Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash
Did Super Bowl LVIII’s Commercials Deliver?
Super Bowl LVIII may have ended, but the commercials from the big game are still making waves. With over 160,000 people registered to vote in the 36th USA TODAY Ad Meter competition, it’s clear that these ads leave a lasting impression.
The Super Bowl serves as a prime platform for advertisers, offering a chance to showcase their products to millions of viewers. With the average cost of a 30-second ad spot reaching a staggering $7 million for the second year in a row, companies are willing to invest heavily for the opportunity to reach such a vast audience.
Despite the decline in traditional advertising revenue, the Super Bowl remains a lucrative opportunity for brands. As noted by Disney CEO Bob Iger, “Sports is still an advertiser’s delight,” offering incomparable reach and engagement.
This year, consumer packaged goods took center stage in the ad lineup, with brands like Oreos, Pringles, Mountain Dew, Doritos, and M&M’s vying for attention. Celebrity endorsements also played a significant role, with notable personalities lending their fame to various commercials.
From humorous skits to heartwarming narratives, advertisers pulled out all the stops to captivate audiences during the biggest TV event of the year. With each ad carefully crafted to leave a lasting impression, the competition was fierce.
Despite the hefty price tag, advertisers understand the value of the Super Bowl platform, knowing that it offers unparalleled exposure and the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on consumers. As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: The Super Bowl remains the ultimate battleground for brands competing for consumer awareness.
Here’s a curated look at some of the commercials from 2024, listed by their Ad Meter score starting with the highest rank at the top:
1. State Farm
2. Dunkin’
3. Kia
4. Uber Eats
7. BMW
8. Budweiser
15. CeraVe
34. Microsoft
36. Booking.com
46. Squarespace
48. Lindt
51. Homes.com
52. Bass Pro Shops
58. Snapchat
Do Super Bowl Ads Actually Turn a Profit for Brands?
Research from Stanford in 2015 sheds light on the effectiveness of these Super Bowl commercials. While they often prove successful in boosting sales for certain products like beer and soda, the study suggests that their impact may be diminished when competing brands advertise simultaneously during the game. The study, which focused on well-known brands like Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi, analyzed data from 55 media markets spanning six years of Super Bowls, along with Nielsen sales data. It aimed to determine the impact of exposure to specific TV commercials on sales for these brands.
Associate Professor Wesley Hartmann from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Daniel Klapper from Humboldt University co-authored the study. They found that while brands like Budweiser can reap substantial benefits from their Super Bowl ads, with estimated returns of $96 million and a 172% return on investment, the presence of competing brands in the same category, such as multiple soda brands, may not yield similar profit gains.
Even with the high price tag for Super Bowl ad spots, companies vie for the opportunity to reach over 40% of American households tuning in for the championship game. However, while Super Bowl ads undoubtedly build associations between brands and sports viewership, the study suggests that this association may not benefit competing brands simultaneously.
Hartmann emphasizes the importance of established brands leveraging their existing associations with sports to maximize the effectiveness of their Super Bowl advertising. However, the research also highlights uncertainties. It does not explore the potential outcomes if major brands were to cease advertising during the Super Bowl or if new competitors entered the advertising arena.
Discussion Questions
Reflecting on the variety of commercials aired during Super Bowl LVIII, which ones do you perceive as the most successful in terms of delivering a compelling message, creating brand resonance, and potentially driving sustained consumer engagement? Conversely, which commercials do you believe missed the mark?
How can retailers effectively measure the long-term impact of a Super Bowl ad on brand equity beyond short-term sales spikes, particularly in highly competitive markets where multiple brands vie for consumer attention simultaneously?
What strategic approaches can advertisers employ to maximize the effectiveness of their ad campaigns and stand out amidst fierce competition, especially in industries like consumer packaged goods?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Shep Hyken
Chief Amazement Officer, Shepard Presentations, LLC
Zel Bianco
President, founder and CEO Interactive Edge
The adverts, as usual, generated a lot of online chatter. So, in that sense, they did collectively deliver.
Personally, I enjoyed the Dunkin’ spot – and I like the fact that the chain now has a limited time DunKings menu which features, among other things, Ben Affleck’s favorite coffee. The Dove advert was effective as it was linked to sport, and it had an important, and empowering, underlying message.
As much as I do like Lindor chocolates, the Lindt advert was very underwhelming and felt like any normal TV spot. The Reese’s advert was extremely annoying and pointless. And CeraVe tried to be far too clever with its Michael Cera skit.
However, for me, Dove was the overall winner as it communicated something in a moving way.
Dunkin was the winner for me too
There were many excellent ads. Dunkin’, BetMGM and Cetaphil resonated with their target markets for different reasons.
· Dunkin’s attention to detail (J.Lo’s blinged-out Stanley Cup rival), emotion (Matt Damon’s exasperation) and humor (Ben Affleck busting a move like he’s on World of Dance) made the ad a hit with Gen Z through to their Gen X parents.
· BetMGM’s perfect blend of Vince Vaughn, and NFL and NHL GOATs Tom Brady and Wayne Gretzky (who’s familiar with the real Stanley Cup) stand out in the increasingly crowded sports betting space.
· Cetaphil is right on the money by recognizing that influencers like Taylor Swift and Ice Spice are bridging the gap by inspiring daddy-daughter bonding over sports.
KPIs that brands can measure to determine the success of their Super Bowl ad include video views, cart activity and new-to-brand percentage.
Brands need a robust campaign to support their Super Bowl investment across stores, online and social. When Duolingo’s ad aired, the brand sent a push notification at the exact same time and it went viral on social media for its audacity and hilarity.
Several good commercials this year.
Dunkin’ with Ben Affleck, J Lo, Matt Damon and Tom Brady, a funny combo of performances, boosting product, brand personality.Kawasaki’s ATV spot with everyone changing, getting a mullet (on trend), bringing along consumers who loved or hated this hair cut from the 80’s.Google’s Vision Pixel, showing the world how it can do good using it’s tech.Dove my favorite, raising awareness around issues of girls in sports. I’m biased as a girl dad though.
Temu’s spot looked on brand, but overkill, mundane after what felt like 10 repeat spots. Plus, how much cheap stuff do people need?Square Space had more complication than needed to get its brand proposition across in 30 seconds or less. Then randomly adding Martin Scorsese at the end?Toyota trucks promoting off-road capabilities with a safety handle feature. Doesn’t every car and passenger have available?
For retail and CPG, expensive spots like this must do multiple things. Be on brand, but also tell a product story, with emotion. And they must resonate with your target customer, however narrow or large it is. From here, KPI’s need to be around customer trial increases, basket/order sizes and profit dollar trends.
When the first TEMU spot aired, everyone in the room (but me, of course) said, “What’s that? They never heard of it. By the time they aired for the fifth (or sixth) time on the post-game show, everyone in the room knew about TEMU and said they would try it. TEMU made the big leagues with my crowd.
Microsoft’s Copilot spot was interesting, The ad showcased everyday people pursuing their goals with the help of Copilot, presenting AI as a tool for personal and professional growth. On Apple’s App Store on Monday, the top three most downloaded free apps were Paramount+, Copilot and Temu.
If you are a known brand, make it humourous and interesting. Make people smile and comment. There is no need to speak about the product itself. For those companies that are unknown, you won’t score with one $7 million commercial.
It’s two days after the big game, and we’re still talking about the advertisements – and not just in RetailWire. This morning at my local coffee shop, people were talking about their favorites. I’m an Arnold fan, so I have to give State Farm kudos for an incredibly creative script.
Many of these ads don’t have a call to action. How many of them told me to go buy a beer, a bag of candy, or insurance? More than anything, they put the brand front-of-mind. What I’d like to see is the data after the Super Bowl that shows me a sustainable spike in sales. If I’m in the C-suite wondering if my investment paid off, a sustainable spike in sales would make me VERY happy!
It’s only been two days and I have already forgotten most of the Super Bowl ads I saw on Sunday. And since I didn’t really care about either team (Go Pack Go!) for me the commercials were the thing.
I enjoyed the spots from Dunkin’, State Farm, Dove, CeraVe, and Kia. Dunkin’ was probably my favorite because it was funny without being over the top, and its use of celebrities was perfect. The Uber Eats ad was celebrity heavy and common sense light, it learned pretty quickly that peanut allergies aren’t funny. The Snapchat ad called for less social media then tried to school me on X when I pointed out that Snapchat IS social media. And I really hope that Disney figures out a way to get back at Temu for stealing its schtick.
Tearjerkers aside, every one of those commercials was created by talented teams of people who have to walk the line between what’s acceptable and what’s funny. And these days that’s a fine line to walk.
The ads were better than in past years, however I think the bar is so high from a consumer expectation standpoint that it is difficult for any brand to standout. I sense weariness out there…I mean, there is a game being played, and the commercials used to be a interesting diversion, not so much any more. Even the halftime show is getting harder and harder to impress. I was eager to see Usher, and (at least to me) the performance was underwhelming.
How about next year, instead of all of the theatrics, we have a real performance at halftime, supported in part by commercials that don’t reach so far to be clever?
That would be something worth watching.
In today’s environment of online streaming content, on-demand series binge-watching and premium subscription providers, everyday commercials continue to lose their day-to-day relevance. However, the Super Bowl is one of the rare live events where they remain front and center (without the ability to click Skip Ad). And, as usual, there was a mixed bag of humorous, sentimental, celebrity-filled, irreverent, and just plain head-scratching commercials. Brand awareness and engagement are critical drivers for these pricey spots, so KPIs I would be looking for (beyond a sales spike) would be online clicks, searches, and customer sign-ups.
The Dunkin spot was probably the most effective, given the strong visuals, but the Christopher Walken BMW ad certainly resonated with this Christopher Walken fan.
My sense was that way too many of the spots featured celebrities. It’s not that having celebrities in the commercial is necessarily a bad thing, it just that they sometimes take away from the main star – the product or service.
At the Super Bowl party I attended, people were commenting on who was in the commercial and asking what product or service was the ad for? As, to the ROI, as long as the commercials are picked up by news organizations or on-line stories and polls, it is all additional and free exposure that makes it worthwhile. The commercial that started the Super exposure of Super Bowl ads was the 1984 Apple commercial which received more air time than any in history. That is the holy grail that advertisers are still attempting to achieve.
Same here…”people were commenting on who was in the commercial and asking what product or service the ad was for.”
That could be the inner game, “Who was that second-rate celebrity?” They look familiar, but I can’t place them.
How about Ye’s $7 million, 0 production cost ad that brought in $19 million in sales? That’s celebrity.
Although there were a handful of outstanding ads, many struggled to connect with their audiences. The overall impression was of a plethora of celebrities appearing on often random ads.
The Super Bowl was always one of my favorite assignments for my marketing students. Students were asked to evaluate each ad in terms of its target market, message content & effectiveness. In my opinion, few would have fared well on these criteria in 2024.
The cost of the spot is only part of the expense; the production costs for many of these spots, especially celebrity fees, adds up. While start ups have the least amount of resources, I do find the value of the large audience to favor brand awareness goals. Years back, the Go Daddy launch was very well done via Super Bowl spots. Pluto did a nice job driving recognition with the coach potato spot. I did like the Dunkin commercial, but mainly for the celebrity value more so than favorability toward the brand/product. Uber Eats was fun reuniting Friends co-stars, but still not effective in supporting the company’s USPs. NYX Cosmetics totally missed the mark–though I judge without knowing the KPIs on the QR code feature. The winner in my book was MAYO CAT. It wove the use message in with entertainment and spoofed the short term viral essence of the who phenomenon.
At base price of $7M per :30, must accomplish one of three things:or a combination of them to deliver on the investment. One, be entertaining. If it is boring, flat, not eye catching you lose the viewer even if they are intently “tuned in” to the commercial breaks. Two, have a clear message or call to action which may be as simple as go to our website (was dominant if you recall during the “boom” when everyone was launching new sites) or shop us or visit our showroom. Loved the BMW spot for this reason because it was fun to leverage Christopher Walken’s signature voice/manner of speaking with a brand that matches his persona. Lastly, build up to the moment and have plans to extend the value well past game day. Dunkin Donuts of all things is killing it right now with two best friends and Tom Brady. How perfect for the brand, its franchisees and the bonus is J-Lo or Jenny from the Hood. The game audience was 2nd only to the lunar landing – so I’d say cost per impression was worth the investment. P.S. From a loyalty program and partnership program standpoint personally loved the TMobile Magenta spot.
It’s hard to even call them commercials anymore. They’re skits, with mega stars and mega directors, with world-class production values, and oh-by-the-way some product placement. But, they are indeed entertaining and memorable and value-adding for most of the brands.
In fact, for many of these ads, the LAST thing they did was put the brand at top-of-mind. The endless parade of celebrities mixed with the noise they created suffocated most of these brands and the products trying to be sold. I bet if you asked most people they might remember the celeb or the joke but not have a clue what was being advertised. If there’s not a connect between the creative and the product/service being sold, the advertiser has wasted $7 million on a vanity project.
For all the hype about the $7 million price tag (without costs of talent or production), the big legacy brands advertising on the Super Bowl get their money’s worth. This year’s game had its biggest audience ever (thanks, Taylor!) and this is really the only communal viewing event left in today’s fragmented culture.
That being said, I found this year’s batch of ads pretty predictable — the usual mashup of humor, heart-tugging and (above all else) celebrities. If you are in the business of selling State Farm insurance or Budweiser beer, your goal is probably to reinforce your customers’ good feelings — not to move the sales needle. At least we weren’t subjected to a dozen different bitcoin peddlers this year!
Beyond storytelling, making an emotional connection is what’s important. People remember their emotional reaction to things far more than their rational reaction.
For me the stand out was Microsoft. They did a really nice job of tapping the rebellious nature of a younger generation. That was pretty powerful. And a strategic play on their part. Capturing the hearts and minds of the enterprise buyers of the future is important for long term success.
Kia pulled on the heart strings – way more than Budweiser this year. The other fairly well executed car brand was from Kawasaki. I’m not their target demographic, but it seemed to work better than BMW.
While I get the appeal of the Dunkin ad, I personally don’t like their coffee. So in terms of celebrity appearances, my favorite was Uber Eats – but I also watched a lot of Friends back in the day.
In terms of ROI, it’s important to remember that every brand may have different goals. Some are short term. Others much longer term. It may be to get more people from a new demographic inquire about the product, or try it once. It may be to shift your brand positioning for a longer term strategic move. Or just generate short term sales. Regardless, the buzz around Superbowl ads means you can get far more coverage than the placement itself. But you have to execute well.