Big thing in
Super Bowl ads: Our past
Nostalgia is the dominant theme in this year's spots
By Diego Vasquez
Feb 7, 2012
Last year the overwhelming theme for Super Bowl ads was humor. But this year advertisers were in a more somber mood. A number of ads struck a more serious tone, drawing on nostalgia to make their point. They harkened back to years past with images, as in the Budweiser ad celebrating the end of prohibition, and timelines, as in the NFL ad showcasing the game and pop culture over the years. Chrysler's ad, narrated by a perfectly cast Clint Eastwood, evoked imagery of hard-working Americans over the years while emphasizing the continued promise of tomorrow. Even Bud Light, which usually leans heavily on humor in its advertising, offered just one funny ad, with the others focused more on branding and beer history. Emily Howard Griebel, integration architect at McKee Wallwork Cleveland, which sponsors the annual AdBowl Super Bowl ad competition, talks to Media Life about which spots performed best this year, which ones performed worse, and why advertisers seemed to strike a different tone.
Would you say this year's ads were better, worse or about the same as last year? Why?
I would say that there were more good ads this year compared to last year.
More brands told better stories and affected the viewer on many different levels – funny, heartwarming, charming, unexpected, sentimental, etc.
A good ad is always a good story that reaches the consumer on an emotional level, and this year there seemed to more of these types of spots.
What would you say was the most notable trend in Super Bowl ads this year -- i.e. celebrity cameos, humor, serious ads?
I noticed a theme of nostalgia. In other words, several ads took people back to a previous time. Some brands used old icons to help their cause – Volkswagen and "Star Wars," Honda and Ferris Bueller, and Acura and Seinfeld.
Budweiser and the NFL took us back to different eras.
What ads earned the highest marks for creativity and why?
The winner of McKee Wallwork Cleveland’s 2012 AdBowl competition was Volkswagen’s "Dog Strikes Back" ad, which was very clever. They did a great job of harkening back to last year’s AdBowl winner, "The Force," in a very unique way.
The second and third place finishers in AdBowl were Doritos' "Man's Best Friend" and Bud Light's "Rescue Dog." These were more humorous than several other spots and let's face it, dogs always score well in ads!
Which ads really bombed with viewers and why?
The Go Daddy ads fell flat, probably because they’ve used the same "script" for the last several years.
Why did Anheuser-Busch all but forego the usual jokey Bud Light spots? Do you think it was effective?
I think Anheuser-Busch was trying to connect with Americans on a more serious level (in some ads) because we are living in a more serious time right now.
Being silly isn’t always appropriate and we saw that with Anheuser-Busch and a few other advertisers this year.
What makes a serious ad work in the Super Bowl (like Chrysler's "Halftime in America")? Is this a riskier approach than a humorous ad?
I wouldn’t say a serious ad is riskier if it’s playing to the emotions of the consumer, which is exactly what a humorous ad also tries to do. If a brand can form an emotional connection with viewers, it will be successful. This means that brands must fully understand the state-of-mind and lifestyle of their target audiences, and understand how their products fit in there.
I think Chrysler did a great job with this spot and probably struck a chord in many Americans’ hearts.
Which ads do you think will have the most postgame buzz and why?
The Volkswagen "Dog Strikes Back" ad will generate a lot of buzz because it was just well-done. The dog story was cute and charming, and the "Star Wars" reference was unexpected and amusing. Any time you can create a bit of surprise for the viewer, it will generate a lot of talk.
We've seen ads from Groupon, GM and Snickers really backfire in recent years. Was there any really disastrous ad tone-wise this year?
The Go Daddy theme and approach are getting old. Consumers are probably getting tired of these racy ads with no substance, which will affect the brand negatively.
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