Entrepreneur Magazine took a look at several of what they considered to be the most effective Super Bowl ads in history back in January. Seven “breakthrough” ads were selected for being memorable and for having a dramatic impact on the company’s future. The article reviews the concept of each ad and impact it had on the company’s business.
Of course a discussion of the greatest ads is fodder for all sorts of debate. For example, nowhere on this list are some of the ads generally considered to be the all-time greats like Coke's Mean Joe Green ad, Noxema's Joe Namath ad or anything from Budweiser. I assume this is because they felt the business impact from the ads weren't as great.
Lets take a look at what we do have. Read the article to get a summary of each ad and the reasons why they consider it breakthrough. In this post I want to look what similarities exist between these ads to see what attributes make a great ad.
Here are they ads they considered breakhrough:
Apple Computer (1984)
Reason: Ad creative that took a risk and gave audience credit for their intelligence
Master Lock (1974)
Reason: Powerful, memorable imagery that solidified the brand’s value proposition
Dove (2006)
Reason: The company took a risk by targeting women, addressing sensitive female image issues and motivating them to get involved
Emerald Nuts (2006)
Reason: Humor that reinforced the brand
Monster.com (1999)
Reason: A message that inspired people to want to be more
eTrade (2000)
Reason: Self deprecating humor that illustrated the brand's value proposition
DoDaddy (2005)
Reason: Multiple controversies. Their ad played off the Janet Jackson controversy the year before and it was pulled by network before the planned repeat broadcast later in the game
What do these have in common?
Four offer intelligent messages that inspire and motivate. Three use humor; two of them use it in an intelligent way that emphasizes the brand’s value proposition. Only one plays down to the lowest common denominator.
Considering all the over-the-top, outrageous ads that try to “shock and awe”, it looks like the intelligent and inspiring ones are more likely to make history and have the greatest impact on business.
This article was written before this year’s game. Would any of the 2007 ads be considered “breakthrough”? Some might say the Doritos ad qualifies since they tried something completely different and pulled off with great success. Even though they weren’t the only ones to tap consumers for their ad, history may look back at them as the innovator. But has it made a difference at the cash register?
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