Super Bowl 2008 was probably one of the best championship games we've seen in a decade. The combination of great, inventive and intelligent advertisements made for very few safe periods of time to get up and hit the bathroom or get another plate of ribs. Everyone at the party I attended were glued to their seats for three and half hours.
In years past, advertising agencies have tried to outdo themselves from the year before, but the ads that aired seemed like private jokes created by a highly caffinated bunch of executives that were locked in a conference room for too long. This year was a completely different story.
Gone were the futuristic, overdone technology spots and in their place was the return of human nature ads, and some that tugged at our hearts. Especially the Budweiser horse training like Rocky and Coca-Cola's "It's Mine" (you always wanted Charlie Brown to win something!).
Also, there was a new creativity coming from new advertisers - Life Water, Vitamin Water, Garmin and Under Armor. The ads were refreshing and really fun to watch. On the otherhand CareerBuilder.com took, well, an interesting take on finding a job that you love. Sometimes a bit morbid, gory and definitely surprising, the ads did make one wonder where each would go. They were creative but not necessarily my favorite.
What can small businesses learn from this year's Super Bowl advertiser's approach? That people are always interested in human nature, and whether it was humor or a tug at the heart spot we respond to things that hit us emotionally. The most successful ads of the Super Bowl were those for companies seeking to enhance our lifestyles. Even Bridgestone's "Unexpected Obstacles" gave us something to relate to - running over Richard Simmons, or at least nearly missing him.
Small businesses need to learn first to differentiate themselves from competitors and then find interesting, creative ways to communicate to customers. Determine what value your service or product has and then, for lack of a better term, step outside the box to communicate these messages.
GoDaddy.com created an interactive program to generate click throughs to the company website. This is a great tip for small businesses because the entire goal is to drive business. Moreover, it gives you an opportunity to track interest, since it is nearly impossible to track ROI on advertising unless the customer is given an incentive.
My favorite ads of 2008 are attention getting, humorous, creative, did a great job communicating the brands, and lastly they used incredible star power:
1. Budwesier - The Clydesdale Team
2. Bridgestone - Unexpected Obstacles
3. Coca-Cola - It's Mine
4. Glaceau's Vitamin Water - Jockey
5. Garmin - Napoleon
6. GoDaddy.com - Spot On
7. Planter's (Kraft) - Perfume
8. Pepsi - Magnetic Attraction
9. Sobe Life Water - Thrillicious
10. Under Armour - The Gathering
You can view all of the ads again at Ad Age.
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