Annual Major Football Game

Unless you've spent $50 million or more, you cannot use the proper term when referring to the "Big Game" due to NFL trademarking in 1969. Hopefully by the obvious title, you know exactly what this blog is about. Let's set the stage, and no, not with Rhianna... not yet anyway.

I'd like to preface my ad review by stating I understand there are many factors happening in the background when building a campaign. And, while it's easy to sit there and question, "How did this get approved?", at the end of the day, clients pay us and sometimes our hands are tied if they don't want an out of the box idea for a major commercial millions of people are watching. I'm not pointing fingers at either party, but for $7 million for just one commercial, someone needs to be the voice of reason and make sure it's worth the effort. Or, maybe your strategy is a bad ad. I'll give you an out, but good luck writing your case study.

Now, let's rank some ads from this year's game, starting with the wins.

The Touchdowns

Because those are good, right? In all seriousness, sometimes I think the winning ads are harder to find each year. Here are some of my favorites:

#1) Great Acting or Great Taste? | Pepsi

As someone who typically isn't a fan of using celebrities in ads (and is a major Coca-Cola fan) this campaign is one of my favorites from this year. Many who know me make jokes because I haven't seen a lot of movies, but, I did recognize both Ben and Steve when they popped up on screen. Even if you didn't know who they are, the ad explained they're actors and the story was simple to follow. According to Wikipedia, the definition of an ad campaign is "a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication." These ads did just that. To top it off, Coke released "It's the Real Thing" back in the 70s, so either this concept is ironically clever, or it's just clever. Either way, I'm here for it and kudos to the team behind this one.

#2) Premature Electrification | Ram Trucks

The play on words, the graphic set up to look like a medical ad, and the timing airing this later in the game because most kiddos are in bed made this ad a success. While I'm not sure how many men very secure in their masculinity are going to run to the nearest dealer to buy the truck after this, their wives may make the suggestion next time they discuss a new vehicle purchase. Both entertaining and memorable which is hard to do in today's world of content and attention span. I am intrigued to know how and if this impacts sales...

#3) Fixed on Pixel | Google Pixel

Every time I watch this I notice something I didn't see the first time. The intro, the messaging and the solutions this phone brings you need little to no words which I appreciate. While I do think this ad would have been more successful cut down by 30 seconds and without celebrities, overall it told the story it needed to. Informative, entertaining and provides a solution. A perfect combination.

#4) Easy to Hold | Bud Light

I can't tell if I loved this one so much because I recently spent over twelve hours on the phone with Verizon (not even kidding) or simply because holding on the phone for long periods of time drives us all to drink. Fun, original and unfortunately, very relatable.

#5) Saving Sawyer | Amazon

I spent some time debating if this one should make my top five this year - and I'll tell you why it did. Amazon is a consistent advertiser each year during the game and they are one of the few brands who I've watched stay on brand over the years. Their story lines are similar and the look, feel and imagery of the ads align. They understand their brand to the core and do a great job taking their audience through the rollercoaster of emotions. Nicely done... again.

The Red (Yellow) Flags

Here are a few of the worst ads from this year. I'm not sure they'll need much of an explanation on why they are so awful, but feel free to read my rants and why they made the list.

-1) Broken QR code | DigiDaigaku

I'm not the demographic for this one, but because I work in the advertising industry and this was early on in the night, I decided to give the QR code a try to see what they were going for. An empty Twitter account as shown below is not what I imagined would pop up on my phone. Did I mention the ads this year were nearly $7 million? Yikes. If you want all of the details of what happened, read on here.

-2) Electric Jeep | Jeep

Jeep's ad made #1 on my worst list in 2021, it's only fair they make the top three again this year. Since electric vehicles have been released, I've been wondering why companies didn't use this song. Leave it to Jeep to use it and absolutely kill it in the worst way possible. Can someone please explain to me why you'd advertise an off road vehicle with random edited charging stations into mountains? Did anyone actually think about this? Just awful and nonsensical.

-3) Shop Like a Billionaire | Temu

How does shopping for an $8 shirt make you feel like a billionaire? If I'm purchasing an $800 shirt without buyers remorse I'll feel like a billionaire. In my opinion this missed the mark completely and became annoying quickly. Once was enough but if I recall correctly, I unfortunately heard this three or four times total. If the clothes match the quality of your ad, I'll pass.

Honorable Mentions

#1) Screen Take Over | Tubi

I've heard a lot of talk about this one and it did get me, too. If this ad continued on as a series later in the game instead of the creepy bunnies, it would be in my top five. Next time, think of a few clever ways to fool us instead of just one and some random rabbits. Overall, this was clever and gave everyone something to talk about. Similar concept to the QR code ad from last year, just a bit better.

#2) Forever | The Farmer's Dog

I've never even owned a dog and this one had me teary. This was a nice reminder owning a pet isn't one sided and they have their own perspective. I think the branding missed the mark, though. I couldn't remember which brand had this great ad. It's hard to find a balance that doesn't seem like all you're doing is shoving your product down people's (or dogs) throats - but it's important to find it so you're not forgotten amongst the competition.

#3) Don't Do Your Taxes | TurboTax

You'll notice a pattern here, literally. Get it? Another campaign executed well with a bold message - don't do your taxes. Well, after you go to TurboTax of course. Did you know you can file your taxes as early as January? I didn't have a clue. But, we all know the deadline for them or work on extending it, so the timing of this reminder during February's big game is strategic. Entertaining, fun and impactful. Well done.

That's All Folks

This review is just my opinion so of course, there's room for discussion and debate. Which was your favorite? Are there any you disagree with? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next year…