When I was growing up in the 80's, there was always a lot of anticipation building up to the annual batch of Super Bowl commercials. The "Big Game" served as a premiere for these creative and memorable ads with each commercial break drawing as much (or more) attention than the action on the gridiron. Even though social media spoilers have stolen that excitement from this era's Super Bowl viewing parties, I'll never forget a valuable lesson I learned from watching my favorite Super Bowl ads of all time: the Bud Bowl series.
We all know the concept of the Bud Bowl ads, which appeared during eight Super Bowls (1989-1995, 1997). If you need a refresher, Mental Floss did a nice review of the entire series. The outlandish prices paid by corporations for air time during the Super Bowl were discussed just as much back then as they are today. I was 10 years old when the first Bud Bowl ads appeared but even at that age, those commercials were a huge lesson in the concept of branding.
Breweries do not (cannot?) tout the true features of their product that appeal to buyers in their commercials (I'm not talking about how it tastes). As entertaining as they were, those Bud Bowl ads made me question their purpose. It baffled me to know that Anheuser-Busch spent all that money on multiple ads per game without really ever describing their beer. But then I noticed other advertisers taking the same approach with their commercial. NIKE didn't explain the comfort the new Air Jordans and I didn't hear about the smooth ride of the latest GM vehicle.
That's when it clicked. The Super Bowl isn't a stage on which you describe your product - it's an opportunity to connect with the audience. That euphoric branding moment of mine may seem about as impressive as when a person discovers their rhythmic abilities for the first time. But it's a moment I'll never forget...when I became one of those people that watches the Super Bowl "just for the commercials".
{Top Photo: Courtesy}
No comments:
Post a Comment