How To… Win the Hearts of a Super Bowl Audience

Approching Super Bowl Success.

To be honest, it’s a hard question for me to answer because I’ve technically never really created a real Big Game ad. Our approach with Newcastle Brown Ale was to be the most talked about brand in the Big Game, even though we weren’t in it. But I think that’s probably a good way for anyone to approach creating a Super Bowl Ad. Not actually making a spot forced us to think about everything that went around the spot. It’s the story we built around our nonexistent ad that let us tap into all the pre-Game hype. This is the one time of the year that people actually like talking about commercials. And more and more, it seems like a lot of that talking takes place on social media in the run-up to the game, not just during the game. So the main objective should be how to get people talking about your brand more than the others.

Newcastle Brown Ale, Battle of Bands.

Pressure: Deal with it.

Yeah. It’s a shitload of pressure. With Newcastle’s If We Made It, the fact that we weren’t really making a spot allowed us to fly under the radar a bit and eased some of the pressure. The second year, Band of Brands, was a whole different story however because we were trying to live up to what we’d done the first year. But in both of those cases, it still wasn’t a real Big Game ad. The real deal comes with even more pressure. Half the world is watching so it’s a huge moment for everyone involved. With so many eyeballs, it’s obviously big for the brand and the agency, but also on a personal level as a creative, you know this could be one of the biggest moments in your career. And when they review all the ads, it’s all about the absolute best and absolute worst commercials of the year. It’s very black and white. So yeah, it’s a project with millions of dollars on the line that can make or break your career and everyone will be judging you. No big deal. I guess breathing exercises could help? 

Newcastle Brown Ale, If We Made It.

Eyes on the prize.

While you might only be trying to reach a select group, the reality is pretty much everyone is watching. So you could say everyone is the audience. But we always sort of looked at the media as our audience. Our original goal was to make it into the Today Show’s Super Bowl commercial roundup. It seemed like an ambitious goal to say the least, but we did it. Two years in a row. Again, without really making a Big Game ad.  

The best surprise is the surprise itself.

When you start thinking it does feel like there’s a bit of a formula to making a great Big Game ad. You just need a talking dog or a dancing baby or a celebrity cameo and then end it by hitting whichever one of those you choose in the junk. But I guess the best formula is to just do something surprising.