Lowdown: Which Super Bowl Ads Might Actually Sell Stuff?

via AdAge

There's often a difference between Super Bowl ads that are liked and ads that sell stuff, at least according to ratings by two syndicated testing firms. But Doritosappeared to perform well on both fronts. The "Doritos Dogs" ad scored tops both on likeability in Ace Metrix consumer testing and in overall creative effectiveness fromAdvertising Benchmark Index, incorporating what ABX says are metrics proved to correlate with sales -- "awareness, messaging, reputation and call-to-action." Ads from Heinz, TurboTax (Intuit) and Snickers also made both lists.

But there were also big differences between the two lists. ABX gave high marks for effectiveness to benefit-laden ads from Advil, Schick, T-Mobile andAvocados from Mexico. Ace Metrix ranked Colgate's "Save Water" ad No. 3. ABX had it at No. 16. Persil and the razor brands -- Schick and Dollar Shave Club -- fared poorly in likeability measures like USA Today's Ad Meter (ranking 44, 50 and 61 respectively). But the spots did well with ABX, ranking seventh, 11th and 13th respectively and above average for TV ads overall in effectiveness.

Here is a look at the top 10 ads as ranked by Ace Metrix and ABX:

ABX Creative Effectiveness Top 10

1	Doritos	Doritos Dogs
2	Advil	Distant Memory
3	Intuit	Never a Sellout
4	Hyundai Automobiles	First Date
5	Snickers	Marilyn
6	Schick Hydro	Robot
7	Doritos	Ultrasound
8	T-Mobile	Drop the Balls
9	Heinz	Wiener Stampede
10	Avocados from Mexico	#AvosInSpace

Source: ABX

ACE Metrix Likeability Top 10

1	Doritos	Doritos Dogs
2	Honda	A New Truck to Love
3	Colgate	Save Water
4	Heinz	Wiener Stampede
5	Audi	The Commander
6	Coca-Cola	Coke Mini
7	PayPal	There's a New Money in Town
8	TurboTax	Never a Sellout
9	LG	Man From The Future
10	Snickers	Marilyn

Source: ACE Metrix

AstraZeneca's Super Bowl ad about opioid-induced constipation was, uhm, stuck near the bottom of a lot of ad-ranking lists, including USA Today's Ad Meter, which gave the "Envy" spot an unenviable ranking of 60 out of 63. But the ad did get people talking on social media the next day -- a victory for an ad whose goal was to raise awareness. There was 183 times more digital content engagement around "Opioid-Induced Constipation" on Monday compared with Sunday, according to Amobee Brand Intelligence.

But among Super Bowl advertisers, Budweiser ranked No. 1 for total digital content engagement on the day after the game, according to Amobee, which measures activity across mobile, video, web and social.

Super Bowl Ad Next Day Association

Ranking of brands with the most Super Bowl Ad related digital content engagement on February 8, 2016.

1	Budweiser
2	Bud Light
3	Hyundai
4	Mtn Dew
5	Taco Bell
6	Audi
7	T-Mobile
8	Heinz
9	Quicken Loans
10	Doritos

Source: Amobee

While Bud ran two spots in the game, the King of Beers owes much of the digital interest to Peyton Manning, who in post-game interviews said he planned to drink some Bud.

Watch Peyton's shout outs here.

Anheuser-Busch said it had nothing to do with the shout-out, as Ad Age reported in the wake of the game. But that hasn't stopped some people from questioning Mr. Manning's motives, referencing his potential links to an A-B InBev distributor.

Still, details around Mr. Manning's distributor ownership interests remain fuzzy. "As far as we can determine, Peyton or a family member has an ownership stake in at least one A-B distributorship to go along with 21 Papa John's franchises he owns," Beer Marketer's Insights reported on Tuesday. Harry Schuhmacher, editor and publisher of Beer Business Daily, reported Tuesday that "Peyton may own a piece of a distributorship in his home state of Louisiana" and that the quarterback "also spoke at an A-B distributor conference a few years ago." But Mr. Schuhmacher also observed that Mr. Manning talked about the brew in a "seemingly genuine way." Mr. Manning "didn't pull out a Budweiser bottle and model it like a QVC host. It honestly sounded like the man wanted to go home and pound some Bud Diesels with friends and family," he reported.

Meanwhile, Colorado craft brewer Left Hand Brewing Co. sought to steal some of Bud's thunder by offering a free pint of beer at its tasting room on Monday and Tuesday in exchange for an empty can or bottle of Budweiser, the Denver Post reported. "We believe that our quarterback in Colorado deserves better and this craft brew is for you," Left Hand spokeswoman Emily Armstrong told the newspaper.

Brewers Association Care Package to Peyton Manning Credit: craftbeer.com

Seperately, the Brewers Association, which publishes craftbeer.com, sent Mr. Manning a care package of craft brews mostly made in Colorado. "Congratulations to The Sheriff on a game well played and a win well deserved," craftbeer.com stated in a post this week. "And while the feat did indeed earn Mr. Manning the right to kick back with his teammates for a beer or two, the seemingly shameless plug of the world's largest beer company made many in craft beer land confused."

For auto brands, one way to gauge Super Bowl success is to measure web traffic on auto research site Edmunds.com. By that score, Buick's spot by Leo Burnett and the Acura ad by Mullen Lowe did pretty well. Edmunds.com recorded a 661% increase in Acura NSX traffic on its website following the commercial, Edmunds reported. And there was a 532% increase for the Buick Cascada convertible. Jeep, whose "Portraits" ad has been lauded creatively, was among the brands that "did not see a cumulative lift," according to Edmunds.

Esurance opted out of a costly Super Bowl spot this year, instead choosing to promote its savings prowess by airing 30-second commercials before and after the game. The spots, which urged consumers to tweet #EsuranceSweepstakes for a possible win of $1 million, paid off. The brand generated more than 173,000 social actions, primarily in tweets, on Feb. 8 according to iSpot.tv.

Persil's Super Bowl ad message was direct: In testing by "a leading consumer publication" its product beat Procter & Gamble Co.'s Tide, and "every single detergent tested."

Watch Persil's ProClean Big Game Commercial.

But the ad didn't name the publication, and a Henkel spokeswoman didn't respond to phone and e-mail requests for comment by deadline. Consumer Reports this summer did give Persil a victory over Tide, the only such test that can be found via Google. But the magazine also has a policy against using its name or content in ads. A spokeswoman for Consumer Reports declined to comment, but pointed to the policy, which says "consumers should enjoy the full context of our information and not hear about our ratings and reports through the language of salesmanship." Last summer's review said the top Persil and Tide products, priced the same, were equally effective on most stains, but Persil outperformed on blood.

Finally, Lowdown leaves you with one last item that has nothing to do with the Super Bowl, because it really is time to move on:

As part of a rebranding and its new "Where You Want to Be" campaign, high-end hotel brand Paradisus Resorts is launching a series of New York City-based activities in the hopes that chilly urbanites will visit its five resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. From Feb. 12 through Feb. 14, a Paradisus-branded purple truck will offer a mobile beach, including the sand, and photo booth to New Yorkers in Times Square and Union Square. The photo booth will shift into a Valentine's Day theme on Feb. 14. Paradisus, which is owned by Meliá Hotels International, plans to soon expand into Costa Rica and Cabo San Lucas.

Advertisers Make Big Plans for Super Bowl

via USA Today

Whether it's beer, cars or corn chips, the usual suspects are lining up to make the 50th Super Bowl more than a game to remember -- at least when it comes to the ads.

With the Super Bowl now almost two week away, advertisers are starting to give a peek at what they’ve got planned. They have a lot at stake as they prepare to drain their marketing budgets for what is perennially most expensive promotion opportunity of the year. Creative directors are angling to make an impact -- whether it's through a laugh or a pull of the heartstrings.

"It's brand strategy, pure and simple," says Erika Napolitano, a branding consultant for RHW Media in Chicago. "It's emotional, entertaining and most of all -- and more than any other ad buy you make for the year -- it has to have a clear message."

That's because so much is at stake: When the NFL championship airs on CBS on Feb. 7,  advertisers will vie for the attention of an audience that last year had a viewership of 114 million, making it one of the most watched telecasts

ever.

With so many eyes on the small screen, companies are willing to pay millions of dollars for 30 mere seconds of air time.

The average rate for a 30-second Super Bowl ad has risen by 76% during the past decade -- reaching $4.4 million in 2015, according to Kantar Media. It’s the priciest commercial time on TV.

"The demand for the Super Bowl has been extraordinary," CBS CEO Les Moonvessaid during a UBS conference last month, without disclosing specific price tags for this year's ad inventory.  "We've sold most of the spots for very, very high prices."

A wide range of companies have lined up for this year's action. But most haven't revealed their strategy or the actual ad. They are starting to be divulged, and one of the Super Bowl's most familiar advertisers is among the first to reveal some of the spots it has in mind.

Anheuser Busch, the Super Bowl’s exclusive beer sponsor for the 28th straight year, scooped up three and a half minutes of air time to run five ads for four brands:  Bud Light, Budweiser, Shock Top and Michelob Ultra.

“For us this is extremely important because we use the Super Bowl to make statements about our brands, to kick off the year with a vengeance,'' Jorn Socquet, Anheuser Busch’s vice president of marketing, said during a media preview Thursday.

Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales will once again make an appearance.  Michelob ULTRA's 30-second ad will be its first in the Big Game since 2010. Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer will bring plenty of laughs to a “Bud Light Party" in an ad supporting that brand. And Shock Top, an unfiltered wheat beer, will feature comic T.J. Miller as its “unfiltered spokesperson’’  in a spot that will mark its Super Bowl debut.

Watch the Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer teaser here.

Soft drinks and sweet snacks will also be advertised, with as well as healthier fare such as the avocados from Mexico brand.

Skittles and Butterfinger will be in the big game, as well as Mountain Dew's Kickstart beverage.

Skittles'  ad will star rocker Steven Tyler, and marks the first time a celebrity has been part of Skittles’ “Taste the Rainbow’’ ad campaign.

And, as usual, a bevy of car companies will be represented -- more than nine so far. Among the brands planning one spot or more include Acura, Audi, Buick, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mini and Toyota. Some, like Buick, are first timers.

All will be watching closely to see if they get their money's worth.

"The Super Bowl has become the Ad Bowl," Napoletano says. "Ads have become a culture in and of themselves."

Pepsi Abducts the Super Bowl Spotlight With Alien-Inspired Ad Introducing Its Halftime Show - Campaign tallied 54 million views before game even began

via AdWeek

Pepsi's lead-in ad for the Super Bowl's halftime show has an alien abduction theme.

While most brands began activating their Super Bowl campaigns over the past month, Pepsi's Hyped for Halftime plans began last Thanksgiving.

Using the #halftime hashtag, the brand curated conversations around its show with more than 40 pieces of digital content. And, right before Katy Perry's performance, the campaign will culminate in an alien abduction-themed 30-second spot (which was created by agency Mekanism) airing right before the show and paying homage to the supernatural lore of the Southwest.

"For Pepsi, it's really about owning the halftime conversation for months ahead of the 12-minute performance at the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show," said Linda Lagos, digital director for Pepsi.

So far, the 2015 content has garnered more than 54 million views and 1 billion media impressions, Pepsi reports. Eighty-three percent of conversations around #halftime online have been related to its show so far this year, compared to only 1 percent last year, the brand says.

Pepsi also sponsored the 2014 halftime show, but its campaign that year only began in January. For the 2015 performance, the brand started things a few months earlier and tripled the amount of materials it released compared to the previous year.

Content ranged from a commercial featuring Blake Shelton giving a surprise concert on an aircraft carrier for military veterans (see below) to offline activations like a crop circle of the Pepsi logo that is visible when flying over the Phoenix area. Its Super Bowl ad, which was created by the team that produced the film Gravity, features 23 Pepsi logos without mentioning the brand name out loud.