Memory and the Super Bowl: A Live Blog

When LinkedIn asked me to cover the Super Bowl live, I was thrilled. Not because I love football. To tell you the truth, I had to ask which teams are playing in this year's game. Let me see if I can remember the names of the two teams. Wait, don't tell me. The Seahawks vs. the Broncos? I'm going with the Seahawks because I like their name.

But that's not why I'm watching the Super Bowl. I'm watching it for the ads. I'll be with James Jorasch and Chris Harwood, the principals of a consultancy called Memory Layer that specializes in creating messages with memory in mind. I've been working closely with them for a couple of years now as they've developed their system for rating the memorability of ads. We covered the Super Bowl last year, too (check it out and see how many of these ads you remember)! The three winners last year were Tide's "Miracle Stain," the Mercedes-Benz "Soul" ad and Hyundai's "Stuck" commercial.

Spray tans and zombies

GoDaddy. Maybe I'm getting tired. I mean, We're 3,384 words into this thing and I've been typing the whole time. But I have no idea what the people around me are talking about right now. Spray tans? Bodybuilders? They look like zombies? Chris: Having guys' boobs bouncing is a nice change from the usual. James: Wait, was that Danica McKellar in a fat suit? Not a fat suit. A muscle suit. Chris: Do you mean Danica Patrick? The race car driver, not the girl from Wonder Years.

I need to look up more often.

Wait, hey! It's over! IT'S OVER AND MY TEAM WON! Stay tuned tomorrow for a detailed breakdown....

I don't hate puppies

Budweiser. Chris: I hate it. Melissa: How can you hate puppies? Chris: Budweiser seems to be making a career out of Nicholas Sparks' like commercials involving animals. Last year’s “Brotherhood” ad followed a similar theme with a similar structure. If it works once might as well do it again as people love sequels. The Clydesdales are unmistakably Budweiser so it has good brand connection, just not sure the message is going to sell a lot of beer.

"Wow, Peyton Manning is just like us. He only watches the game for the ads."

T-Mobile's all-text ads are so dull that we couldn't even remember what we just saw. Which is one of the other problems with carting out hot celebrities (see SodaStream, below). You remember them more than the product.

ScarJo

No, that wasn't a commercial for GoDaddy. Without the controversy, who would remember what that commercial was for?

Oikos. Chris: A little sex with humor, some nostalgia. Good brand identification because John Stamos has been doing their commercials for a while. It's so rare that I like one of these commercials that I hope you're writing about it.

It's not *always* good to be bad

Jaguar. Chris: The epitome of a Super Bowl commercial: all flash and little substance. It has the star power in front of and behind the camera but the brand, and much more so the product, is lost in the bright lights. A weird connection to tie your brand to British villains--not so much for the villainy but because they always lose in the end.

What is technology?

Microsoft. Hawking voice, cyber limbs, crying, giving voice to the voiceless, babies being born. Technology does unite us. I love it.

They couldn't afford Sheldon

Hyundai. James: I’m a fan of Big Bang Theory and Johnny Galecki, but I must say this ad is a disaster from a memory standpoint. The viewer’s attention is directed to Galecki and to the explosions that he dodges throughout the spot. Where is the connection to the car? Who is going to remember that it is an Elantra ad? Did they spend 99% of the budget on Galecki and 1% on a script? Let’s try a few simple changes. Galecki’s character is a genius nerd. Why not tap into that memory that is already in the head of the viewers? Have him trying to impress a woman with his detailed knowledge of the engineering intricacies of the car. Or have him in the car with a woman and talking about the engineering and ignoring the woman.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Butterfinger. Chris: Why would you want this guy to be the perverted thing that comes into your brand? Melissa: You just don't like peanut butter and chocolate together so you're biased. James: People didn't like the first version of this commercial because it was too racy. So they toned it down. Chris: He's just trying to steal the wife of peanut butter. Me: Well Peanut Butter does it the same way every time. Chris: From the *brand* side I'm just saying it doesn't make any sense. Let's have the most annoying character in the world represent our brand.

You guys, Miss Piggy dates human men and you think THIS is racy?

Making the best takes conviction. On a related note, I LOVE YOU BOB DYLAN

Chrysler. We will build your car. I love Detroit and I love Bob Dylan, so this is a winner as far as I'm concerned. "Making the best takes conviction. You won’t find a match for the American road and the creatures who live on it." James: There was a Bob Dylan song in the Chobani commercial too. Melissa: Maybe he's having hard times. Chris: I was bored seconds into this commercial. I didn't like it last year when Dodge did the Farmer ad. And it's like the Clint Eastwood ad for Chrysler from two years ago. Everybody loved it. James: What people don't realize is that these cars are largely sub-assembled elsewhere, and final assembly happens here.

We're hugging, Bruce Willis, now what are you selling?

Honda. The power of dreams. Bruce Willis hugging Fred Armisen, because that's what we all dream about.

Budweiser. Keeping with tonight's patriotic theme. Chris: These are good themes, but what does it have to do with Budweiser?

Wait, are we still at war?

Gimme the red key!

Kia. Chris: Missing the zeitgeist by a decade and a half, Kia tries to launch its luxury sedan on the back of a puffy looking Morpheus. The commercial goes from the fairly ridiculous to the unbelievably ridiculous without rhyme or reason dragging Kia along with it. They may want to reintroduce their K900 again in the near future. James: Is this to say hey rich people, you can buy this cheap car because it’s just as luxurious? Chris: It’s the two people who go to valet. Why do they take the red key? Why do they take this weird guy’s offering? James: Bigger problem is who are they addressing? Who is the target market? Chris: The way to target rich people isn’t to have Morpheus singing opera in the back of a car while stuff explodes around them. James: What you want is the people who can’t afford luxury who want to redefine luxury. Chris: They didn't say how expensive the car is. Kia might be introducing a line of luxury cars here. I got the impression like you do that’s a cheaper form of luxury but I don’t know that it is.

My team is winning!

I picked the Seahawks because I love their name and THEY ARE CRUSHING YOU, Broncos! Also, this is the first time I've had enough time to look up between commercials so I just realized that they're winning. That *we* are winning.

Why does a bear want yogurt?

Chobani. James: Sorry, but this just makes no sense. Why does a bear want yogurt? And why would a bear care what went into the yogurt? And why do you want your brand associated with screaming, terrified people? And why use a Bob Dylan soundtrack for a scene of chaos and destruction? This just doesn’t add up.

Stop being so girly

Goldieblox. Did they get permission to use the song this time? James: What were they doing? Launching dolls into space? Chris: It’s a mixed message. Girly stuff. Launching the girly stuff away? James: Why not focus on what girls can do? Me: I love the idea of Toys for Future Innovators. But when I was a kid we played with Lincoln Logs and Legos and they didn’t need to be pink. James: Instead of focusing on ditching dolls, show what girls can do. Chris: It’s patronizing to girls. Here’s what we know you’re doing, playing with dolls. James: It’s not inspirational. It’s just saying don’t be so girly. Well, stop admonishing me. Chris: We know you’re being girl, just stop. Instead, how about we know what you’re interested in. Engineering. Here’s what an engineer does.

Audi. Dog with a giant head. Chris: Seemingly copying the idea from Ford’s “And is better” campaign, the Doberhuahua is a memorable and funny commercial. But it is memorable for its content and guest appearance by Sarah McLochlan, not for the brand it is trying to sell. The car may be luxury without compromise but this commercial compromises on getting the content remembered but not the brand. People will remember the dog with the giant head, not the car.

Scientology

I stopped to eat fish tacos and somebody said something about science, religion and spiritual technology?

HALF TIME

When I agreed to live blog the commercials during the Super Bowl, I erroneously imagined that the football game segments would take longer than the commercials but I was wrong. Oh, was I wrong.

Bruno Mars. The kids love him. But he's not Prince. It must be said.

That time when I learned that the cheaper prices for the bathroom break commercials result in things Cure.com. Chris: Is this 2000-era CGI for a depression pill? Insurance? What was that? James: Is this some kind of phishing site?

A musical joyride in the desert

Toyota Highlander Muppet Commercial. Chris: Terry Crews and the Muppets both seem to be wasted a bit in this musical “joyride” from the desert to… bingo. We learn nothing about the Highlander here so what the message is supposed to be is a little cloudy, unless they want us to think of a high Terry Crews along with the Highlander.

Everybody loves Coke

Coca-Cola. America in different languages. Chris: I get what they’re going for. America made up of lots of different people and they all enjoy a good Coca-Cola. It got my attention when it switched languages. But after that I was kind of confused until the end. It was just people doing stuff while singing America the Beautiful. Patriotism seems to be the theme of this year’s commercials.

Colbert turns into a pistachio

Volkswagen: A German engineer gets his wings. Chris: Clever, cute, lighthearted. A Volkswagen styling. James: They went after one concept: a hundred thousand miles. And they went for it. That’s memorable.

Colbert Pistachios. The green is memorable. They’ll sell themselves. Colbert’s head turning into a pistachio. Chris: the first one was underwhelming but now we know why. James: it was like a pistachio itself, a commercial, then something in between, then another commercial. Clever.

Beckham in H&M underwear. Some of you might find that memorable. Chris: We need an excuse to get David Beckham as naked as possible. Let's get him running around naked....

Spiderman II: Eh. Meh.

CARMAX: Slow clap. What is it?

Geico: Pig. Digital insurance ID cards. What’s memorable about the gecko is that it sounds like Geico. Chris: The first commercial the pig was in made sense. But now they use the pig like a mascot. A very forgettable commercial. He’s at the DMV. Okay great. James: I’ve forgotten already.

Peanut M&Ms: Chop you into pieces and sprinkle you into a bowl of ice cream. Me: I’ve never been a fan of the personified M&M. James: If you don’t know he’s been kidnapped… Chris: Even if you know he’s been kidnapped… Me: Kidnapped? It’s an M&M.

Bud Light: Chris: Recloseable isn’t a word. Me: Doesn’t someone drink a beer in one sitting? Who seals their beer up for later?

T-Mobile: Chris: Since Tebow isn’t playing in the NFL anymore he’s got to make money somehow. I got a couple of chuckles out of it. Me: Selfies with Bigfoot. World Peace, astronauts. What are they selling?

WeatherTech: Proudly made in America with American raw materials, hiring in the US. Chris: It doesn’t tell you anything about the product. It’s not memorable. Me: What is WeatherTech? Chris: Floor mats. Me: Oh. James: it claims high quality but provides no evidence.

Piggybacking on a great cause to move product

Chevy. What was that? Chris: Great cause. James: Great cause that has nothing to do with trucks. Chris: Piggybacking on a great cause is manipulative. It’s almost insulting.

GoDaddy: She just quit her job. John Turturro. Did she quit her job? No. James: Why bring in a celebrity to distract from a person quitting in front of 100 million people. Me: I’m pretty sure that wasn’t a real person quitting. Chris: It infuriates me that they think I should care. James: Is there something about her story that makes me think I should care? Chris: Puppet girl quit. Great, thanks. You just wasted millions of dollars.

Cosmos. Love it. Perfect. For reasons that go well beyond the scope of this post.

Cheerios, "Gracie." James: The little girl steals the show in this simple but powerful ad for Cheerios. How can you not love that face? From a memory perspective, the ad employs a powerful technique for getting the viewer to focus on the product. The Cheerios themselves are used to count family members, and to heighten the drama of the additions to the family. So the viewer naturally focuses on the counting which helps the brain retain the product. As an added bonus, the brand is shown several times and in the environment where they are consumed.

RadioShack. Dee Snider and Chuckie ransacked the store. Chris: I like it. It was interesting. People have a perception that it’s an old fashioned store and they’re reinventing themselves. James: I liked it. It got me thinking, what do they have in their stores now?

Dad's Sixth Sense

Oh, hi Bono. Is this the half-time show? I hope it is because the commercial breaks are happening so fast that I can’t keep up. Bank of America? What? What just happened?

Hyundai: BEST COMMERCIAL EVER, “Dad’s Sixth Sense.” Chris: A story that is well entangled with what they’re selling: auto brakes. James: I love this ad for so many reasons. It relates a coherent story in just 30 seconds of a boy being saved from injury by his father, with the final scene showing the car saving him instead with an automatic braking system. The music fits perfectly with the theme, and the ad taps into our memories of being protected by our parents. The subtle implication is that even when they are not there to save you the car can save you instead. And the ad tells the story without any words at all. Brilliant! The only downside? I worry whether or not the viewer will remember the brand name of the car. Still, they will remember the automatic braking and can search or ask for that.

Table tennis chaos

Bud Light: Table tennis. Arnold in a wig. Bud Light, the perfect beer for whatever happens. Including being totally confused by a commercial. James: It’s chaos. Chris: That was their idea. Are they getting people to think, hey, this could happen to you? Me: I hope that never happens to me.

Beats: Ellen. A girl hungry for the perfect music to dance to. Beats. Bears and furries. Hit play baby. James: It’s a clever tie-back that links back. to “just right,” with Goldilocks and the bears. Me: Those were bears? I thought it was a party with Furries. But okay.

Watch a girl you love dance with someone else

TurboTax: Sit and watch a guy dance with the girl you love for four hours, like watching someone else's team play football, and then do your taxes. James: I like it. Demonstrated the pain of watching someone else succeeding and saying you can succeed too. Chris: Funny and topical but I don’t see how it’s tied to taxes. To me that commercial is like, it’s funny, but get some money back. It’s funny. Eh, it’s okay. It’s good.

AdWeek agrees.

Time machine

Doritos Time Machine was a winner! Jimmy, you’re so old. It’s the future! Chris: I love it.

Chevy Silverado: A man and his truck and a very eligible bachelor. Chris: I don’t know why they want to associate themselves with cow sex which is essentially what this turns into. Chevy Silverado is cow sex. Man and their love of animals has a creepy vibe.

If you get Reggie Watts, don't waste him

Kickstart Your Night

First up we had Russell Crowe and, what is that? A murmuration of starlings? I had no idea what I was looking at. Oh, Noah. Okay. If you're into that kind of thing, it looked pretty good. And the New Girl ad with Prince, I'll personally remember that one because of Prince's halftime performance a few years ago.

But what did James and Chris think of the other commercials?

Chris: Mountain Dew was the best of the bunch, but that’s not saying too much. James: Mountain Dew Kickstart? Chris: They showed the brand a few times. The tagline tied to the brand pretty well. Kickstart your night.

James: I’m lovin’ it was cute. Me: I had no idea what I was looking at. I thought the game started again but it was a commercial. James: It wasn’t tied to McDonald’s. Chris: Funny but not tied to the brand. James: The brand tie wasn’t strong enough.

Chris: It’s weird for T-Mobile to show a commercial about how fast their network is with a bunch of simple graphics.

James: Nothing really grabbed me.

Then 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid: Double the fuel economy was on. Chris: A commercial for a commercial. Two in a row where they tell you you’re not watching ordinary commercials.

Oh. There's James Franco. Winking, natch. Double the length, double the awesomeness. To make the point that the Fusion has double the fuel economy of the average vehicle. And to make history. James: points for being novel. Chris: Repetition helps. Similar visuals but heightened. It gets across the point it’s trying to make.

Image Source