CLEVELAND, Ohio - Commercials that aired during Super Bowl LIV covered a range of emotions as companies found assorted ways to get their message across, with women at the forefront of many of the most effective ads.
Super Bowl ad watching has become as much of a spectacle as the game itself. Here’s our take on the most effective ads from Super Bowl LIV Sunday:
WEATHERTECH
When it aired: First half.
The ad: Instead of touting what its company does, WeatherTech tugs at heartstrings by featuring the founder’s dog, Scout, who was shown in a Super Bowl ad a year ago and later diagnosed with cancer. You don’t have a heart if you don’t think a Golden Retriever has a beautiful face. Hours before kickoff, the video had about 750,000 YouTube views.
Why it works: The company does a nice job of keeping its name out there without hitting you over the head and doing good at the same time. Instead of touting what its company does, it encourages donations to the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine via weathertech.com/donate. (Here’s a 5-minute video on how Scout was treated.)
MICHELOB ULTRA PURE GOLD ORGANIC LIGHT LAGER
When it aired: Second quarter, 9:26.
The ad: Michelob has a pretty heady offer from Ultra Pure Gold - buy a six pack, save six feet of land. The “6 for 6-pack” campaign aims to promote a transition to organic farming six feet at a time. “If every football fan picks up a six-pack we can change America’s organic farmland forever.”
Why it works: Lofty idea. A large company is selling beer to a mainstream audience but going after the craft crowd, which has an affinity for initiatives like farm-to-table approaches. The “six-pack, six square feet” also is a concept that people can understand quickly. Have a beer, help farmers.
HYUNDAI SMART PARK
When it aired: Second quarter, 14:08.
The ad: John Krasinski, Chris Evans, Rachel Dratch and David Ortiz - all with ties to Boston - tout the car company’s Smart Park automatic parking mechanism, allowing a vehicle to park itself or back out of a space via a driver’s instructions. While some Bostonians have a problem with the use of the word ‘wicked’ in the ad, it’s funny because, you know, the rest of us like to hear imitations of Boston accents.
Why it works: Two reasons - the four personalities are well known and well liked, and we get to see the product in action.
AMAZON ALEXA
When it aired: Third quarter, 2:35.
The ad: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, getting ready to leave their home, set their house temperature via Alexa and ponder what the world would be like without the smart technology. We’re immediately transported to several scenes from varying eras. A servant is asked to turn down the temperature 2 degrees; she tosses two burning logs through a window. A newsie touting newspapers on a British street laughs when a customer ask what the news is; the kid tells him it’s fake news, then gives a forced exasperated laugh. Other examples take us to different time periods.
Why it works: Amazon Alexa follows its entertaining Super Bowl 2018 ad, which muses what happens when Alexa loses its voice. This year’s ad covers a gamut of what the product can do - give the news, set home controls, play music - in a fun way.
5 notable ads: Women and movies
Women and moves were a theme during the game’s commercials:
• Bill Murray reprises his “Groundhog Day” role, reliving his 6 a.m. wake-up call, greeting Ned Ryerson and stealing a vehicle. Except this time the vehicle is a Jeep. “No day is the same in a Jeep Gladiator.” Nice touch considering it is, indeed, Groundhog Day.
• Olay’s “Make Space for Women” ad brings together astronaut Nicole Stott, YouTube personality Lilly Singh and comedian Busy Philipps in an ad that converges a tern of approaches: It has a serious message (“When we make space for women, we make space for everyone”), a dose of humor (“What does this button do? Eject - No!”) and promotes philanthropy (Tweet @olayskin #MakeSpaceForWomen for girlswhocode.com).
• Mtn Dew Zero Sugar features Bryan Cranston in a riff off “The Shining,” the 1980 movie starring Jack Nicholson.
• Microsoft’s ad tips the cap to Katie Sowers, an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers. The ad tells her story “I’m not trying to be the best female coach, I’m trying to be the best coach. … All it takes is one, and then it opens the door for so many.” It was one of several touting female empowerment. (Here’s more on Sowers’ journey to the NFL.)
• Procter & Gamble’s ad for Secret Deodorant promotes gender equality in an ad that reveals a woman has just kicked a game-winning field goal.
5 other effective ads
• The NFL promo “Take it to the house, kid!” features a cameo from Jim Brown, a funny moment with Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jimmy Garoppolo; a poignant moment remembering Pat Tillman and a slew of professional athletes. It segued into live action in the stadium.
• Budweiser pulls on patriotism in a faux-critical ad showing “typical Americans.”
• New England quarterback Tom Brady teases what would appear his potential retirement but instead touts Hulu.
• New York Life says be good at life and explains the ancient Greeks’ four types of love. Makes an insurance company human.
• Google’s ad of a man remembering his wife is effective by reaching out to all generations while highlighting technological features.