I did not enjoy the Super Bowl very much this year.
After watching the Patriots play in three straight Super Bowls and 4 of the last 5 (and 5 of the last 8), it’s no fun watching two other teams play in the big game.
Spoiled? Sure. The team that I love, whose games I attend regularly, has kicked the ass of the opposition for so many years that they have spoiled me.
A friend of mine sent me this moment from The Simpsons that perfectly describes the feelings of a New England Patriots fan:
Homer: Mr Burns you must be the richest guy in the world.
Mr Burns: Yes, but I’d trade it all… for just a little bit more.
We’re also awaiting our new living room furniture, so I watched the game while sitting on a dining room chair in an otherwise empty room.
This may have contributed to my lack of enjoyment.
But yes, it was football, which I enjoy watching regardless of the team, and the commercials are always fun to watch.
The commercial moment that caught my attention this year was a combination of two commercials.
First there was the Google ad, which demonstrated how precious and important photos and the memories attached to them can be with the perfect combination of nostalgia, heartbreak, and joy.
It was a tremendously effective ad. When it finished, there were tears in my eyes.
Then the commercial for Sabra Hummus appeared. An excellent and amusing ad featuring several celebrities and the first drag queens ever in a Super Bowl commercial, so in that sense, ground breaking.
But also terrible. Terrible in that it followed the Google ad and was so jarring in tone, language, and even color that it annoyed me. Still recovering from the emotions of Google ad, I I barely registered the Sabra ad the first time. It felt like an intrusion. With tears in my eyes and thoughts of life, death, and the importance of capturing memories in my mind, my senses were suddenly assaulted by the energy and humor of this ad.
It made me despise Sabra hummus.
It was a bad moment for Sabra. After spending millions of dollars on a 30-second Super Bowl spot, they allowed their ad to run immediately following a Google ad that was three times as long and deeply moving.
Not good.
Even worse, the commercial after the Sabra ad was a WaetherTech ad about veterinarians who saved a dog’s life after a life threatening heart condition left the dog with less than a 1% chance of surviving.
This commercial should’ve followed the Google commercial. In fact, had the Sabra ad and the WeatherTech ad been flipped, all would have been well. The Google ad leaves you with tears in your eyes and thoughts of loved ones both alive and gone, but the WeatherTech ad ends with uplift and inspiration. It ends with a dog running on a beach.
It primes you for something fun.
Also, the Google ad ends with the sounds of a dog, which would’ve blended perfectly into the WeatherTech ad.
With all the money being spent on Super Bowl commercials, I’m shocked that more thought is not put into the order of commercials. I already work as a consultant for a large advertising firm. Companies would be wise to also hire me to consult on how to tell their story in the midst of other stories.
Three other things that I noted about the Super Bowl commercials:
Tide owned the night with its integration into ads and ongoing story throughout the night.
Brilliant.
The fact that Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi – an openly gay couple – starred in a Super Bowl commercial was fantastic. As the commercial aired, I thought about all the bigots in America who think that they get to define appropriate love based upon some buffet-style Bible nonsense or just old fashioned “You don’t look like me” bigotry and hoped they got the message:
We’re done with you and your ancient, bigoted beliefs. Grow up or go away.
In fact, there were arguably same-sex couples in at least two other ads, too. With the country watching, love was on display, regardless of gender.
I liked many of the ads this year, but for me, the Snickers ad tickled me the most.
The Tom Brady Hulu ad was pretty great, too, but I’d really like some assurances that he will be playing for the Patriots next year.
