Marion’s Super Bowl Buzz: Part II

Well, the Super Bowl is over now, and the Giants upset the Patriots. It was a close game. Millions of people watched, and millions were disappointed. Not in the game, but in the advertising.

Many of the ads this year were memorable: Naomi Campbell dancing with lizards to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Richard Simmons almost getting run over, a baby stock-broker renting a creepy clown, the Audi “Godfather” ad, Carmen Electra’s meet and greet gum commercial, and Will Ferrell’s ad for Bud Light. But though the ads may be memorable, they left many people wondering what they were all about. What do dancing lizards and Naomi Campbell have to do with SoBe Life Water? And by the way, what is SoBe Life Water? Makes you wonder…

An unclear message in an advertisement (like a commercial) usually goes back to branding. A product must have a clear branding statement or position and then carry that out to every point of contact with the consumer. Points of contact include technical support, customer service, and yes, advertising. With a product such as SoBe Life Water, something that many of us haven’t even heard of, an effective TV ad should convey what the product is and state the main benefits to the consumer.

The catch with TV advertising, is that it’s not always that cut and dry. With commercials, you have to add some level of entertainment while you educate the consumer on your product, and that is where the creativity comes in—you can state benefits to the customer without spelling them out in black and white.

Let’s look at the first Bridgestone commercial that was aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII.


A little squirrel runs into the road, right in front of a speeding car. The squirrel screams, the driver’s wife screams, and then a whole chain of screaming forest animals is set into motion. At the last minute, the driver is able to swerve and not hit the squirrel. The screaming stops. Cute ad-- It’s funny, out of the ordinary, and memorable. You also get the point. Bridgestone tires give you added stability and handling at high speeds, so that if you were in a situation to determine the fate of a squirrel, you can swerve SAFELY and spare the squirrel his life. You know the product being sold is Bridgestone tires, and you know the benefit of the tires. In this case, Bridgestone did a great job of maintaining their brand position in their TV Ad (a point of contact with the consumer).

Having a clear and defined brand is important no matter what company you are or what product (or service) you are selling. Though humor and wittiness may make an ad more memorable, it does not sell the product if your consumer is left wondering what your product even is.

Branding is the core of marketing. If you have a weak core, then the things (points of contact) stemming from that (advertising, tech. support, etc) will have an unclear message and not strengthen your product and your company image.