heartharmony.com.au

The Superbowl in the USA is not just about sweaty men running after a stiched up piece of leather. It is also the Olympics of advertising, where all the best and brightest spend millions on one of the handful of advertising slots available.

It is estimated that in 2009 28 advertisers spent $206 million (US) on commercial time during the Superbowl (which works out at $100 000US per second of air time).

They spend months working on researching the audience demographics, carefully crafting their ads to appeal to their audience and much more money actually filming the ads.

Every year USA today uses a real time ad metre to test which ads won and which flopped.

So what happened this year?

Well – the one that the audience voted the number one best ad was made by two unemployed guys on less than a shoestring and entered in a viral video competition by Doritos.  They outperformed all the high flying advertising agencies with all of their expensive research and facts.

So what can small business marketing people take away from the Superbowl ads?

• Humour is in for 2009. People are sick of doom and gloom and want to laugh. Lighten up your marketing.
• Watch the on-screen violence. A number of customers rated ads with on-screen violence down (even pratfalls and things such as people walking into items).
• Nostalgia and stories work. People love the Budweiser Clydesdales and the stories linking them through history. Stories are still powerful sellers.
• Sex still sells.  There were a couple of ads designed for teenage and young men with gratuitous flesh – sex still works for that audience.
• Even experts get it wrong. Toyota’s ad bombed, as did one with Coke and boy walking through a world full of avatars.
• Ask your customers. The best ideas come from customers about what their needs are and how to have these needs filled. Ask them what they want.
• Thank your customers for their input . Doritos paid the winners $1 million for their ad and have gone on record as stating it’s the best million they have spent. Sort of makes that gift voucher you were thinking of as a prize look a bit scungy.

To check out the top ads visit USA Today.

What do you think about the Superbowl 2009 ads? What worked for you?

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Copywriters