Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

Super Bowl LI Advertisers Could Take More Measured Approach Following Election

Television audiences "remain raw and polarized" following the presidential election, and that could "mean a spate of toned-down commercials" for Fox' broadcast of Super Bowl LI, according to Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. GoDaddy has "run mischievous ads in the past," but this year plans to air a spot "talking about the power of the Internet." A-B InBev has also "indicated that it will do away with celebrities and frat-boy humor in favor of ads that burnish the core qualities of brews like Bud Light and Michelob Ultra." A-B InBev U.S. VP/Marketing Marcel Marcondes said that the brewer "did not craft its Super Bowl ads with recent election results in mind." However, Steinberg noted an ad for Budweiser is "expected to tell the tale of co-founder Adolphus Busch, and link his story to a quest for the American Dream." Meanwhile, Fox sent 84 Lumber "back to the drawing board when its proposed commercial was spotted depicting a wall that blocked people -- a potential reference" to President Trump. Most Super Bowl marketers might "play it safe," but an "influx over the years of freshmen advertisers with little national marketing experience ... raised eyebrows." Many of these companies are "relative unknowns and eager to make a big splash" (VARIETY.com, 1/19). AD AGE's Jeanine Poggi notes while many advertisers in the past have used the Super Bowl to touch on societal issues, "overt political ideology won't likely be tolerated this Super Bowl Sunday -- either by fatigued viewers or by Fox." Many brands believe the "risk of alienating a large portion of the country is too great to play around with." Most advertisers appear to be avoiding "even the suggestion of polarizing points of view" (ADAGE.com, 1/20).  

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT! ADWEEK's Tim Nudd noted Justin Timberlake will star in a 30-second spot for beverage company Bai Brands. The ad was "developed by Bai's in-house creative team," which was led by Chief Creative Officer Chad Portas. Bai last year produced "Horse Whisperer," a 30-second spot that "aired regionally" during Super Bowl 50. Bai Founder & CEO Ben Weiss in a statement said Timberlake "played an integral role" in the commercial's development. Nudd noted Bai claims to "use healthier ingredients than many beverage companies while maintaining great flavor" (ADWEEK.com, 1/19).

PROFESSIONAL HELP: AD AGE's Poggi noted laundry detergent brand Persil ProClean will "return to the Super Bowl" this year. Persil "didn't reveal details about the creative," but it said that it "enlisted the help of 'The Professional,' its stain-fighting hero." Persil reps "did not immediately reply to questions about the length of the spot or the creative approach." This is the brand's second Super Bowl spot, "following its debut" last year (ADAGE.com, 1/19).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/01/20/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/SB-Ads.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/01/20/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/SB-Ads.aspx

CLOSE