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A Super Bowl ad gives you access to 100 million viewers. There’s no other event in this country that can deliver an audience of this magnitude. However, it will cost you – up to $7MM for a 30-second spot, to be precise.

Needless to say, you need to make it count. Incorporating celebrities is one way to ensure stickiness. After all, most rate the Super Bowl ads purely on their entertainment value. But without true insight and a solid strategy, the ad may fall flat without delivering the expected uptick in sales. Too often, advertisers are so focused on the “wow factor” that insight and strategy are overlooked or ignored. 

Below are a few ads that had people talking and our take on them.  

Coinbase: Insight ? Engaging ✔ Clear ✖ Strategy ✖

While Bitcoin is gaining legitimacy, it remains a vehicle for risk-takers. Perhaps this is why the cryptocurrency ad was so brilliant. With its unbranded, floating, multi-colored QR code, the ad was daring and bold, which attracted people who were curious, willing to take a gamble and scan a code from an unknown source.

With 20MM people scanning the code in just one minute, the $14MM one-minute ad (along with their $15 free bitcoin offer) sent their app from #186 on Apple’s app store to #2, according to crypto news website The Block. Who needs strategy with a gimmick like that?

Amazon Alexa: Insight ✔ Engaging ✔ Clear ✔ Strategy ✖

Everyone is talking about Amazon Alexa’s “Minder Readers” Super Bowl Ad, featuring Scarlet Johansson and Colin Jost – that alone is a win. As of this writing, it has already gotten 65MM views on YouTube.

The tension in the ad is around the insight or belief that Alexa is always watching and listening. Perfect. It makes for a very sticky ad because it rings so true. Unfortunately, the brand doesn’t resolve the tension very well. There is a quick reassurance that Alexa isn’t really listening but it’s so quiet, we’re not sure if we believe it. I’m leaving my Alexa unplugged for now – too creepy.

There were quite a few ads that got it right, though.

Uber Eats: Insight ✔Engaging ✔ Clear ? Strategy ✔

Jennifer Coolidge and Gwyneth Paltrow deliver a hilarious performance while still deftly communicating the benefit that Uber Eats also delivers Uber Don’t Eats, or non-food items. The inclination to eat as you unpack your groceries is real! We loved this ad when we first saw it while sitting in my office, but the crowd where we were watching the SuperBowl couldn’t hear a word and thus, didn’t get it.

A great reminder that ads should work with and without words. The teaser ads were seen by a few million people on YouTube but did not include the product benefit. Why put all of those marketing dollars towards awareness? Without moving people into consideration? We would consider that a waste of money.

Carvana: Insight ✔Engaging ✔ Clear ✔ Strategy ✔

This ad addressed every major fear you would face when buying a car online, and it did so in an engaging way. Unfortunately, there may be a credibility issue given poor user experiences being posted online. Although the positioning is great, the brand may not live up to the promise.

Planters: Insight ✔ Engaging ✔ Clear ✔ Strategy ✔

If you’re a fan of the TV series “Community”, this ad probably speaks to you. Starring Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, the two comedic actors were used to communicate the finer qualities of mixed nuts. Kudos to the marketing team who clearly built a full campaign around the spot with voting, etc., garnering up to 7.1 MM votes as of this writing.

There were also some ads that were highly engaging but had a few missteps. 

Sam’s Club: Insight ✖

You don’t use the Scan & Go app to feel like a VIP while you’re shopping; you use it to save time and avoid the hassle of checking out. There are better setups that could have happened, still involving Kevin Hart, to communicate this truth. 

SalesForce: Strategy ✖

What? This felt like Marc Benioff giving the finger to Jeff Bezos and Brandon, who have gone to space but also confirmed our assessment that the SalesForce Tech was stuck in the dark ages. Glad to have switched to a competitor!

Hellman’s: Clarity ✖

Most people do have an aversion to food waste, but what is Hellman’s going to do about that? The brand should make it clear. For example, “Hellman’s turns leftovers into amazing-tasting meals”, then add more of a focus on the benefit of better-tasting meals and less on tackling waste.

That wraps up our thoughts on this year’s Super Bowl ads. For the most part, we did not include corporate ads, their purpose is to drive goodwill and therefore, make it harder to measure success. Overall, there were a lot of really excellent and entertaining ads out there – well done, everyone!

Interested in working with RedSky Strategy to shift your perspective and marketing strategies? Our team looks forward to meeting with you and uncovering how we can use HumanSight™ to illuminate the best pathway to growth for your company. 

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