The Big Game may be a holiday for sports fans, but many viewers simply cannot miss the commercials!
With brands investing $4 million for a 30-second spot and $8 million for a 60-second spot, these commercials are make-or-break for winning attention and of course, dollars.
Below the RTP editorial team shares their favorite commercials from the Super Bowl.
Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: I watched the entire game, including all commercials and decided that, when this question came up, I would think about which ones had the most lasting impact a few days later. So, I have a few: one for good feelings and one for comic relief. Good feelings: McDonald’s. I am so pleased with this company for coming up with such a nice concept and stringing us along during the game to learn more about it. And it will definitely motivate more people to visit the stores this month! Comic relief: Although I do love Bryan Cranston, I have to give it to Snickers for the Brady Bunch ad, although it might just appeal to a certain demographic…Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!
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Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor: Although I’m definitely not her biggest fan, I have to hand it to Kim Kardashian for having a sense of humor and spotlighting how the public sees her on the T-Mobile commercial. She also provided some funny commentary on her overall vanity, showing herself taking selfies and using her phone more than focusing on the world around her. I also really liked the tone and how it was similar to a “public service announcement.” On the other hand, I also have to give a hand to T-Mobile for getting a notable celebrity on tap to generate more buzz around the commercial.
Rob Fee, Managing Editor: Liam Neeson and the developers of Clash of Clans, Supercell, shattered any lingering doubts I had as to whether or not mobile games could be big money makers. Make no mistake, they can. This slick, humorous and perfectly cast commercial ran a full minute, which cost the company approximately $9 million. I’ve been noticing more mobile game commercials over the past few months, and this shouldn’t be surprising. According to VentureBeat, mobile gaming created approximately $25 billion in revenues in 2014, and Clash of Clans was the top grossing app for iOS and Android. I’m glad Supercell decided to splash some of that money during the game. It definitely left an impression.
Kim Zimmermann, Senior Managing Editor: I’m more of a baseball fan than I am a football fan, so I found the Pete Rose Skechers ad amusing. I laughed out loud at the “Pete, you don’t belong in the Hall,” comment. It was clever and I always admire someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and it fit with the playful image of Skechers. I like Pete Rose better as a spokesperson than former Skechers spokesperson Kim Kardashian, but her PSA-like ad for T-Mobile was a novel approach.
Glenn Taylor, Associate Editor: I wouldn’t call this my favorite one, but the Loctite commercial got a laugh out of me, which says a lot considering so few actually did this year. As an advertisement, it did the right job in introducing me to a brand I had never heard of before then, and it brought attention to itself in a way I haven’t really noticed an adhesive company accomplish. I only hope that spending the entire annual ad budget ($4.5 million) was worth it for them.
Brian Anderson, Associate Editor: My favorite commercial was the one from Intuit, not because of the ad, but because of the campaign they held leading up to it. The company held a sweepstakes, Small Business, Big Game, where small and local businesses shared their stories for a chance to win a 30-second ad spot during the Super Bowl – paid for by Intuit. Thousands of companies entered, millions voted, and GoldieBlox got its 30 seconds of fame. This type of campaign shows support for local businesses; building Intuit’s brand credibility without having to discuss their products or services once.
