Super Bowl ads have long rivaled the Big Game. Thanks to social media, the ads now spread far beyond the game itself.
The actual Super Bowl media time is an increasingly smaller part of the campaign. Many brands release their ads (or at least a teaser) in advance. YouTube recently shared that ads that ran online before the Super Bowl generated 9 million views compared to 1.3 million for those that waited (600% more views).
Others are weaving in crowdsourcing in advance of the game, like the Axe Space Camp campaign that is giving 22 consumers a chance to fly into space.
Some brands are deciding even to forego much of the paid media (priced at $4 million for a 30-second spot). Last year, Old Milwaukee ran a Super Bowl ad starring Will Ferrell in only one market: North Platte, Nebraska. But the ad obviously spread far, far further. This year, Old Spice is running a Super Bowl ad exclusively in Juno, Alaska.
My favorite story so far this year is the challenger brand case of Sodastream, whose original ad was banned by CBS for taking aim at sponsors Coke and Pepsi (banned ad here). Creating an ad controversial enough to be banned is sometimes the best way to spark a conversation.
Most marketers will never play on the Super Bowl field, but there are lessons here for all of us. We don’t need the Big Game to create marketing campaigns that are worth watching. We should always aim to create marketing engaging enough to warrant a teaser.
(Marketoonist Monday: I’m giving away one signed print of this week’s cartoon. Just share an insightful comment to this week’s post by 5:00 PST on Monday. I’ll pick one comment. Thanks!)
Here are a few other Super Bowl cartoons from 2003, 2007, and 2012.
