Four Lessons Learned from the 2020 LIV Commercials
A few things stood out during last night’s commercials and I thought I should share my point of view, for better or worse, about what I observed. So without further ado…
I. Abstract Trumps Realism
Why is it that the content creators of big brands believe we prefer abstract art over realism? The majority of last night’s Super Bowl commercials were prevalent in animation and augmented reality? Are they creating commercials for adults or kids, because what I saw looked like their target audience was adolescents.
II. Throwing Celebrities Into A Commercial Does Not Improve The Content.
Why on earth would you throw in a handful of celebrities into your commercials, yet have no discernible storyline or clear CTA in the content? (“Garbage in, garbage out” comes to mind.)
III. 80s and 90s Music and Characters Are Making a Comeback.
I did enjoy seeing Wayne and Garth, as well as hearing the jingle for The Greatest American Hero. This says, people in the age range of 40-50, we’re targeting you! At least we marketers can’t pick up on that one good cue when creating new content for the near future.
IV. The Lousy Lemonade Lesson
Smh. The 2020 crisis metaphor of “when life gives you lemons, make spiked lemonade” was a poor choice. This commercial added insult to injury with the despotic lemons pelting passers by, and the suggestions that we have a drink to get through it is sadly lacking in humor, at best, and poor advice at worst. What we need is a sober stance to overcome our serious issues in our country, not more alcohol or drugs. We need to step up as a society and act like better role models for the kids who are watching us and how we deal with life’s challenges. Having a drink during a sporting event is fine, but that’s not what was conveyed here. I challenge you to do better next time.
There you have it, my comments on what I saw in the super bowl commercials. I hate to sound nostalgic, but the “good ole days” were better than what I saw last night, apart from the FPL commercial – that one, I liked.
John W. Tanner, J.D., M.S. 