Lots of folks were wiping their eyes during this year’s Super Bowl, and it wasn’t because they really disliked the New England Patriots. (Or, at least, not entirely.) Some, perhaps, blamed the onions in the nacho dip or stray dust in the air, but the real reason for all those overactive tear glands were the commercials.
Forget those sloppily kissing geeks and models. Begone, scantily clad women snagging Doritos from midair. While this year’s Super Bowl ad gauntlet had its share of turn-off-the-TV moments (I’m trying not to look at you, Victoria’s Secret), many advertisers weren’t just out to make a sale. They wanted to inspire you, touch you or make you shed salty tears all over your bratwurst.
As Focus on the Family president Jim Daly says in his blog, many of the most notable commercials touched on the trials and bittersweet joys of fatherhood. I blogged about one such commercial—Dove’s “Real Strength” spot—last week on Dad Matters. And while that spot is undeniably sweet, it wasn’t even my favorite dad-centric commercial of the evening. That’d have to go to Toyota’s “My Bold Dad.” I don’t know if it made me more likely to buy a Camry or not, but it sure, ahem, stirred up a lot of dust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6uP6cykgo
And then there was Nissan’s “With Dad” spot—a 90-second saga tracing a race car driver’s relationship with his son. While it struck some as being a bit insensitive (Harry Chapin, who sings the song that accompanies the commercial, was killed in a car crash), for me it was an important reminder of how valuable fathers are in their children’s lives—and how we can impact them with both our presence and absence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd1qCi5nSKw
But it wasn’t all about dads. Jeep encouraged us to embrace this beautiful, big world of ours in “This Land Is Your Land.” Procter & Gamble asked us to consider what stereotypes we’re reinforcing in “Like a Girl.” Centenarians doled out 100 years’ worth of “Wisdom” to viewers, courtesy of Dodge. Coke suggested that if you poured a little of its product into the Internet, folks would all stop bullying one another and be a little nicer. And McDonald’s introduced a new transaction method in “Pay With Love,” wherein random customers for the next two weeks will get their food free if they give their mother a call. Or hug their families. Or say something positive about the friend or family member standing next to them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2Sm2XGv_s
And we could go on.
Not every ad with a worthwhile message hit home. Nationwide, an insurance company, unveiled an ad that seemed like a cute, whimsical spot featuring a little child—until the boy tells viewers, “I couldn’t grow up because I died from an accident.” Nationwide said it wanted to bring attention to the fact that accidents are the leading cause of death among children and to start a “fierce conversation.” But it shocked lots of football fans who had been happily munching on chips just seconds before. Many reacted with anger, even disgust. While getting serious at Super Bowl time is apparently fine, fans felt this was just plain ghoulish.
And not every ad had a serious point, of course. Budweiser laid claim to the evening’s most popular commercial, according to USA Today, with its Clydesdale-and-puppy tearjerker “Lost Dog.” Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel humorously scratched their heads over BMW’s “Newfangled Idea.” And I enjoyed Liam Neeson’s “Clash of Clans: Revenge” ad. As mentioned, the evening was not free of problematic commercials either—the sorts of ads that Plugged In editor Steven Isaac expressed concern over in his post last Friday. But overall, I’m not sure if I’ve seen such a plethora of positivity during Super Bowl breaks.
Without question, Super Bowl ads can be a telling gauge of what our society values … and what moves us to buy something. In his post, Steven argued that church-based Super Bowl parties could be great opportunities for teachable moments for those interested in engaging with this yearly spectacle more deeply. So let’s engage.
This year, more than any year in recent memory, the commercials themselves wanted to teach us a thing or two. It wasn’t all about selling cars and shilling beer: Advertisers were asking us what we truly value—and what, either individually or collectively, we could be doing better.
Advertisers are hoping that positivity carries over to the point of purchase, of course: When it’s time to buy a car or eat our next fast-food meal, they’re hoping we’ll remember their company’s Super Bowl commercials and be more likely to buy their brand. Companies don’t dole out $4.5 million-per-30-seconds for pure altruism.
But no matter: Even if the motives are mixed, this is a trend I’m grateful to see.
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