Congrats to Philly and New England. Damn, it was a great game. Though the commercials out of the gate were a bit… meh, there were a few stand outs and some good lessons in Brand Management.

The following are some insights from one of the most watched events of the year.

1. Anatomy of a smart brand message

I think Tide won the night. The message was smart, clear, and effective.

First, the marketing is disruptive. The opening line references that it’s a Super Bowl ad taking the audience out of what they would expect and causes them to pay attention.

Then, it goes through all of the possibilities of what the marketing could be promoting. Car commercial, beer ad, insurance spot and the rest of the usual suspects all show up only to directly state that it’s a Tide ad. The marketing is not aspirational or dumbed down, it speaks to the audience in a straightforward and honest way, the same way that you would talk to a friend.

Next, it reinforces the promise of the brand: no stains and clean clothes.

The spot closing goes further to suggest that whenever you see clean clothes, it’s a Tide ad. It uses smart behavioral psychology throughout the spot to hijack every ad that you will see from this point forward to make you think of the brand. This commercial is not only captivating for 45 seconds, it takes over the entire Super Bowl. Well played, Tide. Well played.

Now, please can you help stop teenagers from eating Tide Pods.

2. Ambiguity in your brand will frustrate your audience

The NFL contradicted itself while explaining the overturned Steelers touchdown catch

In the 4th quarter, one of the players scored a decisive touchdown… or maybe he didn’t …then it was official, he did. In another game, a similar play resulted in an incomplete play. The NFL really needs to figure out where they stand on this, it’s a core aspect of the success of their brand.

2. Loyal customers will support you

Star Wars and Mission Impossible dropped their latest trailers. All of the news surrounding the Solo movie suggest it is a train wreck that has includes replacing leadership, firing key contributors, and rethinking the entire objective. That may sound familiar to what some Fortune 500 brands are going through.

Your loyal customers will stick with you through missteps and mistakes. You need to course correct very quickly and not make the same mistake again. I’m sure Kathleen Kennedy, the producer and figurehead of the franchise, will not repeat these mistakes.

The latest tent pole of the Mission Impossible brand is nothing new, not surprising, not innovative, or disruptive. It’s pretty formulaic and hits all the notes that you would expect. The value is that the customers will show up. The brand understands what their audience wants and gives it to them.

I will see both of these movies.

3. Understand the cultural climate

Ram Trucks developed a spot about service with a moving voice over from Dr. Martin Luther King. I understand the concept, but it feels forced and tone deaf. Ire quickly sparked on social media and I’m not sure if this is going to have a positive effect for the brand.

It’s critical for brands to understand the cultural climate that they are in. Every news cycle is talking about oppression by powerful groups, diversity in our nation, equality in people, and the plight of marginalized groups. It’s a challenge to use a sermon of Dr. Martin Luther King to sell cars.

I’ve been in the room when global brand spots are being reviewed. I understand it’s hard to stand up in that meeting and say “This doesn’t feel right.” I think every creative team should have a Vice President of Common Sense to call things like this out, or at the very least have a team culture that can push back and keep the brand honest.

4. Know your value and have a sense of humor about yourself

Amazon aired a new spot in which Alexa loses her voice. It’s is a nice balance of understanding the value proposition of your product, knowing your audience, and connecting the two with humor. The same can be said about Eli Manning and Odell Beckham, Jr. recreating a scene from Dirty Dancing as a touchdown celebration dance.

I’m glad that the Giants found a way into the Super Bowl, because this past season, they could find the end zone with turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps.

6. Keep it simple

My personal favorite of the night came from a retweet by Stephen Gates, smart brand leader and die-hard Steelers fan. A simple, smart, clear, effective brand message that didn’t cost $5 Million per 30 seconds.

What did I miss?

What were your favorites commercials or insightful take aways?

(M1130A)