My Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials for 2011

I know the Super Bowl XLV is over since more than a full week and most of you must have been thinking in the last few days about the Valentine’s day or the Arcade Fire Grammy Award instead! I spent the last week grading some MBA projects so I was on a grading/rating mode and this is why I decided that selecting and rating the best Super Bowl commercials of 2011 could be a great idea for a post. So let’s get back to February 6th 2011, the day I was one of the lucky Canadians to be exposed to Super Bowl local commercials, which means that instead of watching the super commercials, I had the opportunity to see commercials from the FTQ, TD Bank and BMO, which were correct, as well as the ultra-silly CTV commercials on FOX of programs such as Flashpoint and The Listener. As listed by Adage, there have been 53 different commercials during the Superbowl XLV.

Super Bowl XLV Logo
Super Bowl XLV Logo

After having watched each of these 53 commercials, even the Groupon advertising related to Tibet, my top 10 of these commercials is based on ratings related to four components: (1) buzz potential, (2) originality, (3) brand awareness pumper, and (4) call-to-action; the first two components being related more to the emotional appeal while the last two are more related to rational appeal. Here are the definitions associated to each of the four components, as well as an “overall” component.

“Buzz potential” (BUZ) – Potential of the commercial to be shared across the Internet.
“Originality” (ORI) – Broadly answering how original is this commercial?
“Brand Awareness Pumper” (BAP) – How much it makes you “additionally” aware of the product?
“Call-to-action” (CTA) – How it influences you to know more about the product or to buy it?
“Overall” (OVR) – Summation of the four components score on 40.

So here is my top 10 from 10 to 1 as well as my ratings and my 2 cents about each of these commercials. Enjoy!

10 – BMW – Defying Logic

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 5
ORI – 5
BAP – 10
CTA – 9
OVR – 29

My 2 cents: One of many Super Bowl commercials related to the car industry. It is a great commercial in terms of the rational appeal with a solid call-to-action. However, it has relatively low potential for buzz. Furthermore, the main storyline is brilliant, especially to counter-attack the reviving American pride movement in the car industry.

9 – Cars.com – Go First

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 9
ORI – 7
BAP – 6
CTA – 8
OVR – 30

My 2 cents: A funny video with important buzz upside. However, even though the call-to-action is well-presented at the end, the product advertised is only identifiable at the end.

8 – Career Builder – Parking Lot

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 7
ORI – 8
BAP – 7
CTA – 8
OVR – 30

My 2 cents: As a follow-up to last year commercial, Career Builder proposed a great metaphor, “being stuck in a dead-end in an organization”. The metaphor is well-implemented, but maybe too much second degree for some customers drinking beer during the Super Bowl.

7 – Bud Light – Hack Job

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 8
ORI – 8
BAP – 7
CTA – 9
OVR – 32

My 2 cents: My favorite Budweiser-related commercial. It is a great parody of the house makeover shows accompanied by a great call-to-action to the Bud Light product.

6 – Pepsi Max – Love Hurts

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 9
ORI – 8
BAP – 8
CTA – 8
OVR – 33

My 2 cents: The best Pepsi Max commercial of the Super Bowl, it is childish and reminds me of The Simpson’s Ball in the nuts episode but it works well.

5 – Bridgestone – Carma

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 7
ORI – 8
BAP – 9
CTA – 9
OVR – 33

My 2 cents: A simple but intelligent commercial, targeted mainly to women or boys who like sweet animals.

4 – Chevy – Status

Length: 30 seconds

BUZ – 9
ORI – 6
BAP – 10
CTA – 8
OVR – 33

My 2 cents: Sweet mix of romance and technology related to Facebook news update. Plugging a new Chevy feature in a cheesy story near Valentine’s day, what a shot!

3 – Chrysler – Born of Fire

Length: 120 seconds

BUZ – 6
ORI – 9
BAP – 10
CTA – 10
OVR – 35

My 2 cents: The longest commercial of the Super Bowl but also one of the clearest in terms of the message. The portray of both Detroit and the Chrysler 200 build with hard work and local pride embellished with the tagline “Imported from Detroit” is a slap in the face to the BMW commercial as seen on position #10.

2 – Volkswagen – The Force

Length: 60 seconds

BUZ – 10
ORI – 8
BAP – 9
CTA – 9
OVR – 36

My 2 cents: Voted by many as the best commercial of the Super Bowl, both simple and original at the same time.

1 – Motorola – Empower the People

Length: 60 seconds

BUZ – 8
ORI – 8
BAP – 10
CTA – 10
OVR – 36

My 2 cents: Based on George Orwell book entitled “1984” metaphor, this commercial is both a critique of Apple, as well as a “grand coup” to advertise the highly-anticipated Motorola Xoom tablet.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Super Bowl XLV hasn’t been a great year in terms of Superbowl commercials, but each of these top 10 commercials has a least a “little something” to either make you smile or to make you think about your customer consideration set. So which one of these Super Bowl XLV commercials is your favorite? And why? Hope you enjoyed it!

Have fun!

Jean-Francois Belisle

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Budweiser Super Bowl Commercials and Bad Drivers

About 10 days ago, it was Saturday January 22nd (generally you remember those dates), my girlfriend and I were driving en route for a beautiful snowshoe trip. Few minutes before arriving to our destination, a driver completely burned a red light at an intersection and drove right into the front left wheel of my girlfriend’s car. The result was a 70-kilometers-difference accident. Few moments later, the car was wrecked, but most importantly we were miraculously OK, surrounded by Police officers, Firefighters and the emergency ambulance squad. I didn’t took pictures of the accident, I was too occupied living the moment and tried to help everyone implied in the accident, even the other driver who ran into us. Was this guy on alcohol (supposedly no!), was he on drugs/medication (it mainly looks like, since he first refused to go to Hospital after the accident, but I couldn’t confirm). Hours later, I was getting back to normal, and like in the cult movie The Big Lebowski, I simply wanted to yell at the other driver the F-word. Is that reaction noble-minded? No! Should it be? You decide!

Budweiser Ads during Super Bowl

So what is the link of my car accident with Budweiser Super Bowl Ads? Not a lot, except that it creates a awkward contrast and that Super Bowl XLV is this Sunday February 6th 2011 and I need to be alive to enjoy these commercials and continue blogging. Moreover, I don’t understand why from a ROI perspective Amheuser-Busch, the company behind Budweiser, should buy five spots during the Super Bowl (three 30-second Bud Light spots; a 60-second Bud spot and a 60-second ad for its import, Stella Artois, for more on the topic, you can read this USA Today article on Super Bowl ads, and see a “sneak” of the Budweiser Super Bowl XLV 2011 ads below)? Here is my take in three points explaining why 5 spots are too much and why 2 or 3 spots may be more optimal!

1. Awareness is already topped

Most people watching Super Bowl associate the event with Budweiser ads anyway! One ad for the Stella Artois and one for the Bud Light lime or a more girlish beer would be enough, especially if there is a link to the Budweiser website at the end of the ad, where other cool ads not shown during Super Bowl can be found. Also, it would create more scarcity and make these ads even more special.

Furthermore, awareness for the Budweiser classic beer is already topped for most people, if you like it, you consumer it, if you hate it, you don’t consume it, but most importantly, you already know it. Personally, I always enjoy these ads, but last time I tasted a Budweiser beer, my reaction was that it tasted like “s**t”, and I guess I’m not the only one. On the other side, awareness for the Stella Artois and the Bud Light lime could still be improved, this is why I would keep these spots.

2. Buzz can be easily generated

Completely abandoning Super Bowl ads for Budweiser may not be the best idea, however, at the end of each spot, referring people to the Budweiser website would be a great idea. The buzz would be easier to create than for any other ad seen on TV this year.

The Budweiser horses are back this year for Superbowl XLV
The Budweiser horses are back this year for Superbowl XLV

3. Putting money elsewhere – Diversification maybe the solution

Saving money from a 3 million dollars 30-second spot may leave money for other activities. Diversification in packaging, diversification in flavors, even though the classic Budweiser is a best seller, it’s a topped bestseller. Investing more money in R&D and diversification would be a better idea than on these ads. For more on successful product diversification, I propose to enjoy the classic TED presentation (see video below) of Malcolm Gladwell discussing the Howard R. Moskowitz diversification strategies in the food industry with a special focus on spaghetti sauce.

Conclusion

Some might say the savings in millions of my humble propositions are nothing for a company like Anheuser Busch? My argument on this one, is that any money saved and better invested is great for the company. In conclusion, Budweiser Super Bowl ads are always nice to watch anyway. A great beer is still part of a great party. However, responsibility is also part of a great party. To relate to my first portion of this post, don’t drive if you drink too much, enjoy life and enjoy the Super Bowl XLV!

Cheers,

Jean-Francois Belisle

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The “Mr and Mrs Incredible” Disneyland Paris Campaign – My Two Cents

In this holiday season, the year is almost over and most of us are running like crazy to wrap up our work in time and to buy some gifts for our siblings and friends. Last week, the buzzword that stuck to my head was “Groupon” which finally landed to Montreal. In the meantime, I ate a bad meal at a restaurant I went because of a Tuango ticket I bought two months ago on an impulsive buying move (damn marketers!). Therefore, I won’t discuss about Groupon since you should already be fed up with that news! Instead, I decided to give you my two cents, as Kent Brockman would say, about a marketing campaign that has landed in Europe earlier this year, that is to say, the “Mr and Mrs Incredible” Disneyland Paris campaign. So let’s jump feet first.

The situation

It is a well-documented fact that Disneyland Paris has had financial difficulties since its creation in 1992, due to unclear managerial objectives, strategies and goals, a questionable location and a ferocious nearby indirect competition. However, at the beginning of July 2010, Disneyland Paris decided to launch a marketing campaign that caught my attention, but unfortunately it caught my attention after I went to Paris in June 2010.

The campaign’s idea

As part of the Disneyland Paris 2010 campaign, multiple emails where sent to influential bloggers that may help to spread the word that Disneyland Paris is changing. Here is the message that was sent to some of my fellow bloggers in the United Kingdom (UK):

“Mr and Mrs Incredible will be landing in your Facebook Page to celebrate the New Generation Festival in Disneyland Paris. Even worse: they kiss at the end. In front of all your friends.

Go to www.theyarelanding.co.uk, choose your favorite characters and make them land in your Facebook page, for the best and mostly for the worst. This is gonna be rough!”

The micro-website for the Disneyland Paris campaign
The micro-website for the Disneyland Paris campaign

The micro-website for this campaign offers you to make one of three groups of characters land to your Facebook account in an unconventional way, and in one of four languages (French, English, Italian and Spanish). However, I must admit that the selected URL for the campaign is not really a good choice, but it could have been worse for sure compared to some micro-website URLs I can observe at metro stations every morning. Furthermore, the creative usage of Facebook connect (see the video below) is hitting you right in the face whatever your nationality is. Furthermore, aside from the creative aspect of this campaign there are multiple points of discussion concerning the positioning of this campaign that could be taken in consideration to judge the effectiveness of this campaign.

Point 1 – The competition

When individuals/tourists are flying to Paris, it is generally not to visit an amusement park but more to visit museums, monuments, and/or to enjoy the shopping, the great food, the crazy metro and the French accent. Thus, putting Disneyland Paris on the consideration set of tourists and also Parisians is not an easy task, especially since amusement park are not as present in the European tradition as they are in the North American one. Thus, for the emotional appeal, I like this campaign.

Point 2 – The 3Ws of targeting

Moreover, the 3Ws of marketing could be analyzed, that is to say: (1) when to target? (2) who to target? and (3) where to target?

When to target?

In the case of amusement parks, at the beginning of the season and maybe some time in the middle should be the optimal moment to launch a marketing campaigns, but most budget should focus at the beginning of the season. This campaign was officially launched on July 2nd 2010 which is in the middle of the season.

Who to target?

The teens, the kids or the parents? That is the question. So who is going to amusement parks accompanied with parents? The answer, kids with age lower than 12, which imply that most of their parents are aged between 25 and 40. Thus, targeting these parents may be the solution! And what about the teens? They are coming without their parents anyway, but they may be mainly local consumers. All in all, most of these consumers have Facebook and are heavily present online, which suggests that that the use of Facebook connect is an appropriate tool in this case.

Where to target?

So where to find potential visitors? Where are these people physically coming from and how to find them? For the 25 to 40 years old young couple, they may be mostly in France, but also in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain. Don’t forget the United States since they are rollercoaster fanatics. Thus, the campaign could have included a version for the Americans (US) and the Germans. I don’t think it would have taken that much time. And what about Japanese which you find everywhere in Paris? The problem is that they are not necesarily on Facebook but mainly on Mixi, which could be labelled as the Japanese Facebook.

Point 3 – The main objectives

For this type of campaign, there are mainly two objectives which are: (1) to increase the number of tickets sold for the amusement park, and (2) to increase brand awareness. The first objective is a short-term one, which is to sell more tickets for the amusement park right away before a potential bankruptcy can occur, while the second one is more a long-term one, which is to increase the amount of individuals talking about the campaign and the amusement park to eventually get into the consideration set of these individuals when they will be heading to Paris.

Conclusion

So what do you think of this campaign? If you would have planned a trip to Paris this year, would it have an impact on your decision to go to Disneyland Paris with friends, kids or family?

Enjoy the ride!

Jean-Francois

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Looking to Create Some Buzz – Get Inspired by the Top 10 Buzz-building Actors of the Rock and Metal Music Industry History

PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 –

Strangely, one of the buzzword of the moment in marketing is the word “buzz”, it seems like every organization wants to create some buzz, but many of these organizations fail to do so when it comes to create what can be considered as “The Buzz”. When it comes to buzz, one interesting inspiration is the music industry. Last week, the German industrial-metal band Rammstein gave an eccentric show in Quebec City using pyrotechnics to accompany – and as part of – their musical performance (for more on this performance, I recommend these three videos: Part I (starting at 1:54), Part II, Part III). However, this story is no exception in the world of music, and especially when it comes to rock and metal music. This is why, in this post, I proposed you a summary of the most prominent Buzz-building actors in the history of Rock and Metal music. This also illustrates how the music industry can be an interesting playground when it comes to generate/test new ideas. So open your eyes and let’s get ready for some in-your-face stories.

1. Alice Cooper – The Father of Theatrical Live Shows

Considered by many experts as one of the father of theatrical live shows, Alice Cooper emerged at the end of the 60’s and had most of his success in the 70’s presenting live shows that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, boa constructor and baby doll. However, it is during a show at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September 1969 that his reputation developed, when spectators thrown a live chicken on stage and Cooper picked it up and had thrown it out over the crowd expecting the chicken to fly away. Naturally, instead of flying, the chicken plummeted into the first rows occupied by disabled people in wheelchairs, who reportedly proceeded to tear the animal to pieces. On the next day, the incident made the front page of multiple national newspapers which reported “that he had bitten the head off the chicken and drunk its blood on stage”. It was only the beginning of a new era.

Representative video -> School’s Out (See below)


2. Black Sabbath – The First Heavy Metal Band

Formed in 1968 in Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), by a line-up including vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath has been named as the “Greatest Metal Band of all time” by MTV. However, along with being extremely heavy for the 60’s, Black Sabbath fame on stage performance came when singer Ozzy Osbourne ate a bat (pigeon) on stage during a concert (See this video for those interested: Ozzy Osbourne eating a bat). The band was also known for its performance on stage, especially the one of vocalist Ozzy Osbourne who was always shaking his head while bent at the post of the microphone; a gesture which influenced a generation of music bands. After Ozzy Osbourne was replaced in 1979, Ronnie James Dio took the stage as vocalist and is often credited as having popularized the famous “devil sign” which is similar to the “sign of the horns” in Mediterranean countries.

Ronnie James Dio doing a devil's sign
Ronnie James Dio doing a devil's sign

Representative video -> Iron Man (See below)

3. Kiss – Putting the “Brand” in the “Band”

Well-known as a rock’n’roll band, it is more as a rock’n’roll “brand” that Kiss have made its name. Formed in 1973 in New York City by a line-up including guitarist/singer Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons, Kiss made itself a name using specific makeup design, and presenting live shows which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics. The band is also known for having licensed its name to more than 2,000 product categories. As a lucky one, I had the opportunity to attend one of their concerts last year in Quebec City last summer. Even at 60 years old, they were still entertaining.

Representative video -> Detroit Rock City (See below)


4. Guns N’ Roses – Sexy Hair, Sexy Girls and Unsexy Incidents

Led by eccentric and undisciplined vocalist Axl Rose, as well as guitarist Slash, Guns N’ Rose (GNR) was considered as an icon band of the Glam/Hair Metal movement in the 80’s. Their looks and attitude included debauched lifestyles of late-night parties (widely covered in the tabloid press), very long backcombed hair, use of make-up, gaudy clothing and accessories (chiefly consisting of tight denim or leather jeans, spandex, and headbands). GNR’s vocalist Axl Rose is also famous for tackling a fan who was illegally filming the show with a camera. After being pulled out of the crowd by members of the band, Rose said: “Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I’m going home!”, slammed his microphone on the ground and stormed off stage. Furthermore, in 1992, at Montreal Olympic Stadium, as GNR were performing the second part after Metallica’s vocalist James Hedfield was injured on stage after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast, GNR were therefore forced to go on stage earlier. The sound wasn’t really good, and after some songs, Axl Rose decided to end the show, claiming that his throat was hurting. This behaviour later led to an infamous riot around Olympic Stadium.

Representative video -> Welcome to the Jungle (See below)


5. Metallica – Attitude and Talent

Formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California and known as the premier band when it comes to trash metal and modern metal music, Metallica brought a lot of attitude and a more manly approach to metal music. The band also brought extremely raw performances which notably include Kirk Hammett solos on guitar and Lars Ulrich now famous fast drumming technique. Furthermore, there was a time where the band was nicknamed by some metal specialists as Alcoholica due to abuse of alcohol. The story behind the band is exposed in the 2004 documentary entitled “Some Kind of Monster”.

Representative video -> Enter Sandman (See below)


6. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Never too Hot

Formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, California by members including vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, the band soon made their reputation of special live performances and California style wearing. The band has made its reputation out of eccentricity with the infamous “sox on cox” outfit where each of the members where playing live on stage naked with only a long sock to cover their genitals (See in this video: Sox on cox). However, after some years in the dark, the band finally earned success after recording the cult album “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” in 1991.

Representative video -> Give it Away (See below)



Parody of the video by Weird Al Yankovic -> Bedrock Anthem

7. Nirvana – The Anti-Marketing Attitude

Emerging as the most popular band of the Seattle grunge scene (Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden) with their second album entitled “Nevermind” in 1991, Nirvana was considered by many experts as the most influential “band” of the early “90’s”. The band adopted an “anti-marketing” attitude and casual wearing such as the infamous grunge shirt. It was a time in the 90’s where it was common to cross on the street a group of teenagers all wearing a Nirvana t-shirt. Unfortunately, the activities of the band suddenly ended, when vocalist Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994.

Representative video -> Smells Like Teen Spirit (See below)


8. Marilyn Manson – Whatever it Looks Like, As Long as Its Ugly

Professional provoker Marilyn Manson alias Brian Hugh Warner, started to terrify parents of teenagers in the early 90’s. Everything he made since then is perfectly described in the sentence: “talk to me in good, talk to me in bad, as long as you talk about me”. Furthermore, in the case of Marilyn Manson there had always been a duality between the beauty and the beast as the Marilyn Manson name comes from the contraction of the busty “Marilyn Monroe” and the infamous murderer “Charles Manson”.

Representative video -> Sweet Dreams (cover of Eurythmics; See below)


9. Rammstein – Sometimes Its Better Not to Understand German

Formed in 1994 in Berlin, Germany by members including one-time junior olympic swimmer Till Lindemann as vocalist. The band is well-known for their strange and provocative videos, unique music style that blends metal and industrial music, and provocative performance on stage. For instance, vocalist Till Lindeman is well-known for lighting himself on stage with fire (See video: Till Lindeman lights himself on stage) and masochist behaviors such as slapping himself. Other behaviors include when keyboardist Christian “Flake” Lorenz surfs over the crowd using an inflatable boat (See video: Christian “Flake” Lorenz surfs over the crowd using an inflatable boat).

Representative video -> Feuer Frei (See below)


10. Slipknot – Bad Clowns and Heavy Music

Emerging from Des Moines, Iowa with their first album simply entitled “Slipknot” in 1999, and with a first video clip entitled “Wait and Bleed” and banned on MTV, the 8-member band was once considered as the heaviest band on earth. The band originally includes all members dressed with nasty clown masks that covers their actual identity and costumes that seem to be directly borrowed from a horror movie. The band is also characterized with extreme live performances which has culminates with the “Jump the f*** up” gesture. (See video: “Jump the f*** up” gesture)

Representative video -> Left Behind (See below)


Conclusion

In conclusion, are you inspired or are you simply disgusted by the description of these moments of buzz-building in the music industry? Did you understand the recipe: (1) a minimum of talent as a necessary condition, (2) a unique style, (3) cool wearing, (4) special live shows and (5) attitude!!! Any other popular bands that could/should have been considered as a major buzz-building actor in the rock and metal music industry without copying too much the style of these already described bands?

Rock on!

Jean-Francois

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Capitalizing on Previously Created Buzz: The “Old Spice Man” Strikes Back

In the last few days, the Old Spice man struck back. But who is the “Old Spice man”? The “Old Spice man” was an integrative part of what could/should be considered as one of the best ad of the 2010 year (see below), logging more than 13 million views on YouTube.


The “New” Concept

The concept following-up the February 2010 Old Spice ad includes more than a single ad as it consists of a single ad similar to to the original one (see Should your man smell like an Old Spice man?) and multiple YouTube videos answering back comments related to the February 2010 ad posted on social media platforms by either well-known personalities (e.g Alyssa Milano (see below), Ashton Kutcher) or users with a large and influential network. Was the strategy new? Not really! Answering back comments from individuals considered as “important” is an old and primitive strategy. Was the tactic used new? Yes it was! Using YouTube to answer back these comments can be considered as new, at least in North America.


Capitalizing on Previously Created Buzz

As previously stated in my post entitled Demystifying Viral Marketing – 7 Myths of Viral Marketing: “viral marketing campaigns should be considered as long-term strategies that should be used to attract new users and propagate awareness”. In this way, the February 2010 ad created buzz, and capitalizing on this previously created buzz was brightly executed using a new tactic.

The Next Step

Once again, as stated in my post entitled Demystifying Viral Marketing – 7 Myths of Viral Marketing: “one of the fundamental objectives of viral marketing campaigns is to gain a larger database [and to] turn [users] into loyal users (consumers)”. Thus, the next step for Old Spice would be for sure to turn this “buzz” into customer loyalty.

The Old Spice man in the February 2010 ad
The Old Spice man in the February 2010 ad

Conclusion

Bringing back the “Old Spice man” using a new tactic was certainly a bright idea for the Old Spice brand! However, once users know about the tactic used, would it be a bright idea for another company to use the same tactic? Absolutely not! The buzz was there for mainly two reasons: (1) because consumers perceived the tactic used was new, and (2) Old Spice capitalized on previously created buzz. Thus, using the same tactic would be redundant. So what do you think of this Old Spice tactic?

Jean-Francois

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