Superbowl 2016

Every year, millions of viewers tune into the Superbowl to watch a football game, a concert, and perhaps the biggest attraction, the commercials. For those like myself, the commercials are enough to garner interest in watching a game where I don’t even know which two teams will be playing; the annual event outright exemplifies our culture of consumerism. When it comes to advertising, the key is to grab the audience’s attention and somehow convince them that they need the advertised product. Keeping this in mind, advertising is a game of psychology.

Superbowl ads in particular are known for being funny which is why they are so popular. Each ad-maker must make an advertisement that appeals to the audience in an emotional way, such as the wiener dogs running toward the Ketchup family making the viewer laugh, which then creates a positive association with Heinz, both through laughter and images of puppies. Other brands try to sell positive messages in attempt to brand themselves in a better light, such as Budweiser using Helen Mirren as a celebrity endorsement (another marketing strategy) against drunk driving. The positive association then creates trust between the consumer and the brand, so even if the product is not being sold, the brand still is. The idea is to make the viewer form an emotional connection to the brand.

I also thought it was interesting that the Superbowl ads had a legacy to carry on; hashtags and websites dedicated to the ads were created post-game. Ads must be seen a number of times in order for the viewer to even register the commercial. Because the Superbowl is a one-time event, I think it was a clever marketing move to dedicate an entire website to the ads, allowing viewers to not only absorb the message but take notice of the brand.