With an audience of almost 11 million, the Super Bowl is renowned for being the biggest television event in the world, and as result, is advertising gold.
Personally, I am an avid follower of the NFL, and play defensive end for the Merseyside Nighthawks in my free time. As the only member in the Zircom office who stayed up to watch the game, it was down to me to share my opinion on the Super Bowl adverts of 2015.
Here are my 3 favourites – in no particular order!
Always #LikeAGirl
Similar to the recent inspirational #ThisGirlCan campaign, this Always ad aims to empower females by challenging stereotypical tags. A series of people are asked ‘How does a girl run?’ and ‘How does a girl throw?’ The responses from teenagers and adults in comparison to young girls are quite surprising. According to research by the female hygiene brand, young girls are not aware that the label ‘like a girl’ can be seen as derogatory, especially when it comes to sport. This means the young girls answer with confidence that girls can run and throw just as well as boys.
The Procter & Gamble video actually launched virally on YouTube in June 2014, but a short clip was aired at this year’s Super Bowl. With over 54 million views on YouTube, the ad has sparked conversations on social networks worldwide. This thought-provoking ad and the ongoing campaign to make ‘Like a Girl’ a compliment rather than an insult, makes the ad a hit for me!
Mophie Inc
Mophie Inc which produces smartphone power accessories, made their Super Bowl debut with their 1 minute advert. It can feel like a tragedy when your phone runs out of battery, but has anyone ever wondered what would happen if God’s smartphone was low on battery life?! The advert humorously plays out the answer to that question with this apocalyptic scene in which the world literally seems to be falling apart. The advert features riots, flying cars, fish falling from the sky and even the Earth’s atmosphere leaking into space. The advert ends with the powerful and witty strapline “When your phone dies, God knows what can happen. “What the advert is suggesting of course, is that if only the creator of the universe had a Mophie case, we could avoid Armageddon.
In the grand scheme of things, low battery life is a relatively trivial affair, however I’m sure it’s something all of us can relate to. It is therefore no wonder that the advert has received over 2.2 million views on YouTube.
Budweiser ‘Lost Dog’
If the John Lewis Christmas advert moves you to tears then you may have to give the Budweiser ad a miss…
Following on from last year’s sequel, Budweiser have released another ad featuring the adorable puppy and the Clydesdale horse. The advert again shows the friendship between the two, but this time we follow the puppy’s adventure as it gets lost and tries to find its way home.
The viewers experience a roller-coaster of emotions as the puppy journeys through day and night, and once nearing home, is met by a ferocious wolf until several Clydesdales come to the rescue by breaking free from their stalls and saving the day.
The backing music is a cover of the Proclaimers’ ‘I’m gonna be (500miles)’ which humorously encourages comradery between viewers and the puppy on his long trek home to his friend.
Some have questioned the company’s use of this emotive advertising and the link to the product, however, you can’t argue with 21 million views on YouTube.
