The Super Bowl is known not only for the big game but also as a major opportunity for brands to debut big-budget TV ads. This year, brands expanded their marketing efforts beyond just TV ads by releasing teasers online in advance, partnering with influencers to promote their ads, and experimenting with odd humor and new social media platforms. Standout ads that generated buzz both during and after the game included spots from Pokemon, Hyundai, and Mountain Dew's strange #puppymonkeybaby ad. The Super Bowl remains a prime opportunity for brands to engage consumers through creative advertising.

1. How Brands Can Score Big with the Super Bowl
by Sharp
February 24th, 2016
This post comes from the mind of Social Media intern Tatiana Rocha. Tatiana joins our team
from Hunter College where she studies Media Studies
The Super Bowl is one of the most deeply ingrained cultural pastimes for many Americans. The
ritual of sitting in front of a flat screen, watching two great football teams and showing off
game-day cooking skills has made it on most famous unofficial national holiday.
After a night of anticipated ‘dabbing’, and show that left people wondering if Coldplay’s front
man Chris Martin was this years ‘left shark’, the Denver Broncos won with a lead of 24–10 to
against the Carolina Panthers.
But like many of us know, besides football, the Super Bowl has become a moment for brands to
show off their most creative ads of the year. In fact, the Super Bowl draws an audience of more
than just football fans for that very reason. It is an ideal time for ads to shine as consumers are
actually paying attention and fascinated to see who and what is going to be in these
commercials.
We took a look at this year’s standout ads and what made them work. Here are 5 best practices
we took away from Super Bowl 50:
1. Expand Your Ads Beyond Television:
No longer are brands waiting to reveal their ad on the day of the game. Over the last few years,
social media has allowed advertisers opt to reveal teaser content or their entire ad days/weeks
before the big game in hopes to build up suspense and excitement for game day.This year was
no different as brands like Pokémon, Amazon, Hyundai, and Walt Disney Pictures ‘Jungle Book’
joined in on the ‘pregame’ ad releases.
According to ispot.tv, 50 brands and 84 ad teasers have amassed more than 404.5 million digital
views going into Super Bowl Sunday. 184 million views cam from Facebook this year and about
117.1 million of the remaining 220.5 million on YouTube were organic, or unpaid.
And it ended up paying off. Although the Denver Broncos technically won the physical Super
Bowl, in the marketing world Pokémon’s ad was one of the big winners with almost 20 million
views on YouTube. Runners up were Hyundai’s ‘First Date’ and Heinz’s ‘Weiner Stampede’,
which came in next with generating the most organic digital activity, beginning well before the
Big Game.

2. As the digital age causes consumer culture to become less patient, revealing ads prior to the
event is only increasing interest. People are looking forward to what they will see, even if its
only 15 seconds worth of material, especially if there is a connection between the brand and
consumer.
2. Not All Engagements Are Meaningful:
Sunday night proved that although certain social engagement between consumers and brands
may create buzz, it does not always mean it is worthwhile and effective.
The #Esurancesweepstakes may have dominated the Twitter conversation on Sunday evening
but money giveaways don’t often equate with actual costumer revenue or ongoing brand
interactions on social media for the brand, as interest in prizing can overshadow the actual
interest in the product.
Red Lobster was the epitomized example of the most missed opportunity. As Beyoncé’s
‘Formation’ trended on Twitter, and fans anticipated a response to the unsolicited Red Lobster
reference, the restaurant chain responded with a tweet that left many wondering what went
wrong.
The internet reacts to Red Lobster’s tweet

3. 3. Influencer Marketing Reaches New Heights:
As ad placements become more expensive, each moment, person and experience counts.
Companies are looking beyond television to enhance their image and are using innovative ways
to amplify their presence digitally and socially.
This year we saw our fair share of celebrities. Companies like Budweiser and Amazon used
Hollywood mega-stars like Amy Schumer, Seth Rogan, Alec Baldwin and Missy Elliot in their
commercials. In return, celebrities amplified company’s presence. For example, Alec Baldwin
and Missy Elliot tweeted gifs and ad teasers of Amazon’s first Super Bowl commercial that they
starred in.
Squarespace moved beyond the commercial and came up with a creative and fresh way to keep
the conversation around the Super Bowl while advertising their company.
Key and Peel Host Squarespace’s #RealTalk
Squarespace live-streamed a three-hour comedic commentary of the Big Game, hosted by
comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele who acted as two aspiring Atlanta
sportscasters ‘Lee and Morris’. The only catch was that neither the comedians nor the platform
could trademark anything related to the ‘Big Game’. The resulting commentary was both funny
for football fans and uniquely relatable to non-sports fans.
This new form of Super Bowl entertainment made Key and Peele the most searched
commentators for Super Bowl 50. This campaign was a great example of how to engage
celebrity influencers, in unexpected ways, that go beyond performances in an ad spot.
4. Odd Ball Humor to Break the Internet:
Super Bowl 50 was all about the odd, and somewhat nightmarish commercials that left an
imprint on audiences forever. No longer will hot men and adorable dogs suffice, but rather

4. Mountains Dew’s spokes creature #Puppymonkeybaby and Doritos Baby are the new tactic that
left the Internet astonished.
#puppymonkeybaby reaction meme
Yes #puppymonkeybaby left many scared and wondering what they just encountered, but it
brilliantly spoke to the social media generation. Quickly, the Internet took the disturbing
creature and created comedic content. Now there are memes, t-shirts, and gifs that will keep
the animal-human hybrid alive, even though we may not want it to.
These commercials were not groundbreaking but they made an impression. Any impression,
good or bad, is what sometimes ends up being the creative driver behind Super Bowl spots.
5. Emergence of New Platform Marketing:
According to Instagram representatives, 38 million people engaged with the app’s Super Bowl-
related content 155 million times on Sunday.
While on Snapchat, Gatorade took advantage of sponsored lenses and asked fans to virtually
Snapchat themselves and friends getting Gatorade baths.
Facebook and Twitter might still dominate the attention on social ads for the Super Bowl,
Instagram and Snapchat are paving unique ways for advertisers to take advantage of their
features to create memorable relationships with consumers.
For more insights from Sharp Communications follow along on Twitter @Sharp_Think.