Super Bowl ads are brain-dead

Super Bowl ads are brain-dead

By: Josh Anderson

Copywriter The “Adholics” | LiveWire Copy

I was one of the millions who wondered if Christina Aguilera made a prop bet on how long the National Anthem would last.

I was one of the millions hoping for a wardrobe malfunction during the Black Eyed Peas Half Time Show snoozer.

But I may be one of the few who think Super Bowl ads have gone way of the leather helmet.

They’re historic. But now the majority just look stupid and are no longer useful.

Viewing behaviors have changed
It’s true that nearly 2/3 of the U.S. population gathers around the television for this single football game, with beverage and deep-fried-anything in hand. But that doesn’t change the way we watch the boob-tube.

For years now, many of us have been conditioned by TiVo, Apple TV and/or Netflix. So you’re telling me that for one Sunday night, those habits are just going to magically disappear like the beer in my fridge? No way.

Even if fans say, “I can’t wait for the commercials.” What they’re really saying is, “I can’t wait for the commercials so I can load up on more wings and leave that pig Bill with the celery sticks.”

The thrill is gone
Not so long ago Super Bowl commercials were simply enjoyed. Viewers looked forward to the next Pepsi commercial like the next episode of “He-Man: Masters of the Universe.”

Now we stuff ourselves over-analyzing them.

We dissect them at the party. We discuss them on Facebook. We comment on them over Twitter. We no longer allow ourselves to be entertained.

Part of the problem is advertisers are chasing the thrill of cowboys herding cats, lizards talking with east coast accents and babies trading stocks. But instead of innovating, they’re regurgitating ideas. And paying more to do it.

Viewers aren’t helping. Now we expect the unexpected. It’s like we’re watching the fourth installment in a slasher movie franchise: Of course the girl who walks into a dark room without turning on a light is going to get butchered.

Move forward by looking back
What should be done? The answer might have been offered a few years ago when Go Daddy first started advertising during the Super Bowl.

Sure the commercials were raunchy (and still are). But they were perfectly targeted to the audience and the call to action was spot-on. In fact, their web site crashed as a result of the traffic generated from a single ad. A great return on investment for the fledgling company.

Today, companies need to reconsider the role Super Bowl commercials play in their overall strategy.

Is their commercial a single showcase of the company? If so, then it needs to be more than amusing. It must be groundbreaking. For many advertisers, that’s an impossible expectation.

But what if a Super Bowl ad was a vehicle designed specifically to send viewers somewhere else like a web site, Facebook page or other online location? Once there, they could be treated to something truly unique, entertaining, even innovative.

Helmets are still needed in football. But they were re-engineered when the game changed. It’s time for advertisers to stop banging their heads against a wall when it comes to Super Bowl commercials.

Josh Anderson is one the many partners that make up The “Adholics”, a full service marketing & advertising collaborative based in Minneapolis Minnesota.

Do you have a problem with your current marketing?

You’re not alone.

Let us be your designated advertiser in 2011. www.TheAdholics.com

Contact Joshua Fedie to start the process of recovery today.