The Super Bowl of Ads

I like the Super Bowl and I like it even better when my beloved Denver Broncos are playing. But even when they aren’t, I still enjoy watching the ads. Some are quite clever and some, well, aren’t.

How about this year’s crop?

Most surveys show the Jeep ad featuring Bill Murray and his groundhog, the Google “Loretta” ad where a man is using technology to help preserve memories of his late wife, and the ad for Rocket Mortgage starring Jason Momoa were hits. My favorite, the Microsoft ad featuring 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, also was mentioned.

So what ties these ads together? And more importantly, why should you care?

Simply put, these ads stood out because they were relevant, relatable, timely and memorable. These are the marks of good communications whether you’re creating a million dollar ad or a photo caption for a social media post.

The Jeep/Bill Murray ad nailed it with humor. Groundhog Day is a classic movie so the scenes were familiar and the story line made sense. Best of all, it was timely. I mean how don’t you run a Groundhog Day themed ad on Groundhog Day?

The Rocket Mortgage/Jason Momoa ad also used humor to let us in on the joke that Aquaman isn’t really as ripped as we believed. Deep down, he’s just a regular guy with regular problems and a regular mortgage. Clever and memorable.

The Google ad was partway through before I caught onto what was happening. I was drawn into the story because of how relatable and beautifully done it was. I fell in love with the couple at the end.

The Katie Sowers/Microsoft ad had the most direct connection to the game of all. The ad showed Sowers actually using the product to help her do her coaching job. Plus I loved when she said, “I’m not trying to be the best female coach. I’m trying to be the best coach.” Respect, sister, respect.

What were your favorites?