Everyone Can Be the Underdog (feat. Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes)

This article is about Super Bowl Marketing and Ad Strategy, with examples and predictions for specific brands in SB LVIII.

At this very moment, ESPN analysts are discussing the skills, leadership and game management abilities of San Francisco 49ers starting QB, Brock Purdy. One of the most unlikely QB’s to lead a team to the Super Bowl, perhaps ever. As the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, he is, by definition, Mr. Irrelevant. Many don’t believe he is worthy of his role. He is the underdog.

“…think that you have what it takes…don't give up on it, then you can achieve it.” ~ Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers

The game within the game, the commercials, will pit roughly 100 advertisements for a wide range of brands against one another. Some are to be expected, some will be terrible, some will be great, and some, not all, will be underdogs. The expected brands such as, Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Lite, Doritos, BMW, Toyota, Turbo Tax, Verizon, State Farm, Reese’s, Google, and Squarespace – well, most everyone will know and perhaps love pending their creativity and humor. A few will fall short per usual. The underdogs are new brands, (or new to the Super Bowl brands, the virgins of the big game) such as Kawasaki, Popeyes, Etsy, Drumstick, STōK Cold Brew Coffee, NYX Makeup, Lindt, Pluto TV, and Starry.

For our agency, Levelwing, this is the first time in 16-years we haven’t needed to plan an entire Super Bowl campaign. However, we did (wink, wink) circumvent the Super Bowl this year with an intentional and innovative digital approach for a large international brand…any guesses?

“Everyone loves a great underdog story. This stage, in Vegas, is set for one!” ~Steve Parker Jr, CEO, Levelwing

?Purdy and the 49ers will meet the Kansas City Chiefs. No strangers to the Super Bowl, this is the fourth trip in the last five years for the Chiefs. They are led by Patrick Mahomes, who in seven years has been named to the Pro Bowl six times, won two Super Bowls, named Super Bowl MVP twice and owns a trophy case of other records. Yet, the 49ers are favored to win. Patrick and his Kansas City teammates are underdogs as well.

“You want to...stay away from that feeling…you were that close, and you didn't get it…” ~Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

The last few days, both quarterbacks have been interviewed many times. Mahomes said, “You want to make sure you stay away from that feeling… you're in that locker room and you feel you were that close and you didn't get it…” That feeling will come quickly for Super Bowl advertisers too – those that didn’t plan well. And Purdy was quoted as saying, “…if you believe in yourself and you think that you have what it takes and you truly do believe that and you don't give up on it, then you can achieve it.” I hear the theme of “don’t give up” – or in other words have a purpose and plan that will take you the distance. Planning and continuity wins.

“...the brands with the best strategy and continuity plan...Those will be the brands that win.” ~Steve Parker Jr, CEO, Levelwing

As I have written in previous articles, the winners of the Super Bowl ad game won’t necessarily be the funniest ad, or the most star packed ad, but the brands with the best strategy and continuity plan. In other words, who has been seeding their brand via PR and media in the lead up to the game, who will have a great weekend plan via both media and on-site activations in Las Vegas with relevant social creative and most importantly – who has the stamina? Who will have continuity with their plan for weeks or months beyond the Super Bowl. Those will be the brands that win.

“…the best preparation, most thorough game plan, and the most staying power will win. Period. They always do.” ~Steve Parker Jr, CEO, Levelwing

In my experienced and educated point of view (having been part of 15-consecutive Super Bowl campaigns for five brands) many brands will fail and be sent to the land of forgotten shortly after the game because they threw a Hail Mary with most of their budget. They never had the power and stamina to see a proper brand strategy all the way through. Their lack of continuity will be the Achilles heel for these brands. The underdog, with the best preparation, most thorough game plan, and the most staying power will win. Period. They always do. Always!

My predictions on the Advertising Bowl…

This is for fun. For the record, I don’t have the details on each brand’s budget or their plans. And this is the first year in sixteen years I haven’t had to be directly involved in a Super Bowl advertising campaign (although, sly grin, as mentioned above we did circumvent the Super Bowl this year with an intentional and innovative digital approach for a large international brand that one would call a gorilla strategy). However, if I did have access to all this information, I could tell you with a high degree of probability who will be successful this year and who will not. That said, my initial notes on a few of the spots I have seen this far.

Toyota – forgettable, boring, expected.

e.l.f. cosmetics – “In Elf We Trust” is star packed but just ok; their second spot will just create fuss over fingernails is my guess.

NYX Professional Makeup – Cardi B is relevant but again, I think this will just be more talk about wild fingernails.

Squarespace – I love their continued “oddness.” Their message will resonate well because we all get it (being distracted). They also do a great job year-after-year with continuity after the game.

Uber Eats – Super relevant to current culture and able to target a wide range of audiences. I expect they will do very well, and it seems they have set this up for a great continuity play, and I hope they do just that - especially with Jelly Roll.

Kawasaki – I’m not convinced they have they staying power. And the mullet thing is old news. Not original at all. Been there, done that.

Popeyes – Falls flat. I love Ken Jeong, but that’s where it ends. Also, we all loved the DJ Snake/Lil Jon “Turn Down for What” but like six or seven years ago. Music choices matter. ??

Bud Light – They are going full testosterone mode after a year of flubs. I’m sure this will help if they continue down this path beyond the game. Great testimony of knowing your audience.

Reese’s – I like Reese’s, but this is the worst Reese’s ad ever IMHO. Dumb humor and lacks relevancy. I hope the production budget was a lot less than past years.

Body Armour – The ad world will likely love this one, because of the A.I.-esque tie. Everyone else, not so much. But a tasty product, personally I’m a fan.

Google – Emotional and great as usual. Great time and place to show a new technology that is useful to the world versus a burden. People will appreciate it and relate to the usefulness. The kindness, the sensibility of how technology can make lives better.

STōK Coffee – I’m curious if they will have the budget for continuity. My gut tells me no. They shot their shot with a big budget Hail Mary here. Now off to the land of the forgotten.

Dove – Emotional, empowering, relevant. Love that, it will relate and have relevancy to many, including the dads of young women. And Dove generally does a decent job with continuity. For the record, I use Dove soap too.

Budweiser – I mean, the Clydesdale’s are back. That’s always a win, and Budweiser has the money to spend for days. Their continuity is always solid.

Enjoy the game and may your team win!