Recently, Fox announced that it has already sold out all of its advertising inventory for this year’s Super Bowl, with advertisers paying as much as $7 million for a :30 spot.
And why not?
The Super Bowl is consistently the most watched U.S. television event, averaging more than 120 million viewers per Nielsen. Not only that, over 80% of viewers consistently say they watch every commercial, per an annual Super Poll conducted by Platinum Rye Entertainment (PRE), a division of Dallas-based TMA (The Marketing Arm). Almost one out of five say they watch the game “mostly for the commercials.”
But what are consumers looking for in a Big Game ad?
PRE decided to find out. PRE, procurers of talent and IP for brands and agencies, is historically among the biggest buyers of celebrity talent for these Big Game ads. PRE has taken ownership of TMA’s annual Super Poll, fielding a survey in October among a representative sample of 1,000+ viewers across geographies, genders, ages and ethnicities. Questions covered the viewing experience, what people look for in Big Game ads, the role of celebrities in these ads, the rise of influencers and social experiences, and more.
Findings reveal that while some things may have changed, others remain the same. Here are some highlights
Consumers’ favorite type of Super Bowl ad is still one that makes them laugh. Their second-favorite type is a nostalgic “throwback,” reflecting the wave of ads in recent years that channeled IP from decades-old TV series and films.
FAVORITE TYPE OF SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL
Hilarious. Give me laughs. 71%
Throwback. A blast from the past. 17
Interactive. Give me something to do. 7
Sentimental. Hit me in the feels. 5
Women are more likely than men to watch the Super Bowl “mostly for the commercials.” In fact, less than half of all respondents watch the Super Bowl “mostly for the game.”
WHAT DO YOU WATCH THE SUPER BOWL FOR?
Total Women Men
Mostly for the game. 44% 30% 59%
Mostly for the experience. 24 25 23
Mostly for the commercials. 18 22 13
Mostly for halftime show. 14 23 5
People like to see celebrities in Super Bowl ads. Commercials with celebrities are believed to be more entertaining and effective. That is especially true of Gen Z viewers.
ARE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS WITH CELEBRITIES MORE ENTERTAINING?
Total 18-27
Yes 67% 79%
No 34 21
ARE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS WITH CELEBRITIES MORE EFFECTIVE?
Total 18-27
Yes 61% 77%
No 39 23
The Taylor Swift effect is everywhere. She is the #1 celebrity people would like to see in a Super Bowl ad and the #1 artist they would like to see at halftime. Interestingly, Donald Trump is #3 among the celebrities and this year’s halftime performer, Kendrick Lamar, is #3 among halftime artists.
CELEBRITY YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO SEE IN A SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL
(Top Ten Open-Ended Responses)
Taylor Swift
Snoop Dogg
Donald Trump
Beyonce
Kevin Hart
Ryan Reynolds
Dwayne Johnson (#1 in previous polls)
Eminem
Rihanna
Peyton Manning
ARTIST YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO PERFORM IN A HALFTIME SHOW
(Top Ten Open-Ended Responses)
Taylor Swift
Metallica
Kendrick Lemar
Jelly Roll
Lil Wayne
Beyonce
Shakira
Snoop Dogg
Eminem
Bruno Mars
Patrick Mahomes has cracked the top ten list of favorite Super Bowl quarterbacks for the first time. In fact, he’s the only active quarterback to rank among the Top Ten. That said, Tom Brady continues to be ranked #1 and by a margin of double his closest challenger, Joe Montana.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER BOWL QUARTERBACK OF ALL TIME
(Top Ten Open-Ended Responses)
Tom Brady
Joe Montana
Patrick Mahomes
Peyton Manning
Troy Aikman
Eli Manning
Brett Farve
John Elway
Terry Bradshaw
Joe Namath
Interest in seeing social media influencers in Super Bowl ads is strong. This is especially true among Gen Z and African-American audiences.
WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE SOCIAL INFLUENCERS/CREATORS IN SUPER BOWL ADS
Total 18-27 African-American
Yes 42% 75% 64%
No 58 25 36
People are highly favorable towards fan-generated Super Bowl ads. This bodes well for Doritos’ decision to revive its “Crash the Super Bowl” promotion and Taco Bell’s plan to use photos of customers, taken with drive-thru cams, in their ad. Again, this favorability is even stronger among younger audiences.
WANT TO SEE MORE FAN-GENERATED SUPER BOWL ADS
Total 18-27
Yes 75% 80%
No 25 20
People still like to be surprised by Super Bowl ads. Most would like to see a Super Bowl ad for the first time during the game. This could have an impact on marketers’ Super Bowl reveal strategies.
WHEN DO YOU PREFER TO SEE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS FOR THE FIRST TIME
During the game 85%
In the days before the game 12
In the days after the game 4
People like to be engaged in Super Bowl content. This presents opportunities that go beyond just a TV ad. Engagement increases after the game.
VERY LIKELY/SOMEWHAT LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH A BRAND’S SUPER BOWL CONTENT
Before 53%
During 57
After 62
No surprise: perennial Super Bowl advertisers dominate the ads that people most like and remember. Persistence pays off.
FAVORITE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL LAST YEAR
(Top Ten Open-Ended Responses)
Doritos
Budweiser
Pepsi
Coca-Cola
Dunkin’
Bud Light
State Farm
T-Mobile
Nike
Lay’s
IMPLICATIONS FOR MARKETERS
It costs a lot to purchase time in the Super Bowl. And not just the cost for media. There are also production costs, talent costs, activation costs, public relations costs, and so forth. So advertisers certainly don’t want to go unnoticed.
Findings from this year’s Super Poll offer insights into what viewers are looking for in this year’s ads: humor, surprise, celebrities, a chance for engagement and, of course, breakthrough creative that will be remembered next year and for years to come.
