Super Bowl advertisers tread lightly in divisive U.S. political landscape
NEW YORK — Super Bowl advertisers are treading carefully this year to avoid alienating customers as a divisive political climate takes some of the buzz away from what is usually the biggest spectacle on TV.
Ad critic Barbara Lippert says that while “people need an escape,” like the Super Bowl, this year’s matchup on the field feels “so much less important than what’s going on politically.”
To get the attention back, some advertisers are turning to nostalgia, celebrities and marketing stunts. P&G is sexing up Mr. Clean, Honda is featuring nine celebrities and Snickers is running a live ad.
Others are touching on social issues without being too blunt about it. Budweiser won the pregame buzz with a sweeping cinematic ad showcasing founder Adolphus Busch’s 1857 immigration from Germany to St. Louis. Although it has been in the works since May, the ad felt topical as it was released online days after President Donald Trump’s travel ban against people from seven Muslim-majority countries. The ad got more than 8 million views on YouTube in just four days.
Although many brands released ads online ahead of time, there will still be surprises during Fox’s Super Bowl broadcast Sunday. At $5 million for a 30-second spot and an expected U.S. audience of more than 110 million, the pressure is on.
TIPTOEING AROUND POLITICS
Audi’s spot addresses gender equality as a man muses about his daughter receiving equal pay one day.
Building supplies retailer 84 Lumber had to revise its original ad because a scene featuring a border wall was deemed too controversial by Fox.
Though advertisers are being extra careful, taking on any sort of political topic might backfire, says Mark DiMassimo, CEO of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein. Against the backdrop of an “emboldened, enraged or traumatized audience,” he says, themes that might have been innocuous in the past “seem more strident and jarring this year.”
STUFFED WITH CELEBRITIES
In turbulent times, brands can count on celebrities to ensure goodwill among consumers.
And why use one celebrity when you can have many? In Honda’s ad, the high school yearbook photos of Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Viola Davis, Missy Elliott, Tina Fey, Magic Johnson, Jimmy Kimmel, Stan Lee and Robert Redford come to life
SURPRISES
with special effects.
Justin Bieber shows off dance moves to tout T-Mobile cellphone offerings. For the baby boomer crowd, Mercedes-Benz shows a biker gang being amazed by Peter Fonda’s AMG GT roadster.
“The proliferation of athletes and more personalities is a reflection of not taking too much risk,” says Kelly O’Keefe from Virginia Commonwealth University’s advertising graduate program. “When in doubt, get a personality.”
The biggest buzz may come from what hasn’t been revealed ahead of time.
Snickers’ ad with Adam Driver and a “Wild West” theme will be performed live during the third quarter.
Hyundai tapped Deepwater Horizon director Peter Berg to shoot an ad during the game itself for airing right after the game ends.
Coca-Cola says it bought two spots, but it’s keeping the topic a mystery.
“Ultimately, the advertiser who gives us sweet relief without that aftertaste is going to win,” DiMassimo says. “Something simple, delightful and cheerful.”