The Super Bowl is the most important day in the NFL, and it is arguably one of the most important for advertising, as well. With thirty seconds of air time costing around $5 million, companies spend all year developing their commercials to grab the attention of viewers around the world. Our expert marketing mavens are sharing their opinions on this year’s best Super Bowl commercials. Keep reading to check out PRISM’s favorite Super Bowl ads of 2019.
Coca-Cola’s “A Coke is a Coke”
Copywriter Kory Thomas believes that Coca-Cola’s commercial was the best of the night. Throughout the commercial, Coke bottles were being shared amongst individuals, and it serves to connect the community. Though the narration admits the differences amongst those who enjoy a bottle, it reassures that having differences are quite alright. At the end of the commercial, a voice says, “Don’t you see? Differences are beautiful, and ‘together’ is beautiful, too.”
“As a prime symbol for American entrepreneurship, Coca-Cola and their commercial remind Americans how our similarities should eclipses our differences. I was mesmerized by how the cartoon effectively demonstrates unity, regardless of race, gender, beliefs, or socioeconomic status. I hope our nation can reflect on this piece and begin working to put differences aside for the common good,” said Thomas.
Bumble’s “Ball in Her Court”
PRISMites Shreya Thum and Hanna Kron have been talking about Bumble’s “Ball in Her Court” campaign. The ad features Olympic gold medalist tennis player Serena Williams; she empowers women to take control of their lives and “make the first move” - especially with the help of Bumble’s many apps.
“Despite not mentioning what Bumble is or the service it offers, the company definitely got a lot of traction through featuring Serena Williams and women's empowerment. It was a very memorable commercial and had people talking and spreading the message over social media. The Super Bowl tends to feature female empowerment commercials every year, thought I would say the ones from last night were the best,” said Thum.
“I really like the Bumble Super Bowl add because it is much more than a promotion for a dating/networking/friendship app, and about empowering women. I think Serena Williams is a perfect representation of the app with the campaign ‘The Ball is in Her Court’. In the ad, the tennis super star encourages women to not wait and that they have the power. Williams tells women, ‘You already have it. So make the first move, in work, in love, and in life,” added Kron.
Burger King’s “#EatLikeAndy”
Another highly talked about Super Bowl 2019 commercial was Burger King’s “Eat Like Andy”. The video used a video of American artist Andy Warhol eating one of BK’s famous Whoppers. Considering Warhol died in 1987, viewers around the world have responded with shock, but it has re-sparked a popular interest for his impact on the arts. Warhol’s image was used with the permission of the Andy Warhol Foundation from the experimental film 66 Scenes from America he starred in in 1982. PRISM CMO Amanda Tinkleman named “Eat Like Andy” as her favorite Super Bowl ad of 2019.
"My favorite commercial was Burger King's #EatLikeAndy spot. After looking into it, I thought it was so cool how Burger King used actual footage of Andy Warhol eating a burger. To me, that is the ultimate use of product placement," said Tinkleman.
The NFL’s “The 100-Year Game”
Multimedia team member Oliver Meredith said his favorite commercial of Super Bowl LIII was the NFL’s “The 100-Year Game.” With NFL All-Stars of all generations, this ad showed the fun and competitive nature of football, while celebrating the NFL’s 100th season of the sport.
“I loved the NFL ‘s ‘The 100-Year Game’ commercial because it was star-studded and had lots of wacky humor,” said Meredith.
Donna Wertalik’s WDBJ7’s Interview
Lastly, PRISM’s faculty founder and advisor, Donna Wertalik, shares her opinions on Super Bowl 2019’s ads. The marketing and advertising specialist sat down with news station WDBJ7 and gave her expertise on what to watch for in Super Bowl LIII’s commercial breaks. After the Super Bowl, she gave PRISM her final opinion of who dominated the night.
“Bumble’s ‘Ball in Her Court’ was my favorite. Female empowerment, breaking the rules, the ball is in our court. Every word spoke to me and I celebrated the all female producers who created this spot. In addition, Amazon and T-Mobile made us laugh again and that brings me back to what Super Bowl commercials were all about,” said Wertalik.
The 2019 Super Bowl has come and gone, but these campaigns will surely leave a lasting impact on the marketplace. Although some commercials impressed us more than others, PRISMites are eagerly awaiting to see the future of these campaigns and the messages that will come along with them.