Weak Super Bowl TVCs disappoint

Jonathan Deeb and Ahmed Tilly, FCB joint chief creative officers, who presented some of this year’s Super Bowl’s best – and worst – TVCs, both agree that this year was not as strong a showing as in previous ones, with a poor standard making it a disappointing year all round. “We admired the themes, but not the execution. Normally we admire the TVCs and look up to them,” says Deeb.

Hot button topics

The first theme they identified was hot button topics. Donald Trump has created a social climate for great advertising, so it is no surprise then that there is talk of social change throughout the TVCs, which include Audi (addressing the gender equality gap), 84 Lumber (immigrants), Budweiser (immigrants), and Airbnb (displacement of people).

While the Audi TVC was brave from the point of view of car advertising, Tilly says when a brand makes a purposeful statement like that, it must be sure its house is in order (Audi faced issues on gender equality in its business a while ago). In general, it was felt that the brand did not resonate with that message.

84 Lumber’s TVC received a divided response, with some seeing it as sentimental and hopeful, while others viewed it as a joke. While this TVC had more meaning than others, with the slivers of plastic and the ray of light, the message got lost. What a lumber company had to do with a gate was not clear. The ad, which had to be viewed in its completeness on the internet, went viral. “Over the years we have seen brands like Coca-Cola put a stake in the ground, however this felt like the brand was capitalising on an issue. The link was tenuous in terms of what the brand offers did not close the loop,” says Deeb.

In contrast to this, the Budweiser TVC was sincerer and better executed says Tilly. “The 84lumber TVC presents lots of confusion. The Budweiser TVC is true to the brand and to the situation and does a bigger job than the brand.” He adds that this was one of his favourite Super Bowl TVCs.

But it was Airbnb’s #weaccept that won the day for most. Its simple execution was a reinforcement that the brand had put its money where its mouth was – previously assisting returning immigrants to the US. Deeb did, however, say that the TVC felt a bit slapped together, and reminded of previous campaigns (think ‘United Colors of Benetton’). “However, we forgave them because of what they stand for.”

A comment from the audience was that the Super Bowl is traditionally about great entertainment, but this year saw political points being made.

More celebs

The second theme identified was more celebs, which brands such as T-Mobile One, Kia, Bai Bai and Honda all embraced. Most were disastrous, and what Deeb called “squandered opportunities”.

Quirkiness

The third theme was quirkiness and a highlight in this theme was Avocados from Mexico #AvoSecrets. Deeb explains that this brand historically takes this spot and that its TVC never makes any sense. The big loser here was KFC.

Taking a gamble

Taking a gamble was the fourth theme and relates to Snickers. The brand attempted the world’s first live TVC, and while the concept was clever and topical, it didn’t work. However, we’re starting to see the utilisation of live commercials. “It was not a great execution, but the notion of playing into a live spot is pretty brave,” comments Deeb.

Also getting it wrong is Google. Its TVC created havoc in homes that run Google Home, as it responded to the Google Commands coming from the screen.

For Deeb, Coca-Cola’s TVC was a disappointment. “Last year this brand was ahead of the curve when it came to the Super Bowl. Now they are flighting 1980s commercials. It is a pity as they had earned that pedestal.”

The business of entertainment

The last theme was the business of entertainment, and includes a TVC for a game and movie. The trailer for the movie, Logan, was one of the most watched Super Bowl TVCs.

“We included this because it is a reminder that we are all competing. We are not playing in a niche space, we are competing with movies and entertainment and this means we must be on trend and brave,” says Deeb.