Lessons to take from Super Bowl ads

Arguably advertising’s biggest moment, the Super Bowl, acts as inspiration to agencies and brands globally and has the potential to set trends.

And, with all the hype around the declining television audiences, it is a testament to its power.

Taking a look at the 2019 Super Bowl adverts, these are the biggest trends that I believe will shape the advertising year.

Unity over politics

Advertising always reflects the nation’s mood in the United States, and 2019’s Super Bowl was not nearly as controversial as previous years.

This year, brands moved away from political messages that could be divisive for viewers, and opted for messages of unity.

It makes sense for brands to avoid a political message in the current climate, which is why Google, Kia and Microsoft all created ads with messages that bring people together.

Women at the fore

There was a shift from making a statement to a natural inclusion of women.

Their 2019 inclusion felt absolutely effortless – and what is monumental, is the way these ads are portraying women.

An example of this is tennis star Serena Williams, fronting Bumble’s advert about women making the first move.

The conversation has moved on and now women are starring in ads in the most natural way – and nobody is batting an eyelid.

Tech paranoia

Pro-human messages were a big theme with Pringles, Turbo Tax and Sprint showcasing human superiority, which I believe stems from a fear of the rise of robots and artificial intelligence.

It seems brands have picked up on the unease that surrounds these emerging technologies.

Pringles highlighted how an Alexalike device was unable to eat Pringles and Turbo Tax’s eerie robot was unable to express emotion.

Humour always wins

Humour is always a thread at the Super Bowl – and 2019 was no different.

Pepsi worked with Michael Buble and there was a surprise Game of Thrones tiein with Bud Light, in a beer advert.

These adverts tend to be fan-favourites and brands opt for humour because it always works.

Looking through the work, I don’t believe it was a vintage year for Super Bowl creativity, but I’m still envious of the global stage that the massive US event provides for brands and the way it traverses popular culture.