THINK ABOUT IT: How To Assess Which Super Bowl LVIII Ads Are Winners

The big day is fast approaching.

Super Bowl LVIII is this Sunday, 11 February. But then you already knew it.

It is estimated that as many as 200 million people will view the game, and the advertising.

People tune in for both.

Your friends, family members, neighbors, and colleagues will undoubtedly ask your opinion about the Super Bowl ads.

Why?

Because you're a marketer and, therefore, expected to have an “expert” opinion.

Will you stick out as an amateur, like the multi-millions of people who show up for the adstravaganza for the advertainment?

Or will you stand out as a professional who understands what it takes for an ad to be effective?

Will you employ the simple-minded criteria of those seeking mindless entertainment or the real test of ad effectiveness—profitably growing sales and market share?

Let's be clear. The ad is not a winner unless it compels—generating significant incremental sales growth.

But how might we assess if a Super Bowl ad or, for that matter, any ad is a winner until we see the sales results?

I wrote an article for DISPATCHES, "How to Judge a Super Bowl Ad," which I've reposted annually for years, that explains how to do it. (Click here for the article: https://bdn-intl.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=5302&action=edit .)

But the exercise may be too strenuous for even those marketers who believe themselves "professional." It is like playing in the championship game. It takes a lot of deep thinking, analysis, and judgment.

With nearly 60 ads to view during the game, chatter from those joining in on your Super Bowl party, munching on fun foods, and imbibing good cheer, it's a bit much. (Use it to analyze your competitors' advertising.)

So, I'm providing a speed football version that makes it fast and easy to separate the winners from the losers. Ask yourself the following four questions:

1. What's the point of the ad? The point of any ad is the strategic benefit promised to the target customer. If you can't articulate the point, there probably isn't one. Go no further. The ad is a loser and doesn't deserve to be on the field.
2. Is it important to you? If it is relevant to you, then it's important. If not, you might not be the target customer. If you can identify the target customer for whom this message is important, the ad makes a first down. Proceed to the next question, as the ad might score.
3. Is the point different than its competitors? If not, then the promise is generic. Worse yet, customers may interpret it as a message for their current brand of choice, reinforcing their purchasing behavior—a fumble recovered by the opposing team (its competitor). The ad approaches the goal line if the benefit is important and meaningfully differentiated.
4. Does it motivate "you" to buy, prescribe, or use it more frequently? If you can answer "YES" for yourself (or the target customer you've identified for whom you believe the strategic benefit passes the previous three questions), the ad crosses the goal line. It's a winner! (If the ad motivates you to purchase the advertised brand upon viewing the commercial, you can use the first three questions to appreciate and explain why it works for you or others.)

With the speed football version, there are no excuses for not assessing ads professionally instead of using meaningless and misleading metrics.

THINK ABOUT IT:

• So, using the four questions, which Super Bowl LVIII ads do you assess as winners?

MAKE YOUR MARKETING MATTER MORE:

• Show up as a professional.
• Don't get caught up with meaningless criteria such as likeability, entertainment value, funniest, or other such nonsense. Stick with assessing the ad based on its likelihood of growing sales and market share profitably.
• Provide a professional response when queried about which Super Bowl ads are winners.
• Assess your ads and those of your competitors using the speed chess version.
• Take appropriate action based on your (professional) assessment.

Found this post informative or thought-provoking? Follow me at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/richarddczerniawski/ as I share my perspectives from 51 years of successful worldwide brand marketing experience each week.

Commit fewer turnovers with your marketing: The team that commits fewer turnovers tends to win the big games. Please purchase, gift, and read my most recent book, AVOIDING CRITICAL MARKETING ERRORS: How to Go from Dumb to Smart Marketing, to make fewer turnovers and more winning plays. You can learn more and purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/AVOIDING-CRITICAL-MARKETING-ERRORS-Marketing-ebook/dp/B084YXVWFY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YN4B8VC23YWC&keywords=Avoiding+Critical+Marketing+Errors&qid=1675354412&s=digital-text&sprefix=avoiding+critical+marketing+errors%2Cdigital-text%2C78&sr=1-1

Peace and best wishes on your team and advertising winning,

Richard D. Czerniawski