Thursday, February 2, 2012

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Why Ad Frenzy Is Over-Hyped

With Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, the overrated commercials that try to captivate us every year are almost here. 

While the ads may be clever, there is no way that they are worth what is spent on them.

According to Chris Smith of Forbes, Volkswagen spent $3.5 million for a 30-second advertisement in Super Bowl XLVI.

Think about every Super Bowl party you've ever been to. If you're anything like me, you've been to plenty where people aren't necessarily paying full attention to the game. Still, they decide to wait until commercials to go to the bathroom, get some food or refill their drinks. 

It doesn't happen during the game. Even people not paying attention to the game are still not leaving the room until a commercial. Also, if they're not paying attention to the game, then they don't even know when commercials happen. 

But let's go a step further. Imagine you're a person glued to the television. You watch the full game and every commercial. Think about how many commercials you are watching.

By the time the game is over, they all blend together. Even if one stands out, it's hard to remember what product was being sold. There are just too many of them. Companies aren't spending that kind of money so they can blend in with the rest, yet that's exactly what happens.

Really, the majority don't make selling the product a focus either. No, they try to find ways to make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings or fill it with beautiful people. That is well and good, but it doesn't really make the product the focal point. 

Don't get me wrong, these commercials are funny, but they fail to stand out and sell the product, at least in terms of knowing what I am being sold.

The ideal goal for a commercial is to make it punch enough so when the audience needs to buy the product, they think about the company and only that company. How many people have ever done that because of a Super Bowl commercial? I haven't, nor do I know of anyone that has. 

It doesn't work that way. So, we can sit back and enjoy the commercials, especially if the game isn't a great one. But none of the commercials will get the consumer out rushing to the store. If the audience even watches the commercials, they all blend in. 

 

Photo courtesy of businessweek.com.

 

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