Lesser-Known Bai, SoFi Making Super Bowl Debuts; Pokemon, Snickers Offer Sneak Peeks
Bai, the maker of low-calorie health beverages, will "make its first Super Bowl appearance with a commercial" via Barton F. Graf, N.Y., according to David Gianatasio of ADWEEK. Bai will "run a single 30-second spot." Media placement is "being handled by Maxus," and Bai "has yet to finalize the exact placement of the ad." The commercial will be "a new entry in Bai's 'None of This Makes Sense' campaign." Employing the shop's "trademark absurdist humor, the work presented oddball characters in weird situations asking why Bai -- brimming with antioxidants and packing only five calories -- tastes so good" (ADWEEK.com, 1/25). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Suzanne Vranica writes lender Social Finance (SoFi), which offers student-loan refinancing, mortgages and personal loans, will "ramp up" a $20M TV and digital ad effort with a spot during Super Bowl 50. SoFi will "spend about 20% of its annual ad budget on the Super Bowl push." When COO Joanne Bradford was "seeking to launch the first major advertising campaign," her "first inclination was to go all digital." But Bradford "found she wasn’t going to generate the large-scale awareness or buzz she wanted for SoFi ... by unveiling the ads solely through digital outlets" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/26).
CATCH 'EM ALL: AD AGE's Jeanine Poggi wrote Pokémon has "released its first-ever Super Bowl commercial, which encourages kids to 'train on.'" In the spot, young people in Rio de Janeiro "test the limits of their passions, telling themselves 'I can do that.'" The spot is "filled with hidden Pokémon references, with the lyrics to the Pokémon theme song, for example, appearing on the top of a locker room door" (ADAGE.com, 1/25). Meanwhile, a tease of Snickers' Super Bowl spot features a hungry Marilyn Monroe preparing to reprise her iconic "Happy Birthday" performance, although with a far less seductive voice. The spot is live on the brand's official YouTube page (Mars Chocolate).
SITE WORDS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Steven Perlberg noted web development platforms Wix.com and Squarespace are both "once again advertising" in the Super Bowl in an effort to "convince small-business owners, students, artists and more to use their software to make sleek websites." Wix will "appear for the second straight year, while Squarespace is returning for its third straight showing." Wix "enlisted DreamWorks Animation to help it make its Super Bowl ad this year, as opposed to a traditional advertising agency." Squarespace's ad will "feature comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/25).
BACK AGAIN: In N.Y., Sydney Ember noted a small group of companies will make a "second go-round" during this year's game. Second-timers "occupy an often-overlooked tier of advertisers that perhaps have the most to lose." If they "fall flat the second time around, they risk erasing the success of their debuts, with neither novelty nor experience to soften the blow." The decision by Avocados From Mexico, Skittles and Wix to "return to the Super Bowl underscores how important live television still is for advertisers." Wrigley Senior Marketing Dir Matt Montei, whose company owns Skittles, said that the rewards of appearing during the Super Bowl "outweighed the financial risks." Avocados From Mexico is not sharing details about this year’s ad, but Austin-based agency GSD&M Chief Creative Officer Jay Russell said that it "would involve plenty of humor." Actor Scott Baio "will be featured." Avocados President Alvaro Luque said that one reason the brand was returning to the Super Bowl "was the online response its ad received last year." iSpot.tv data showed that roughly 70% of the online chatter about the company’s TV ads "was related to the Super Bowl" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/25).
TAKING THE WHEEL: USA TODAY's Chris Woodyard noted at least eight auto brands -- Acura, Audi, Buick, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mini and Toyota -- will advertise during Super Bowl 50. Univ. of Detroit-Mercy professor Mike Bernacchi argued that automakers with a new product to launch "almost can't afford to skip the Super Bowl." Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CMO Olivier Francois last week said that he "isn't sure if the automaker will run ads during the Super Bowl." Francois: "We are still, finalizing our plans" (USA TODAY, 1/25).
MISSING OUT: The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee noted a main “drawback" about attending the Super Bowl every year is that reporters "miss the commercials.” The Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken asked, "You ever notice that the best Super Bowl ads often are the ones that have the least to do with the product itself, usually appealing to human emotion?” The video cuts back to Acee at his desk holding several adorable puppies and asking, “What do you mean?” Gehlken: “It just seems like advertisers try to use more alluring tactics to captures the viewer’s attention.” Gehlken added, “And don’t forget, there’s always that stereotypical celebrity endorser.” At this point, Acee answers a video call from Chargers QB Philip Rivers, who said, “Hey guys, y’all are doing a heck of a job.” Acee: “Thanks Philip Rivers, five-time Pro Bowl quarterback” (“Acee-Gehlken Chat,” SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.com, 1/25).
