How These 10 Brands Made The Most of Their $7 Mil Super Bowl Ads

Every February, millions of people tune in to watch the big game. But for us marketers, it’s often the commercials that capture our imagination.

This week on Case Studied™, we are welcoming Jon Dick, a Senior Copywriter at the global advertising agency, McCann, to break down his favorite commercials from Super Bowl LVIII, as well as offer some takeaways that brands can apply to their marketing.

The Brief:

Most people hate advertising. In fact, these days, people even pay money for ad blockers to ensure they avoid any and all ads. During the year, advertising agencies and brands vie for attention from an audience that is increasingly distracted, scattered, and overwhelmed by the pace of news and culture.

But, lucky for us, the Super Bowl is a different beast. It’s the biggest television event of the year, with more than 100-million rapt viewers eagerly waiting for the next commercial to air. 

But how did we get here? We owe it to Steve Jobs 🍎

Back in 1984, the Apple founder teamed up with famed advertising agency Chiat/Day and creative director Lee Clow to create what would become one of the most famous Super Bowl ads of all time: Apple’s 1984. It was even directed by Ridley Scott. The commercial would air once during that year’s Super Bowl, but its impact was massive. It stole the world’s attention and instantly turned the Super Bowl into advertising’s biggest commercial showcase.

Since then, brands have attempted to win the big game. But at what cost? $7 million per media slot to be exact. Then factor in the millions of dollars in agency fees, production costs, celebrity salaries, and PR. Agencies are usually briefed by the brands many months in advance, with creative teams iterating countless ideas to find the one that will win. These days, we see a lot of teasers and buzzy stunts – all of these executions are factored into the plan. It’s a lot of work, but it’s an exciting opportunity for agencies and brands alike.

After all, most people hate advertising, except during the Super Bowl.

The Execution:

10. Kawasaki - Mullets

Analysis: Business in the front, party in the back—the consumer benefit speaks for itself. What better way to symbolize that than with a mullet? Bonus points for delicately balancing the brand’s need to show off the vehicle while also connecting with the consumer through humour.

9. Dunkin’ - Dunkings

Analysis: This is a classic Super Bowl commercial. Multiple celebrities, in-jokes, heavy branding, and kind of wacky. I think the appeal here is to see Ben Affleck - a notoriously serious person - behave in a silly way. There’s no real concept here, so thankfully Matt Damon’s end lines make it less cringy.

8. DoorDash - DoorDash All the Ads

Analysis: This is a great example of a brand trying to hijack the Super Bowl. DoorDash wanted to tout its delivery service by actually delivering all the products consumers would see advertised during the Super Bowl. Interesting tactical concept. But did it need to run on TV for it to work? Feels like it could have just been a social media play.

7. Hellmann’s - Mayo Cat

Analysis: How many times can you say mayo in a mayo commercial in a fresh way without annoying anyone? Hellmann’s got it right. This ad is dumb in the best way. I wonder if it will cause consumers to think of Hellmann’s whenever they look at a cat?

6. Pluto TV - Couch Potatoes

Analysis: Like Kawasaki, Pluto TV found a fresh, unexpected way to serve up a tired cliché. Two things that I liked about this ad: 1. The brand twisted a perceived negative into a positive (i.e. being a couch potato isn’t actually a bad thing). 2. It was weird and different than any of the other ads. 

5. BMW - Talkin Like Walken

Analysis: If you use a celebrity, use them properly. Walken is known for his odd vocal cadence, and BMW used his character trait perfectly. This ad also leaned into a communal truth: we all have tried to do a Walken impression. The only reason this ad isn’t higher is because its connection to BMW is tenuous at best. Not sure consumers are going to remember the brand for this one.

4. M&Ms - Almost Champions

Analysis: I’m a sucker for good ideas. While this isn’t the best Super Bowl commercial in and of itself, as an advertising creative, I was envious of the concept. It leverages a brand asset of the NFL (Super Bowl rings), a human truth about losing (it sucks), and shows how M&Ms can help. Turning M&M’s peanut butter into diamond rings is crazy good.

3. Paramount+ - Mountain of Entertainment

Analysis: This was a bizarre commercial and I loved it. Paramount+ found an interesting way to showcase many of their offerings in one strange but hilarious spot. Again, I think there’s a power in celebrity here. The creative collision of Patrick Stewart and Hey Arnold was perfect.

2. State Farm - Like a Good Neighbaaa

Analysis: Like Mayo Cat, this spot does a terrific job of repeating the brand’s tagline endlessly and hilariously. That’s extremely hard to do. But when you have Arnold Schwarzenegger as your hero, it works. By marrying Arnold’s brand asset - his accent - with the State Farm tagline, you increase equity in both. 

1. Cerave - I Am Cera…Ve

Analysis: Without a doubt the best Super Bowl ad of the year. Michael Cera plus Cerave… the ad wrote itself. The tone was perfect. Outstanding integration of the brand’s product. Hilarious celebrity. And, again, super weird. A magical Super Bowl formula. I also love how the brand and agency teased this into culture prior to the Super Bowl. Paparazzi “caught” Michael Cera holding lots of Cerave bottles a few weeks prior to the Super Bowl. Social media started buzzing and Cera fanned the flames in interviews. Overall, an excellent way to capture the world’s attention.

The Results:

This year’s Super Bowl delivered more than a few eyeballs for advertisers, setting a record for viewers, with 202.4 million people tuning in to watch the big game.

The game was also only the second of 58 Super Bowls to go to Overtime, which for advertisers and TV networks, means more commercial slots available.

While it will be months, if not years, before the true impact of these commercials are realized by brands, advertisers will undoubtedly be happy with the reach of this years game.

The Takeaways:

99.9% of brands will never be able to run a Super Bowl commercial, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lessons to be distilled from this years crop of innovative ads.

If you’re looking to punch up your marketing and take inspiration from the ads shared, here a few of the most important takeaways:

1. Funny is back

It’s been a tough few years for advertising. From politics to covid to inflation, the world has become a lot more serious. And that’s been reflected in the ads we consume and create. It makes sense. But, maybe, just maybe, it’s enough? 

The world needs comedy more than ever. If this year’s Super Bowl ads are any indication, it seems that humour is finally returning to culture. Let’s make sure it stays that way.

2. Creativity isn’t a risk

What are the worst Super Bowl ads? The ones that are boring. The ones that don’t make you feel anything. The ones that you don’t remember. 

Yes, spending millions of dollars on an idea can be scary for a brand. But just take a look at any of the most memorable Super Bowl ads—the most creative usually get the most attention. And, in this TikTok world, attention is a brand’s currency. So, brands have a choice: Either do something expected and fade into oblivion. Or, trust your creative agencies and make something unignorable.

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