While many Super Bowl advertisers "chose to be silly or sentimental with their commercials," it was the "few that ventured -- or appeared to venture-- into political territory that attracted the most attention," according to Sapna Maheshwari of the N.Y. TIMES. Among the major brands that "used their commercial time for social commentary was Airbnb, which had decided just last week to run an ad." In the ad, the company "promoted its view of an open, multicultural world, reflecting its commitment to housing refugees." Coca-Cola "revived an ad it ran" during Super Bowl XLVIII "featuring people singing a multilingual version of 'America the Beautiful.'" It managed to "strike a new chord with viewers, given the recent national conversation around immigration and diversity, and it prompted a flood of conversation on Twitter" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/6). In DC, Butler & Judkis write some advertisers "decided to lean all the way into this year’s tense political climate, delivering emotional rebukes against sexism and xenophobia." Butler & Judkis: "Bad or good, these ads got people talking." Many have praised Budweiser's ad about founder Adolphus Busch for "personifying the struggle of people who came to our country -- a message that resonates even more, coming from such an all-American beer" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/6). Digital measurement firm Amobee said that Airbnb’s ad and Coca-Cola's pregame spot "generated the most early real-time discussion on social media" (USA TODAY, 2/6). Maheshwari notes #BoycottBudweiser "trended earlier in the evening." The hashtag was "apparently started by people who disliked the ad, but then used by others to defend Budweiser and mock boycotters" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/6).
SELLING TO EVERYONE: VARIETY's Brian Steinberg noted a "bevy of free-spending marketers put down big bucks" last night to "emphasize something they think already makes America great: unity and diversity." FCB, N.Y., Chief Creative Officer Ari Halper said, "It’s kind of a very unusual place to be in, when giant global corporations are becoming the moral compass for our society." Steinberg wrote the appearance of the ads in the Super Bowl "serve only to emphasize that American corporations see revenue streams in consumers hailing from many different backgrounds." They are also "conscious of the rise of millennial consumers who hold fewer prejudices when it comes to ethnicity and sexual orientation" (VARIETY.com, 2/5). In N.Y., David Li writes advertisers "tiptoed down the sideline during the Super Bowl." Halper said, "Definitely the most political Super Bowl I can recall" (N.Y. POST, 2/6).
CAN'T AVOID THE POLITICS: In L.A., Stephen Battaglio writes under the header, "Super Bowl LI Ads Gave Fans Politics With Their Pigskin." Viewers who "believed that Super Bowl LI would be an escape from the nonstop news onslaught that has occurred in the first two weeks of the Trump presidency were mistaken." There were "subtle and not so-subtle messages about the immigration policies of President Trump slipped in, injecting some solemnity and perhaps anxiety into Super Bowl parties across the country" (L.A. TIMES, 2/6). In Raleigh, Josh Shaffer writes this year's Super Bowl "attention-getters reflect the flaming political rhetoric" of the past year (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/6). In Pittsburgh, Rob Owen writes the ads last night "did not seem to embrace" Trump's policies (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/6). USA Today's Charisse Jones noted politics was "kind of the third rail this year, but you couldn't avoid it and I think that the ads that went in that direction really made a significant impact" ("Today," NBC, 2/6).
RETURN OF THE KING: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell chose A-B InBev's "Born The Hard Way" spot as his best commercial from the Super Bowl. The commercial had the "greatest buzz of any of the 30 or so commercials that were released before the game, and unlike with many of the others, that fact didn't hinder the social conversation." The "tale of Adolphus Busch's trip to America and his part in building the biggest beer brand was perfect against the background of what's going on in this country" (ESPN.com, 2/5). A-B InBev VP/Marketing Ricardo Marques said that the "feel-good story had nothing to do with President Trump's travel ban." But in N.Y., Kate Feldman writes whether "intentional or not, the commercial bordered political without losing its heartwarming narrative" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/6). Pollster Frank Luntz said fans who were polled about the Budweiser ad "didn't see it as a political message." Luntz: "They actually found it interesting that they got a feel for how Anheuser-Busch wsa originally founded" ("CBS This Morning," 2/6).
COMBING OVER THINGS: The AP's Mae Anderson notes the debut Super Bowl spot by the "It's a 10" hair care brand "introduced its line of men products by joking about Donald Trump's hair" (AP, 2/6). ADWEEK's Tim Nudd rated the "It's a 10" ad as the second best Super Bowl commercial. It was the game’s "biggest surprise -- and one of its funniest, too." Nothing in the brand’s history "would have hinted at the hilarious charm" of this 30-second spot from Havas Edge, San Diego, which "blended politics and humor." Nudd: "This was the sleeper of the evening" (ADWEEK.com, 2/5). SI.com writes of the "It's A 10" ad, "You can just picture Trump ... fumbling for his phone to send an angry tweet while his aides try to wrestle the device away from him" (SI.com, 2/6).
ROOM WITH A VIEW: In N.Y., Katie Benner notes Airbnb's ad referred to Trump's executive order on immigration only "obliquely so as not to run afoul of guidelines that say commercial time is not 'for viewpoint or advocacy of controversial issues.'" Airbnb sources said that the company "had not planned to advertise during the Super Bowl until executives heard there was still ad space left" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/6). DIGIDAY's Tanya Dua noted Airbnb also"pushed out tweets to amplify its commercial in real time," including one by co-Founder Brian Chesk, who also announced via Twitter that the company is going to contribute $4M over four years to the refugee nonprofit International Rescue Committee to "support critical needs of displaced populations globally." The tweet was "retweeted 1,159 times and garnered 1,240 likes within two minutes of being posted" (DIGIDAY.com, 2/5). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Patrick Shanley wrote under the header,"AirBnB Trolls Trump With #WeAccept Super Bowl Ad" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 2/5). Luntz said, "For the most part, the reaction for Airbnb was pretty positive. Ads that call for a sense of unity and purpose were seen very favorably" ("CBS This Morning, 2/6). Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last night tweeted, "This is who we truly are -- We work together. We stand together. We are one nation. We are one people. @Airbnb @bchesky #weaccept together." Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted, "Heartened to see people and companies standing with those doing so much good for those most in need -- leadership that's needed! #WeAccept."
COMMITTED TO THE ISSUE: The N.Y. POST's Butler & Judkis write Audi's commercial "affirms its commitment to equal pay -- which wouldn't have been such a political statement last year, but arriving on the heels of the Women's Marches around the world, it's meaningful" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/6). ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's Jessica Derschowitz noted actresses Elizabeth Banks and Octavia Spencer are "among those who reacted to the heart-tugging ad, which shows a father watching his daughter compete in downhill derby race" (EW.com, 2/5). But in Toronto, Laura Beeston writes in a "confused attempt to conflate the current political climate on gender equality with auto sales, this ad has mostly been panned by men and women alike, failing to inspire America’s feminist ranks to #DriveProgress" (TORONTO STAR, 2/6). The HUFFINGTON POST's Maxwell Strachan also noted some have "taken issue with Audi’s message, considering the company has no women on its management board, and only two women on its 14-person U.S. executive team" (HUFFINGTONPOST.com, 2/5). Luntz said of the Audi ad, "Of all the ads we tested, this one had the biggest difference at the end when it came to men and women because they thought it was a political statement." CBS' Norah O'Donnell said, "I didn't realize equal pay was politics" ("CBS This Morning," 2/6).
