still didn’t reach what the viewers wanted, which was to have a good time.
Although some advertisers such as Always, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s mixed their socially-conscious messages with a positive tone, the ones that took more somber tones seemed to be a nationwide buzz-kill.
Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northeastern University, proposed another possible reason why the Super Bowl commercials made the transition from provocative to depressing. He stated, “The Super Bowl reflects what’s happening in the country. Maybe in the country today we’re a little more reflective and a little more pensive.”
I disagree with Calkins. I believe what America wants is not portrayed in what the advertisers choose to market because the marketing strategy most companies had this year was not popular among viewers, as is evident on nearly every social media site. Instead, the marketing teams should have taken a more positive approach to their advertisements. This way, America would be able to have a good time watching the commercials. Instead, companies focused on getting rid of the sexy and went for the complete opposite: depressing. It is possible to have a PG commercial and still elicit a laugh from viewers.
One viewer, Jon Early from New York, said, “It’s a shame there aren’t any commercials for antidepressants, because these commercials make me want some. Football is supposed to be an escape.” Nationwide was the most criticized for their more than somber commercial to bring awareness to preventable childhood deaths. It featured a young boy naming everything he was never going to do because he was dead. Childhood deaths can make for awkward party conversation. It just isn’t something that Americans associate with the Super Bowl, which is partially to blame for the strong negative reaction Nationwide and many others received.
Many complained Nationwide’s commercial was not family-friendly and went over the top with the message. Viewers let their opinions be heard across social media outlets. The outcry against Nationwide’s commercial in particular was so strong that Nationwide issued a statement late Sunday night after the Super Bowl. It stated, “The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance. We want to build awareness of an issue that is near and dear to all of us — the safety and well being of our children.”
Without considering the negative reactions from viewers, Nationwide accomplished their marketing goals. Their commercial is probably the most talked about out of all the advertisements aired that Sunday night. Whether the message was inappropriate for the setting or not, Nationwide got people to pay attention to their ad, to talk about it, to visit their website and to remember the company the commercial was for.
All of the companies that took on a somber tone this year, including Nationwide, may have been wanting to send a message, but during the Super Bowl, when viewers are anticipating a lighthearted mood from their televisions, may not be the right time. I do not believe advertisers should return to their stereotypical sexualized marketing techniques for Super Bowl commercials, but it is possible for them to be entertaining, witty and positive while still sending a message.
By halftime, viewers were practically begging for more funny commercials which were virtually nonexistent during the Sunday game. If companies want to get their money’s worth for their Super Bowl advertisements next year, then they need to learn from this year’s poorly rated commercials and listen to what the viewers want, which is a good time, lighthearted commercials and a positive experience while watching the big game. It doesn’t have to be sexy or serious — there is a happy medium somewhere. We just need to find it.
Taylor Howe can be contacted at thowe@keene-equinox.com
