Interruption Marketing We Love!
Turns out, there really are millions of viewers who tune into the Super Bowl for the ad’s. Blame it on Steve Job’s wildly famous 1984 advertisement, but the commercial messages in between power plays have developed a cult following. Even Gary Vaynerchuk has stated that the Super Bowl ads hardly count as interruption marketing. You won’t lose a bit of inbound marketing cred if you tune in just to see how big brands are outdoing each other this year.
Forbes estimates that the average cost of a 30-second spot this year will run companies like Samsung, Old Spice and Taco Bell around $4 million. Fortunately, we’ve rounded up the key points so you can power up your inbound marketing strategy at a tiny percentage of that cost-per-lead:
Oreo: Whisper Fight
Why it’s Awesome:
I don’t know about you, but my Facebook news feed exploded with statuses and links to the Oreo commercial on YouTube as soon as it aired. It’s just plain funny in a way that appeals to almost everyone. Oreo has previously gained a reputation as a brand that’s not afraid of controversy in marketing, but one of this ad’s most-redeeming qualities is the fact that it’s humorous without being a bit offensive. Humor is notoriously tough for brands to hack, but Nabisco managed with their whispery library brawl. It was one of the few ads that wasn’t released in advance of the big game, but it turns out that it was well-worth the wait.
Taco Bell: Viva Young
Why it’s Great Marketing:
Taco Bell wins instant points for taking a very inbound marketing approach to their Super Bowl advertising. It wasn’t kept in the dark, and the brand released it on YouTube 6 days before the Super Bowl, racking up nearly 600,000 views before kickoff. There’s undisputable YouTube SEO benefits to this decision, especially considering the weight their search engine’s latest algorithm places on both number and length of view. We’ll see how search results for “Super Bowl 2013 Commercial” shake out in the days to come, but I suspect Taco Bell will benefit in the long run. Additionally, it meant Taco Bell’s efforts were discussed in-detail in pre-game newsjacking of Super Bowl advertising.
Finally, it’s a sharp effort on this brand’s part to portray their brand how they want to. According to Charles R. Taylor, Professor of Business at Villanova University, it’s a not-so-subtle progression of Taco Bell’s mission to reach people that aren’t the stereotypical fast food consumer. If 87 year-old Bernie Goldblatt and his pals can “live mas,” why can’t you?
Old Spice: Irresistible
Why We Love It:
Does Old Spice ever do terrible marketing? The brand has found what really works for them and their audience, which is over-the-top vignettes of manliness and women who just can’t resist an Old Spice man. Their Super Bowl ad is no exception, and the image of a gorgeous, classic car driving through a glass window is just plain hilarious. Old Spice also hit on some very inbound marketing brilliance by releasing this spot several days in advance to YouTube, though the ad is only scheduled to air in Juneau, Alaska. From what we can tell, it seems like they did a pretty effective job of building hype and generating hundreds of thousands of views at a much lower cost. Old Spice scored a major touch down for this Bond-esque effort, and even more points for making their new line of products seem so irresistible.
We’ve got to hear your feedback! What do you think are the best ads of Super Bowl XLVII?
image credit: this paris review 