The annual celebration of Super Bowl TV ads is enormously telling. The effort, anticipation, and critical review reveal a truth about our collective understanding of what makes for powerful marketing. I call it the Super Bowl Greatness Equation.
On one side are factors that drive the exceptional efforts to reach for greatness: the massive audience, the high cost of entry, and the huge potential to make an impact and be remembered.
On the other side are the creative criteria for greatness. The best spots are colossally entertaining, telling fresh stories boldly and fearlessly. The message is concise, focused, and singular. If emotionally moving, they evoke real tears. If funny, they don’t pull any punches – they’re laugh-out-loud funny. They’re brave and surprising, even shocking, doing things you haven’t seen before. And production values are high, because deep down, you know it matters.
As communicators, shouldn’t we accept that if this equation for greatness works on Super Bowl day, then it should also work the other 364 days to deliver the most powerful marketing? Year after year, the big game proves that we all know that the listed criteria above are what greatness is made of. So why not add them to your next creative brief?
Joel Machak, Executive Creative Director, Crosby Marketing
This blog also appeared on Capitol Communicator.
