If everybody loves the ads during the Super Bowl, yet complain about ads in most all other programming, wouldn’t it be in an advertiser’s best interest to make the ads that appear the other 364 days of the year as appealing and as entertaining as Super Bowl ads?
The reason we like Super Bowl ads so much is that they’re usually entertaining (often funny) and they’re fresh and new. The formula couldn’t be any simpler. Make your ads entertaining, ideally funny, and make lots of them, so people will always have something new to look at. It’s the reason we can’t wait to tune into the next new episode of our favorite show. Why should that be any different in advertising?
Having worked in advertising for ten years I know making lots of anything is not possible given the endless levels of checks and balances for approval (internally and with the client) for one stinking ad. Well instead of creating so much overhead for a simple 30 second ad, why not build out a whole series of ads that tell a continuing story? Sitcom writers create incredibly dense 22 minute scripts every week. Every minute is packed with lots of story and jokes. There’s no reason an ad campaign couldn’t work exactly the same way.
If people watch the Super Bowl as much for the game as the ads, why can’t people start getting excited about the content of ads during any other kind of programming as well? I know in England people like to watch the commercials before a movie in a theater because they’re so entertaining.
Why didn’t every single Super Bowl ad include a web link for further information?
Before I watched the Super Bowl, I was thinking that every single advertiser should include a web link to further their 15 to 60-second story. Sadly, very few did, and it’s a shame because they’re missing a golden opportunity. If you’re blowing $3 million on a TV ad, stretch the value of it by extending the story through other media, especially at a time when people are so prone to share information, like during a world-focused live event. Allow people to take the further step into your story.
There’s so much for advertisers to learn from Super Bowl advertising. Not every advertiser can be in or afford to be in the Super Bowl. But every advertiser can learn lessons from the program and its advertising. Want your interstitial ads to be more effective? Follow these simple steps:
- Make your ads entertaining (funny) and/or tell a story (e.g. Google’s Super Bowl ad).
- Create lots of new ads. Continue a story or play off the same theme. People get bored seeing the same ad over and over again.
- You only have 30 seconds on TV, but you’ve got full control of a potentially never ending experience online. No matter what ad you have, compel people to go online to continue the experience.
- Live events often have people engaging in social media during the event. Give them something they can share with their friends online during the event.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Great points, David.
For the most part, I think advertising could benefit from being more Super Bowlesque (although this year's were disappointing). On the other hand, it'd probably get old fast without the expectations of silliness and party atmosphere that the big game provides.
I disagree on always asking your customers to go online, particularly if there's nothing worthy there. Dropping 35k on a top-notch online experience is peanuts compared to Super Bowl ad prices. But that can be a significant chunk of normal advertising time.
The other argument here is search engines: Asking the customer to remember one thing is enough. Let them Google it if they want to know more.
Rex:
Since practically every company wants to get into social media, especially the ones that had Super Bowl ads, then why wouldn't they have a link for more information or better yet a continuation of the story?
To just say “Google It” is putting your company's future in the indexing engine of another company. Why take chances when you can simply direct your audience to the exact location?
I'm sure every business has more to say than what can fit in a 30-second ad. Continuing that message or story on a website seems the best marketing tactic. Why leave your audience hanging? If you're teasing them with an ad, close the deal with a website that can move your audience closer to sale or better, tell their friends.
Great points, David.
For the most part, I think advertising could benefit from being more Super Bowlesque (although this year's were disappointing). On the other hand, it'd probably get old fast without the expectations of silliness and party atmosphere that the big game provides.
I disagree on always asking your customers to go online, particularly if there's nothing worthy there. Dropping 35k on a top-notch online experience is peanuts compared to Super Bowl ad prices. But that can be a significant chunk of normal advertising time.
The other argument here is search engines: Asking the customer to remember one thing is enough. Let them Google it if they want to know more.
Rex:
Since practically every company wants to get into social media, especially the ones that had Super Bowl ads, then why wouldn't they have a link for more information or better yet a continuation of the story?
To just say “Google It” is putting your company's future in the indexing engine of another company. Why take chances when you can simply direct your audience to the exact location?
I'm sure every business has more to say than what can fit in a 30-second ad. Continuing that message or story on a website seems the best marketing tactic. Why leave your audience hanging? If you're teasing them with an ad, close the deal with a website that can move your audience closer to sale or better, tell their friends.
Hi David,
Nicely done! I enjoyed your post; both the content and presentation were right on.
Great writers amaze me. Just found out that Saturday Night Live churns out 45 scripts per episode but only use 15. How does John Stewart manage to be so densely funny night after freakin night?
Thanks to all the funny writers who brighten my days.
Hi David,
Nicely done! I enjoyed your post; both the content and presentation were right on.
Great writers amaze me. Just found out that Saturday Night Live churns out 45 scripts per episode but only use 15. How does John Stewart manage to be so densely funny night after freakin night?
Thanks to all the funny writers who brighten my days.
Important to remember: It's not a link. They can't click it. It's a web address that they have to remember.
For a lot of brands, saying more means saying less. When you're brand-building, you've got a signal-to-noise ratio to maintain. A web address, to me, is just noise. Coke, Snickers and–surprisingly enough–Google all agree with me. They all ended their ads with brand names and taglines only.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a web developer. I'm all for producing microsites and integrating them into campaigns. But you either go all or nothing. Don't tell your customers to go online if there's nothing particularly new or related to the campaign there. It's 2010. They know you have a website.
Important to remember: It's not a link. They can't click it. It's a web address that they have to remember.
For a lot of brands, saying more means saying less. When you're brand-building, you've got a signal-to-noise ratio to maintain. A web address, to me, is just noise. Coke, Snickers and–surprisingly enough–Google all agree with me. They all ended their ads with brand names and taglines only.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a web developer. I'm all for producing microsites and integrating them into campaigns. But you either go all or nothing. Don't tell your customers to go online if there's nothing particularly new or related to the campaign there. It's 2010. They know you have a website.
It was really nice to read your post. It was very informative.
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