Everyone knows that the Super Bowl is the biggest advertising day of the year. As a marketing professional and former digital agency founder & CEO, I have worked with countless brands and advertisers on Super Bowl planning. I know first-hand the amount of effort that goes into not just creating the spot itself but all of the promotion leading up to and even after it airs. It takes incredibly talented people all working together to pull off a campaign of this magnitude.
Which is why, after the game was over, I felt a sense of disappointment. Not because I didn’t think the ads were engaging or creative. Many of them were. But mostly because of what I consider to be a major missed opportunity for the industry. With so many brilliant minds at work, I can’t help but wonder why advertisers, in large part, chose to ignore the Covid elephant in the room.
The fact that a major agency or brand CEO, or even the NFL or CBS, didn’t try to coordinate a massive effort to inform, educate and potentially save lives during the most-watched television show of the year is discouraging, to say the least.
With so many brilliant minds at work, I can’t help but wonder why advertisers, in large part, chose to ignore the Covid elephant in the room.
Imagine if carved out of the last few seconds of every national spot during the game, there was a 3–5 second Covid PSA reminding all Americans to socially distance, wash their hands, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. How iconic would it have been to see the advertising industry along with corporate America band together to dedicate a portion of the millions of dollars in airtime normally used to hawk wares to issue a healthy and safety rallying cry? A common theme and unified strategy that embodies the act of coming together to fight a common enemy.
Each brand could have reduced their 30-second spot to 27-seconds, donating 3-seconds to the larger cause. Maybe each tacked-on message was exactly the same. Or slight variations from one another each addressing a different pandemic-related issue. But no matter the approach, one cohesive message, desperately needed at a time when communication from our own government has been anything but clear.
If pulled off correctly, an achievement of this size would have easily established a new bar for what the power of advertising could be. The statement would have been incredibly powerful. We may have even been analyzing its impact for years to come.
As advertisers and marketers, we pride ourselves on the ability to inform, to educate, and yes…to persuade and influence. But yet, during the Super Bowl, THE biggest opportunity to do just that, agencies, brands, and corporations chose to punt (no pun intended).
Why?
Perhaps they made the calculation (undoubtedly based on market research) that Americans wanted an escape from their current situation and didn’t want to be reminded about Covid. Or maybe advertisers and brands were just trying to will things back to normal. They saw the light at the end of the tunnel and wanted to put a year of reduced budgets and lackluster sales behind them and move forward. But here’s the problem: The Super Bowl didn’t provide us an escape. It actually did the opposite by putting a giant spotlight on our circumstances. Many of us watched at home alone, or with only the members of our household. No friends. No sports bars. No parties. No buffalo chicken dip. No squares. No endless stream of fan reaction video montages. Even the game itself was a constant reminder with the visuals of noticeably bare stands, an overall quieter atmosphere, and a sparse after-game celebration ceremony.
Or maybe the real reason is that unfortunately, most major corporations are still too reactionary when it comes to larger global issues. They only commit to taking action when public opinion has made it safe for them to do so. Driven by fear, they tend to do what’s right only when the reward outweighs the risk.
What’s been lost, it seems, is the ability to sense what consumers want before they even do. Giving them a reason to care (and also showing that you, as a corporation, care about them). Creating demand for something no one even knew they wanted or needed. A proactive, trend-setting mindset is at the heart of what great advertising has always been about!
What’s been lost, it seems, is the ability to sense what consumers want before they even do.
And there has never been a better time for companies to rise up as responsible corporate citizens. Increasingly consumers want brands to address social issues that impact their lives. But it can’t be just a mirage. It has to be real. For brands, marketers, and advertisers, there is only one way forward: selflessly put people first.
Advertisers during the Super Bowl had a chance to stand for something bigger — to use the power of the medium to potentially save lives, and show that they care. The funny ads will quickly be forgotten, but a unified civil service message could have had a lasting impact. And let’s not pretend that the reputational benefits of an authentic social cause initiative wouldn’t ultimately drive greater visibility for the brand.
Ideally, we never have to experience another global or national emergency of this kind again. But should we be so unfortunate, brands and their agencies should be encouraged to approach things differently. I am optimistic that the industry can come together to serve the good of the people without having to sacrifice business needs. As the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Hopefully, in the future, we can all do a better job of rising to the challenge.
#Advertising #BusinessStrategy #Brands
Have thoughts or questions? I’d love to hear from you! Comment or email me at Terry@futureproofgrp.com.
Also, I was inspired by some of these Covid PSA videos when writing this article. Check them out…
