BY MARK FITZGERALD
The Super Bowl has come and gone and, for some, that means absolutely nothing except that they’ve just seen a whole bunch of commercials that are more elaborate than usual.
The hype of Super Bowl ads has become so big that there are people who care more about the commercials than the game itself. We couldn’t care less about watching sweaty men push and shove each other for four hours until one team is declared the best pusher and/or shover. It’s all about the commercials.
Why can’t companies put this much effort into all of their ads?
Today’s 30-second clips are more about being entertained than being brainwashed into buying products. If you haven’t already become a fan of Doritos, one commercial with a man playing tea party with his daughter and dancing in a dress eating Doritos isn’t going to sway your mind.
Super Bowl commercials are some of the most expensive ads of all time so it only makes sense that they must be elaborate, funny and fantastic, right? But companies should strive to put out the best commercials possible year-round.
We don’t need to see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson walk through the apocalypse just to grab some milk to let me know that milk is good for us. What a waste of money. It just shows a lack of creativity on behalf of the writing staff, if there even was one.
Many companies believe that having celebrities endorse their product is the only way to go. It puts a face that people recognize on their brand. But, this seems like an outdated way of thinking. Most people who watch television are not going to go out and buy the new Samsung phone or tablet just because Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd and LeBron James were in the commercial. On the otherhand, maybe we’re just oblivious to the idea that some people are sheep.
It isn’t about how extravagant a commercial is that gets our attention. It’s purely about the thought that goes into it. Clever writing trumps razzle-dazzle every time. For example, the diamond Shreddies ads a few years ago were amazing. It was so simple, but brilliant.
The point is that if companies are willing to go all out with their ads for their 30 seconds in the spotlight during the Super Bowl, wouldn’t it be more meaningful if they did that all the time? If their commercials were successful throughout the year, then they wouldn’t have to drop a ludicrous amount of money to try and entice us to buy Coca-Cola and Blackberry Z10s in their Super Bowl ads.
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