Who even watches the Super Bowl for football now, anyways? No matter if you cheered for the Bengals or the Rams (or Eminem during the halftime show…no judgment here!), chances are you also tuned in to view the $6.5 million commercials. Here are some of the TV-spots we couldn’t stop talking about, and some valuable lessons we can learn from them.
- “Uber Don’t Eats”, Uber Eats
Just what we needed – another excuse to use a food delivery app. But this time, it’s for more than just food. Uber Eats’ commercial with Jennifer Coolidge was spot-on strategy-wise, communicating that UberEats can bring you more than just takeout from your favorite restaurant. In addition, UberEats took it beyond the big screen and brought the “Uber Don’t Eats” campaign to personal screens, just in time for game day. In the UberEats app, the brand categorized its offerings into “Uber Eats” and “Uber Don’t Eats” so that users could stock up on all game day essentials.
We are second-screen media consumers, meaning that we often use a second device, such as a smartphone, while we are watching TV. This is important for advertisers, as marketing campaigns need to be effectively integrated and seamlessly connected throughout all devices.
- “Less Talk, More Bitcoin”, Coinbase
Speaking of second-screen media consumption, Coinbase also got the memo knowing that viewers had their smartphones in-hand and were using them during commercial breaks. For 60 seconds, we saw a bouncing QR code move across our screens. Nothing more, nothing less. We are all naturally curious, so after about 20 seconds of wondering if our TV’s were broken, we whipped out our phones to scan the floating code.
And what did this mystery icon lead us to? Nothing more than a crashed Coinbase promotional webpage. The natural thing to do when a major webpage crashes? We turn to Twitter and see that there are thousands of mentions surrounding the topic under the Trending page. Not only did Coinbase save tons of money on advertising production costs, they also received free earned media.
- “What’s Gotten Into Lindsey”, Planet Fitness
Who has taken more punches to the face by the media other than a punching bag? Lindsey Lohan. This advertisement carefully tapped into Lohan’s playful past, while revealing that she has now made her way to a Judgment Free Zone, including at her local Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness’ influencer/celebrity selection is anything but random. They intentionally chose an individual relevant to the Plant Fitness brand and product. The important lesson here? Even though an influencer may have a great deal of followers and they may be “all the rage”, it doesn’t mean they should be used for your brand. Influencers must be carefully selected so that your message comes across as authentic. Your influencer selection should seamlessly fit into your campaign, like the missing piece of a puzzle.
What was your favorite commercial from this year’s Super Bowl?