Super Bowl LII’s Commercials – The Marketing Touchdowns

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If you haven’t heard (or if you’ve been living under a rock), this year’s NFL Championship Game was historic. Between the Cinderella story of the Philadelphia Eagles’ season and the nail-biter of the game, the event is sure to be a topic of conversation for months to come. While I can appreciate a good rivalry, I’m really there for the half-time show, appetizers, and commercials—much to my football-loving husband’s dismay.

Since you’re not reading this for my thoughts on the chips and dip I consumed or about Justin Timberlake’s strange outfit, let’s get to the commercials. As a marketer, I have a strong appreciation for well-thought out campaigns. While the majority of audiences are drawn in by comedic relief, I look for commercials that weave humor into strong marketing tactics. That being said, here are the three commercials that sacked the competition.

Tide

To say that this international laundry detergent company thought outside the box is an understatement. Stranger Things star David Harbour was the star of multiple ads seemingly for cars, beer, soda, jewelry and more, only to reveal that they are all ads for the detergent. Most companies don’t even touch on the idea of other products, but instead Tide poked fun at our notion of what a “typical” big game commercials should be. This tactic kept me on my toes, made me laugh, and certainly made a lasting impression—even if it was about something as seemingly trivial as laundry detergent.


Source: YouTube, Tide

Australia

Another scenario of everything is not what it seems: Danny McBride and Chris Hemsworth star in what appears to be a sequel to Crocodile Dundee. However, half-way through the commercial, McBride realizes, “This isn’t a movie. It’s a tourism ad for Australia.” Yes, I was just as confused as him. This commercial really hit home for two reasons. Reason number one—how many times do you actually see a tourism ad during the big game? Not many. Two—it used two popular movie stars to fool viewers into thinking a highly-anticipated sequel was actually in the works, grabbing their attention from the beginning. Well played, Australia, well played.


Source: YouTube, Australia

The Cloverfield Paradox

Sure, this commercial wasn’t funny. In fact, it was a movie trailer for the next installment of the Cloverfield franchise. So, why does it make my list? To be honest, I know nothing about this movie. I haven’t even seen any of the previous three films. But, leave it to Netflix to drop an advertising bomb during the big game. Not only were fans unsure of the movie’s future, Netflix’s 30-second spot included the surprise that it would be available immediately following the conclusion of the game. Cloverfield fan or not, this was all the buzz that was needed!


Source: YouTube, Movieclips

Whether you’re a football fan or a marketing guru, we can all agree on one thing—NFL Championship Game commercials are well worth the wait every year!


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