The 52nd Super Bowl is over (congrats Philadelphia!).  We’re buzzing about the exciting game, offering mixed-reviews of Justin Timberlake, and – of course – having “water-cooler” chats about the best commercials.

Super Bowl commercials are interesting to analyze because they represent the highest level of effort from the advertising industry.  At five-million bucks a spot, a lot of effort goes into the strategy and development of these ads.

For the small business, there are takeaways to consider.  Super Bowl ads are refined to connect with large audiences and have wide-spread appeal.  These ads are what top agencies create to resonate with the American consumer audience as a whole, which is an act that requires deep levels of research and insight.

This year’s ads had two main themes with underlying reactions advertisers were clearly shooting for.  They either wanted us to feel an emotional connection to humanity, or they wanted us laughing at that connection.

In other words, the ads for Super Bowl 2018 were mainly humanistic and comedic.  Notably absent from this year’s crop were ads that were competitive in nature.

For example, in the past, most truck commercials noted how a person could stand out by owning a certain make of truck (presumably above a neighbor with an inferior truck).

But this year, Dodge took the opposite approach, citing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s The Drum Major Instinct sermon to engender what is, in fact, a completely contrary attitude to gaining competitive superiority through materialism:

Toyota took a similar (but slightly more comedic) humanistic approach as people of different faiths loaded into a Toyota truck to get to a football game where they proved “We’re all one team”.

Stella Artois and Budweiser both used the tactic of integrating social purpose into their message by transferring the focal beverage in the ad from beer to much needed water.

Communications giants Verizon and T-Mobile both went with heavily humanistic messaging.  In fact, their messages were so focused on the broader concept, people unfamiliar with their brands would be unsure of what product they actually offer.

Yet this is effective branding.  As of the day after the game, the T-Mobile ad is trending, with well over 4 million views on YouTube.

The other perennial winner in Super Bowl ads is humor.  Laughter spreads – and it’s memorable.

A popular tactic this year was to add an element of surprise to the ad, actually turning the advertisement into a parody of itself.  Tide did this with mastery in what was probably the best sequence of commercials during the game:

Australian tourism used this tactic as well with a fake Crocodile Dundee movie preview.

Febreze took irony to the extreme by creating a story about a character who doesn’t need their product, #bleepdontstink.

Each of these ads showed an acute awareness of both the medium and the audience.  They deconstructed the typical ad, making fun (and effective use) of the “just another car ad” feeling everyone has when a typical commercial opens.

Thoughts and Takeaways

Perhaps the most interesting – and important – aspect of this year’s Super Bowl commercials is how they demonstrate a new level of awareness on the part of advertisers.

It’s clear they realize that the public is far more aware (and therefore less influenced by) the traditional style of commercial messaging.  The parodies by Tide and Australian tourism are the most obvious examples, but for the most part, this year’s commercials did not come across as predictable advertisements.  Instead, they used their awareness of how today’s consumers respond to ads and developed a new approach that would connect in a memorable way.

Humanistic ads with messages that almost obscure the brand/product also work off this awareness.  Instead of trying to create a persuasive message directly related to the product, these ads associate their brand with a worthy cause or story.  They seek to create a connection with how we view ourselves as people rather than directly persuade us that we need their product.

These tactics are a reaction to the digital age.  Today’s internet empowered consumers have a world of information at their fingertips.  We connect with brands that aspire to worthy causes and movements.  We’re not going to be duped by a commercial built on a thin insinuation that if we use a certain product, we’ll be better people.

Or are we?  The Ram Truck commercial does, in fact, insinuate that people who own this type of truck will use it to help others.  It’s “built to serve”.

Ironically, in the same sermon used in the commercial, Dr. King points out how our desire for recognition and to stand out from the crowd – the drum major’s instinct – is used by advertisers:

Now the presence of this instinct explains why we are so often taken by advertisers. You know, those gentlemen of massive verbal persuasion. And they have a way of saying things to you that kind of gets you into buying. In order to be a man of distinction, you must drink this whiskey. In order to make your neighbors envious, you must drive this type of car.  In order to be lovely to love you must wear this kind of lipstick or this kind of perfume. And you know, before you know it, you’re just buying that stuff.  That’s the way the advertisers do it.

Even the most altruistic, positive advertisements are still advertisements.  Advertisers are not funny and ironic just because they want to amuse you.  They want to make their brands unforgettable.

Your business can take up a cause you care about.  Do social good.  Improve people’s lives in your community.

Among the many fine reasons to do these things is that it will help your marketing.  Turn your business into the type of organization people want to be associated with.

On social media, be funny.  Do the unexpected.  Nothing gets more shares and reactions than posts that make people laugh.  It’s not easy to do, but when you can it’s an effective way to get people to remember you.

But also remember that you must be genuine.  There is considerable backlash on Ram’s use of Dr. King’s voice, many decrying how they’ve turned him into a “huckster selling trucks”.

Indeed, the public is more aware of how advertisers operate.  Supporting a worthy cause can help you, but if it appears to be too motivated by self-interest, it can backfire.

As a small business, you don’t have the budget of Super Bowl advertisers.  But these ads give us insight into how the most strategic advertisers view the tastes, desires, and triggers of the consumer public.  That’s worth considering as you strategize your next advertising or social media branding campaign.