Advertising is big business. Yearly, companies shell out a pretty penny for advertising space in magazines, newspaper, web sites, and television. The price can vary for each medium. One with the steepest cost? The Super Bowl, with 30-second ads during the televised game running about $3 million.
Advertisements aired during the Super Bowl have a unique advantage. Some people (me), not very interested in the football aspect of the event, will tune in just to watch the commercials. This is an anomaly, when “citizens routinely complain about how many ads they are forced to endure, and they increasingly find ways to avoid them, like zipping through television ads with Tivo” (pg. 345). Super Bowl ads are known to be some of the most impressive and entertaining advertisements that successful corporations can produce.
Some of the advertisements are very funny and effective. There are websites that showcase Super Bowl ads. Here are some of mine from the past Super Bowl.
The purpose of this commercial is to communicate to the audience that America has changed a lot over the years, but hey, we still drink Pepsi, and that brings us all together. Isn’t that great?
I actually find myself buying into this commercial a lot. I remember seeing it the first time and thinking it was awesome. It played on all my emotions. My limbic brain connected immediately with the recognizable sound of Bob Dylan, and then got a jumpstart when Will.I.Am showed up. I also loved the nostalgia in this ad. The juxtaposition of images from the past and present resonate with the audience. It shows the progression of America throughout several decades.
Also, I caught a distinct technological shift. During one scene, around 0:20, they show a crowd of concert-goers lifting their lighters. Then they cut to a current crowd, holding up their cell phones. It’s quite a change.
This commercial works well with simple solutions. Castrol, in this commercial, is portrayed as a product that does all the work for you when it comes to your vehicle. In fact, it’s like having a whole gaggle of grease monkeys at your beck and call!
Mainly I love this commercial because I love monkeys and chimps, like many people in America. Castrol made a calculated use of warm fuzzies in this commercial, complete with an adorable kiss at the end. It’s the most obvious persuasive technique in the commercial, and no doubt the most effective.
If, at the end of this ad, you are left wondering ‘is that it?’ then yes, that is it. As I mentioned before, a 30-second ad ran a $3 million pricetag. This price is exorbitant to the average American, and who is Miller High Life targeting with this commercial? The average American.
An ad this short can be difficult to break down, but some techniques used are obvious. This ad uses plain folk very well. An average man delivers the enthusiastic ‘High Life!’ and appears to be a regular working joe. Also, this ad uses great timing. It’s so short that it’s nearly subliminal, and immediately catches attention. After it’s over, people wonder what just happened and think about it, instead of watching the next commercial.
Super Bowl ads can be some of the most entertaining and effective ads shown to the American public. They are highly engaging, and I for one can’t wait to see next year’s!
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Ha ha, Emma!
ReplyDeleteI like the Miller 1 second advert - I used it in a quiz last year. Very funny. (If only all ads were that short, eh?)
And of course, by admitting you watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, you are playing directly into advertisers' hands, right?
Sure are fun to watch, though.
Excellent work,
W