The week of the Super Bowl is here, which means we can expect to be flooded with overly expensive and often overdone commercials. It’s no secret that even non-football fans will watch the game just to catch a glimpse of the huge marketing attack.
These are multi-million dollar commercials for brands that already have a foot planted solidly in their market. So what’s the big deal about getting Super Bowl ad time? Basically, it’s just that brand’s way of further cementing their product into the minds of the masses.
But behind all of the marketing blitz and seemingly limitless company budgets, what does it take to craft a successful Super Bowl ad? Most experts agree that there are a few common staples that any good ad needs to address when being pitched to such a wide audience.
Take the frustrations of the consumer into consideration. If you can sympathize with their daily struggles and adapt that into your product and message, you’re on the right track.
Think about consumer emotion, particularly anger and worry. Figure out what makes your target audience overly emotional. Given that this is the Super Bowl, you will want to market to emotions like anger, fear, and worry rather than sorrow. Again, try to create your ad around a sense of empathy towards the problems to get the full effect.
What does your audience desire most of all? Scantily clad women work for more reasons than just eye candy; studies have shown that deep down, the majority of male audiences—particularly the younger portion—will indeed lean towards one particular brand if it promotes sex appeal or strength.
What are some trends your target demographic faces? Be realistic in your ads t generate a sense of identity. This is why you see a lot of successful commercials taking place in an office setting or inside a basic home environment. These are settings that your audience is used to and, therefore, can relate to on a more basic level.
Is another company selling a similar product or idea? If so, ghost them. Find out their strengths and weaknesses and draft your ad to exploit that.
Watch the commercials closely this Sunday and you are guaranteed to find at least three quarters of the commercials working on these premises.
And of course, try to enjoy the game as well.
