Super Bowl advertising – why bother with an expensive, broad awareness push without including more targeted supporting tactics?
Super Bowl 53 has come and gone. The big brands that we love splurged on the most watched, and thus most expensive, TV commercials to entertain us – for about 30 seconds. A few spots were lucky enough to be talked about on radio and TV news segments Monday morning, extending their shelf life by another half day. Sure, the earned media on Monday was great for a few, but what about the rest? What about after Monday?
Who took the matter into their own media planning hands and found ways to give their Super Bowl ads legs?
Pre-Game Hype.
The “trend” of brands “leaking” their Super Bowl commercials on social media ahead of the Big Game has increased over the last few years. This year Stella made an interesting move. The Belgian pilsner brand released teasers on Instagram of their big game spots. Looking very similar to the beginning of a movie trailer, these teasers showcased Sarah Jessica Parker and Jeff Bridges. They left all of us Sex and The City and Big Lebowski fans wanting more and anticipating the big reveal.
Prime Time. Game Time.
It’s no secret in the era of mobile, we’re paying attention to many different screens all at once. We’re watching TV and keeping up with at least 2-3 social media feeds. Planters took advantage of this and monopolized Twitter during the game – owning the largest share of brand related content. They pushed out content for their #CrunchTime Giveaway. The reward: consumer engagement and contest entries, which built on their TV spot.
Post-Game Glory.
Finally, in the most under-publicized media move of the year, Lexus placed an interesting paid search campaign to capitalize on all the Monday morning searches that were bound to take place for the previous night’s spots. Whether a user typed in “Super Bowl Ad,” “Super Bowl Commercial,” or “Ads During the Super Bowl,” they were served a Lexus Ad for their spot “Next-Generation QB Protection.” The four-minute video showcases Lexus safety features as demonstrated on Matt Leinart, National Treasure. This smart media buy gave Lexus a way to tie into the world championship without buying an actual spot.
If you take a play from one of these playbooks, you’ll build natural frequency with your audience. We can help you find unique and interesting ways to combine media tactics. Contact MediaSpark to take a look at cross channel opportunities to enhance your media plan.
