The Super Bowl is the most-watched broadcasting event in the United States. Viewership for the 2022 Super Bowl alone came in at over 101 million. In fact, it claims the top 30 spots for highest viewership of any broadcast, aside from the final episode of M*A*S*H in 1983.
Since the Super Bowl garners more attention than anything else on TV, it’s no surprise that the commercials are a serious investment. According to NBC, a 30-second commercial during the 2022 Super Bowl cost about $6.5 million (and that doesn’t include the cost of producing the commercial, which can also soar into the millions if celebrities are involved).
And, it’s not just the Super Bowl that demands huge ad budgets. The Academy Awards are coming up at the end of March, and a 30-second commercial during the coverage costs about $2.15 million. National commercials during popular primetime TV shows and weekly sports coverage can cost anywhere from $155k to $784k.
High-profile commercials are costly, and they’re not a feasible option for every company. But the huge audiences and high cost of advertising make these ads an interesting study. And as marketers and advertisers, the lessons we learn from the ads can pay off big time.
Lessons from the 2022 Super Bowl commercials
Connect to your target audience
Capturing the attention of your target customer and keeping them engaged is the goal of every good marketing strategy. When you’re spending money on a big TV commercial, the goal becomes maximizing your investment with your target audience and converting them to customers.
Doing that requires tying the message, imagery, and celebrity into your brand story in a compelling way. Nissan’s Thrill Driver ad uses a star-studded cast and action movie tropes to sell the all-new Nissan Z and electric Nissan Ariya.
Nissan kept the momentum going with an interactive experience. A Snapchat filter, Giphy channel, and a sweepstakes to win the new 2023 Nissan Z. The campaign builds excitement and a sense of community among car enthusiasts.
Share a bigger message
As we head into the third year of the pandemic, Super Bowl commercials took a noticeably lighthearted approach to their messaging — without sacrificing cultural awareness.
Hellmann’s “Mayo x Mayo” commercial hit the mark. It addressed the issue of food waste in a humorous but impactful way. In it, NFL linebacker Jerod Mayo tackles people who are about to throw away food. It shares a public service message, and it fits seamlessly with the brand’s main offering: a condiment that makes foods tastier.
Find ways to measure results
It’s difficult to trace the results of most TV commercials. Typically, companies won’t know if increased website traffic, social media likes, or sales are the result of a specific TV commercial or some other marketing effort.
Coinbase took a unique approach with their Super Bowl ad. The 60-second Coinbase commercial consisted entirely of a bouncing QR code, and it cost nearly $14 million.
The QR code directed people to an offer for $15 in Bitcoin if they signed up for a Coinbase account within two days. In return, Coinbase got:
- 20 million hits on its landing page in one minute
- 2nd most popular app on Apple’s App Store (up from 186th)
- 4% increase in stock price the next day (estimated $2 billion market cap increase)
Advertising isn’t just about those big-time spots
Maybe a Super Bowl ad spot is a bit out of your budget. But more importantly — maybe a high-profile commercial like that doesn’t even align with your advertising strategy.
No matter what methods of advertising you choose, nothing is more important than connecting with your target audience. To do that, you need a clear understanding of the customers you want to attract and the problems your brand can help them solve.
It’s a big job, so don’t take a shot in the dark. Our marketing team at Iconic Digital can help. We love tackling all the tough questions and defining holistic advertising strategies. We dive into your brand, to deliver a strategic plan that makes sense for you.
From customer definition to sales funnel creation, we work with you to craft the messages and utilize the marketing channels that reach (and resonate) with your customers, resulting in more sales and longer-lasting relationships.
Sound good? Talk with our Iconic strategy team to get started.
