Our Superbowl Marketing Roundup
Whether you were rooting for your favorite team or watching by tradition, the Super Bowl creates some of the best opportunities for advertisers to join the big leagues. Over 160 million fans tune in for the big game, putting pressure on brands to create the most attention-grabbing, memorable advertisement for viewers. However, some opted out of advertising this year to reallocate their funds. Coke decided to do some housekeeping by trimming expenses and products after the pandemic shut down venues that normally drive their drink sales, while some companies are dedicating funds or airtime to COVID-19 relief.
While this is usually a huge opportunity for brands, many did not want to risk spending millions investing in Super Bowl airtime this year. Namely, Budweiser nixed an advertisement, donating some of its airtime to Ad Council and COVID Collaborative, for the first time in 37 years. Coca-Cola, Ford, and Pepsi also followed suit, leaving a huge chance for other brands to generate buzz. Despite all of the changes due to the pandemic, there was no shortage of creative and entertaining ads to watch. See below for some of our favorite ads from the 2021 Super Bowl!
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Amazon: Alexa’s Body by Lucky Generals
In 2020, Amazon announced that they’d sold over 100 million devices with Amazon’s Alexa assistant. Featuring Michael B. Jordan in his first-ever Super Bowl ad, Jordan becomes the voice and body of Amazon’s voice assistant. As the ad shows Alexa in a new form, an Amazon executive daydreams about how beautiful her life could be. This ad drove home that the Amazon Alexa is such an integral part of so many people’s lives in a lighthearted way. This ad was such a refreshing spin on what is otherwise a normal household device!
This two-minute-long Jeep ad starring Bruce Springsteen was not only beautiful visually, but also to listen to. With views from a lonely road, a chapel in Kansas, and a cowboy hat sitting on the seat of a Jeep, Bruce calls for connection and unity in a time of such severe division. Naturally, we loved seeing one of New Jersey’s own in this ad! But we truly loved this advertisement’s message and foresee a lot of brands, ads and, social media content with similar messaging this year.
DoorDash: The Neighborhood by the Martin Agency
As mentioned, fewer advertisements from big brands made room for newer brands to make their mark during the Super Bowl this year. DoorDash aired its first-ever Super Bowl ad, “The Neighborhood”. It featured Daveed Diggs and Sesame Street characters giving back to their community with an overall sense of optimism. As part of the campaign, DoorDash invited viewers to join them in supporting Sesame Workshop’s global education media and social impact programs. DoorDash gained valuable screen time which demonstrated the tremendous growth of the company through their philanthropic efforts – all while maintaining an appealing and optimistic feel.
Social Media Moments
And the Crowd Goes Wild…With Cardboard Cutouts
Nearing almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, filled with social distancing, quarantining, and mask-wearing, we have not seen many sports arenas or stadiums filled with people. The word “PACKED” was trending on social media early into the Super Bowl, given all the photos of what appeared to be a stadium at full capacity, but was actually filled with thousands of cardboard cutouts. Buzzfeed News on Twitter posted photos of about 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers and 30,000 cardboard cutouts in the stands.
Clips From the Weeknd’s Performance Went Viral
The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show did not disappoint, and neither did the social media craze that went on after his performance. After singing his hit, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd went through an elaborate set, featuring dizzying handheld camerawork that many transformed into their own Twitter memes.
What was your favorite moment from the big game?