(Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
In a Super Bowl advertising year marked by an unprecedented number of A-List celebrities, humorous and light tones, and high tech products (including 4 ads for cryptocurrency and references to NFTs and the metaverse) many brands put their best foot forward. As a result, it was difficult to whittle this list down to five, so before listing them, some honorable mentions are in order. While falling short of the top five, Doritos/Cheetos, Google Pixel 6, Uber Eats, Lays, Toyota (”The Joneses”), FTX, Planet Fitness, and Budweiser deserve special mention as strong ads.
In compiling this list in addition to considering whether the ad is likely to meet its objectives, multiple rating sources were considered: USA Today’s Admeter’s likeability ratings drawn from a very large group of consumers; the ADPLAN ratings of the Kellogg School of Business MBAs, Advertising Age’s published ratings of the ads, and Sprout Social’s list of the most active brands mentioned around the Super Bowl.
#5 Amazon Alexa (“Mind Reader” with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost)
In a year marked by successful use of “A” list celebrity endorsers, the use of self-deprecating humor by its stars helped make this ad a success. As my own co-authored research has found, Super Bowl ads that are unique from other ads in the current Super Bowl but consistent with the brand’s positioning tend to be the most effective. Without Johansson and Jost and a clever set of Alexa related gags, it is not likely that this ad would have been unique enough. Given positive reaction to it, the ad appears poised to boost Alexa’s brand equity. The ad was ranked #2 out of 66 by USA Today, received an “A” from Kellogg’s ADPLAN, 4 out of 5 stars from Advertising Age, and according to social media experts Sprout Social, was the second most Tweeted about ad around the Super Bowl and generated strong engagement.
#4 Chevrolet Silverado “New Generation”
While targeted at a more specific demographic than many Super Bowl ads, the use of the Sopranos theme and the element of surprise by using Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler, who played the children on the show, was jarring in a positive way to former viewers of the show. The theme of ad focused on how different the Silverado EV is (i.e., not your father’s Silverado) and having Meadow Soprano be the actual owner of the vehicle in the ad is a nice touch that accentuates that many women watch the Super Bowl and buy pick-up trucks too. For those who have been around long enough it may also ease bad memories of the ill-fated “This is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile” for General Motors. The spot is likely to increase interest in the Silverado, put it into consideration sets in the long-term and boost brand equity. The ad scored #27 on USA Today’s Admeter, was graded a “C” by the Kellogg MBAs, and was rated 5 stars by Ad Age in addition to being loved by other advertising critics.
#3 Rocket Mortgage “Dream House”
Effective use of the very likeable Anna Kendrick and the iconic Barbie (perhaps the ultimate A lister as the world’s all time best-selling toy) and her dream dollhouse in a highly creative ad that reinforces the product benefit of using Rocket’s services to find a home in a highly competitive market. Rated #1 by USA’s Admeter, graded a B by the Kellogg students and rated at 5 stars by Advertising Age.
#2 Coinbase - Less Talk, More Bitcoin
A remarkable ad in terms of how much attention it grabbed in a Super Bowl crowded with ads with high production costs/great creative. The clever use of bouncing QR codes drive many people to Coinbase’s site where they could sign up for a contest. Very effective in boosting awareness, getting sign-ups, and allowing for first party data collection that can later be used to target consumers. Voted the least liked ad (#66) by USA Today’s advertisers, but surely achieved its objectives. The ad was graded at an A on ADPLAN and received 3 stars from Advertising Age and generated the most tweets and engagements according to Sprout Social.
#1 BMW “Zeus and Hera”
The opening ad of the 2022 Super Bowl started things off with a bang – or a shock— as it may be. Great use of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek Pinault as the title characters. Very relevant use of humor to keep the focus on electricity and BMW’s EVs, and a nice touch ending with Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue. In addition, the pet “Peggy” Pegasus is a clear hit that perhaps should be brought back for the brand. Excellent ad for keeping BMW on consumers’ minds when thinking about EVs. The ad rated #7 on USA Today’s Admeter, was given an A by ADPLAN, and rated at 4.5 stars by Ad Age in addition to producing high engagement according to Sprout Social.
