Super Bowl 2020 Campaigns That Took the Internet by Storm

A mix of creative, celebrity-studded, and emotional commercials kicked off the 54th Super Bowl in style. With ad slots priced as high as $5.6 million for 30 seconds, brands have placed their best foot forward for Super Bowl 2020. We looked at some of the best Super Bowl 2020 commercials and handpicked five campaigns that could score a touchdown this year.
 

For Super Bowl 2020, conscious of last year’s ‘fumble’ of TV losing its viewers to mobile, marketers are in full ‘drive’, ready with a better strategy on the ‘spread-offense’. Teasers, fully integrated campaigns, pre-campaign YouTube releases, social presence, digital OOH takeovers, marketers are on their way to score a ‘goal’ by tapping into a myriad of emotions and moods.

The Super Bowl 2020 ad-time slots were sold out Opens a new window in November 2019. to accommodate the demands of longtime sponsors, Fox and the NFL added a “floating” commercial break in January 2020. This time the stakes are higher than ever, “We’re expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 total commercials in Super Bowl 2020,” predicts  AdWeekOpens a new window .

SuperBowl TV ads are still relevant in the age of streaming, “Despite the broader changes in advertising and TV, the Super Bowl is one of the last true mass marketing events. That’s likely why major marketers pony up for the most expensive ad space on TV,” opines Ken Wheaton, FortuneOpens a new window .

Learn More: Super Bowl Marketing 101: Ideas, Strategy, CampaignsOpens a new window

While there are numerous brilliant ads this season, we’ve handpicked five of our favorite Super Bowl 2020 commercials so far. We also breakdown what we liked about them.

1. Amazon’s Before Alexa

Amazon Alexa’s Super Bowl 2020 Commercial #BeforeAlexa

Released on 29 January 2020 during TheEllenShowOpens a new window and created by Droga5Opens a new window

The ad features Ellen DeGeneres and her spouse Portia de Rossi. They are ready to leave the house when Ellen asks Alexa to turn down the thermostat, which leads her to wonder how people lived before Alexa. We then see a make-belief pre-Alexa world of maids, court jesters, friends, and secretaries. The ad has a funny take on how people followed and executed voice commands, while also taking a dig at fake news and President Nixon’s impeachment history.

What we liked:

Amazon brings a humorous unconventional twist to the Super Bowl commercials. From Baldwin’s Bowl PartyOpens a new window , and Alexa Loses Her VoiceOpens a new window , to Life Before Alexa, Amazon has been able to flaunt how Alexa (and Echo) has become a part of our daily lives. The #BeforeAlexa commercial has the right mix of humor and brand confidence that doesn’t shy away from saying that life without Alexa was slow and complicated.

Plus Amazon has been able to bring together what works best for them year after year – jest, exaggeration, and celebrities.

2. It’s a Cheetos Thing by Frito Lays

Cheetos’ Super Bowl 2020 Commercial

Released on 29 January 2020, created by Goodby Silverstein & PartnerOpens a new window

Cheetos has collaborated with MC Hammer for their new popcorn snack campaign. While snacking on Cheetos, the protagonist realizes that he can escape work because of orange Cheetos dust on his finger. He then uses his Cheetos fingers to get out of situations like helping neighbors, holding a baby, and participating in a trust fall exercise. Whenever he escapes a chore, MC Hammer shouts out ‘can’t touch this’.

What we liked:

Snack brands have a substantial representation in Super BowlOpens a new window . Cheetos is making a Super Bowl appearance for the first time after 2009. Frito Lays also conducted an extensive media campaignOpens a new window ‘Ready for Crunchtime’ to get consumers stocked up with snacks. The Cheetos campaign plays up the concept of ‘Cheetle’ the orange cheesy dusty powder that sticks to your finger when you snack on Cheetos.

The audience can relate, which can motivate viewers to stack up Cheetos and use ‘Cheetle’ as a weapon to escape any chores while watching Super Bowl 2020.

3.  Google’s Remind Me About Loretta

Google’s Super Bowl 2020 Commercial

Released on 28 January 2020, created by Google Creative LabOpens a new window

The ad starts with an elderly man searching “How not to forget” on the Google search bar, while he is trying to cope with the loss of his wife. The ad takes you on a journey about the things his wife loved (Alaska and scallops) and hated (his mustache). He shares his wife’s phrases and personal details with the Google Assistant, who promises to remember them and eventually tells him, “Loretta always said, don’t miss me too much and get out of the dang house.”

What we liked:

The advertisement stirs up emotions and gets audiences to shed a tear. Inspired from the real-life story of a Googler’s grandfather, this Google ad weaves a simple love story and technology to convey how Google’s products provide ‘a little help with little things’ in our daily lives.

“The ad reflects our goal to build products that help people in their daily lives, in both big and small ways. Sometimes that’s finding a location, sometimes it’s playing a favorite movie, and sometimes it’s using the Google Assistant to remember meaningful details,” writes Lorraine Twohill, CMO Google, on the Google BlogOpens a new window .

4. Hyundai’s Smaht Pahk

Hyundai’s Super Bowl 2020 Commercial

Released on 28 January 2020, created by InnoceanOpens a new window

Chris Evans and Rachel Dratch watch someone attempt to park their car in a very tight spot and fail. They go on to discuss his “pahk job” in a Boston accent and how “he’s nevah gonna fit that cah in there.” After the driver gives up and leaves, John Krasinski pulls up his 2020 Sonata and says, “look at these troublemakahs.” He then goes on to demonstrate the advantages of Smart Park, Hyundai’s remote smart parking assist feature.

What we liked:

The actors did a great job with the infectious Boston accent. The ad stays authentic to Boston with the accent, Easter eggs, streets of the city, and the weather.

Apart from the new smart parking feature, the ad manages to cut through the noise of many commercials as it captures the essence of Boston and attention to detail to all things Boston. The ad also features David Ortiz, who was dialect coached by DratchOpens a new window for the big game commercial. Viewers will notice the uniqueness, talk about it, copy the accent, making Hyundai popular at the Super Bowl.

5. Reese’s Take 5

Take 5’s Super Bowl 2020 Commercial

Released on 28 January 2020, created By McGarryBowenOpens a new window

This ad begins in an office cubicle where a woman reaches for a Take5 bar. As she starts to eat it, her co-workers are surprised and have “never heard of it.” The woman retorts and asks each of them why they haven’t with “Where’ve you been—under a rock?,” “Were you born yesterday?” and “Were you raised by wolves?”

What we liked:

The ad will be aired in the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Take 5 is a forgotten candy and Hershey’s has wrapped it along with Resse’s family of candies to create awareness. The strategy is ‘the best candy bar you’ve never heard of.’ The commercial acknowledges that people have forgotten about Take 5 and tries to inform them why it is the best bar in a fun nonchalant way.

A Forbes reportOpens a new window quoted Jill Baskin, The Hershey Co.’s CMO, said, “public awareness of the product has been low despite high rankings by candy bar enthusiasts. She said the spot is meant to be a “product demonstration ad” that allows them to “tell someone directly what’s in this bar and why it’s so great-tasting without being boring.”

Learn More: How Small Screens can be a Game Changer for Big BrandsOpens a new window

The Road Ahead

Super Bowl presents an opportunity to reach out to millions of viewers at the same time. Therefore, the pressure to shine among 50 odd commercials, and entertain and engage hardcore football fans is tremendous. With Super Bowl 2020 and beyond we will see more:

1. Integrated campaigns with a TV, social, and mobile strategy
2. Veterans opting for tried and tested Super Bowl marketing strategies
3. Campaigns produced in-house
4. Humor and jest to set the mood of the commercial
5. Emotional moments that will take viewers on a journey

Which Super Bowl 2020 campaigns are the winners for you? Share with us on Twitter,Opens a new window LinkedIn, oOpens a new window n FacebookOpens a new window ; we’re always listening