Watching the commercials during the Super Bowl is almost as big an event as the game itself, especially if you work in our field. We had some lively discussion at our agency-wide meeting after the big game as we debated what worked, what didn’t and what we liked best. Here’s our 2022 Super Bowl Ad Roundup.
Car Commercials Dominate
The advertising field was awash with memorable car commercials—Chevy’s Sopranos (Karen and Mike’s fave); Toyota Tundra’s Jones, Jones, Jones, Jonas (Amanda loves anything with a Jonas brother); BMW’s Arnold Schwarzenegger/Salma Hayek (Bryan’s favorite for production quality); Kia’s Robo Dog (not a fan favorite here at MM); GM’s Dr. Evil; Nissan’s Eugene Levy—most of which relied heavily on big-name talent.
While we enjoyed them, we also struggled to remember which brand each was for. And with a nearly $7 million average price tag per commercial, we think brand recognition should be a key metric when determining the success of an ad, especially if it only airs once!
Tackling the Classics
Other brands took advantage of nostalgia in their attempts to score. Ashley enjoyed the Lays commercial featuring the classic pairing of Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd, and there was a universal appreciation for the return of the E*Trade baby. Nostalgia was also responsible for Liz’s favorite: T-Mobile’s Scrubs reunion with Zach Braff and Donald Faison. And Bryan, Erich and Dave all loved the Larry David FTX cryptocurrency commercial, which made use of David’s famous nay-sayer attitude.
However, it’s important to remember your target audience before hopping in your way-back machine for a creative concept. You want to make sure the references won’t be over the heads of your target demographic.
Mixing Up the Plays
Our newest team member, Brittany, noted that there was not a high creative arc when it came to this year’s Super Bowl commercials, but there were some that resonated:
- Sara called out the Salesforce commercial featuring Matthew McConaughey and a fantastic rhyming script because while it was a nod to all the electronic advances we’ve made, like the metaverse and space travel, it also said we should focus on the here and now on Earth. The commercial offered an important reminder to live in the moment (while throwing a little bit of shade at Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk).
- Pam’s favorite, the Amazon Alexa ad featuring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, was a winner as it successfully used very-relatable humor and incorporated the product so well into the concept that there was no doubt about who it was for. The same was true for Dawn’s favorite, the McDonald’s commercial (which is ironic if you know Dawn).
- Sue thought the Hologic ad featuring Mary J. Blige getting her annual mammogram stood out because it used the performer’s celebrity in a powerful way, juxtaposing Blige’s busy, celebrity lifestyle against her vulnerability in the exam room.
- Michelle loved the Toyota ad featuring the McKeever brothers, successful Paralympic athletes, for its emotional appeal. Since most other spots focused on humor and celebrity hype, this one really stood out from the pack and evoked emotion.
- Finally, a couple movie and TV trailers struck gold for our team. Melissa favored the Moon Knight trailer by Marvel promoting their new Disney+ series. She noted that while the commercial was geared towards attracting a new set of viewers, Marvel has really mastered their formula to attract fans new and old. As a digital marketer, she finds their frequency and timing—as well as their coverage across platforms—interesting to watch. Meanwhile, Sarah and Sara got a bit emotional during the trailer for Jurassic World Dominion, the epic conclusion to the Jurassic Park film series.
Extra Point
So, that’s our 2022 Super Bowl Ad Roundup. There’s a certain amount of magic that goes into creating a captivating TV commercial, and even the most well-executed effort won’t appeal to everyone. Our clients don’t have the mega budgets needed to create these larger-than-life, celebrity-laden Super Bowl extravaganzas, but fortunately, we don’t need them to. We’re your all-star team when you need a campaign that gets you the results you want, at a budget you can afford. Reach out today.
