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Essay / The Concept of Brand Awareness Based on Super Bowl Commercials
Table of Contents2016 Super Bowl CommercialsSkittlesBud LightColgateCoca-ColaConclusionThe Super Bowl is a highly televised annual American football event. During the Super Bowl, several commercials air throughout the game. Many viewers look forward to the commercials because of the creativity of many of them. The Super Bowl allows advertisers to help build brand awareness and recall. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay2016 Super Bowl CommercialsIn 2016, brands Skittles, Bud Light, Colgate, Coca-Cola, and Apartments.com ran commercials during the Super Bowl. The brands share a common theme: using an emotional messaging strategy to elicit an emotional response from consumers. On the other hand, the brands differ in terms of execution (for more information, see Appendix A).SkittlesSkittles is a brand known for its colorful candies. The Skittles slogan “taste the rainbow” is well known in most American households (Skittles, 2016). In 2016, Skittles tapped Aerosmith rock star Steven Tyler to endorse the brand. The post was extremely visually appealing as it incorporated a portrait of Stephen Tyler done with rainbow skittles. The portrait was brought to life thanks to animation. The commercial included Tyler's hit song "Dream On" to connect with consumers. Skittles took the rock theme to the next level by adding the saying “rock the Rainbow” to their slogan (Skittles, 2016). In terms of brand recognition, Skittles effectively builds awareness. They build awareness by using the product throughout the advertisement and having it endorsed by a well-known celebrity. The advertisement clearly states that the rainbow can be associated with skittles. The ad was also effective in terms of brand recall by featuring multiple Skittles in the ad and using the word multiple times. Bud LightBud Light has also used celebrities to endorse their product. The spokespeople for their 2016 Super Bowl commercial are comedians Seth Rogan and Amy Schumer. The ad incorporates humor while using a slightly political approach that beer brings America together. A study on the effects of humor in advertising showed that humor has a significant impact on building brand awareness (Khan and Khan, 2013). The ad effectively builds brand awareness by using humor while heavily incorporating the logo, name and product throughout the ad. In each scene, the actors hold Bud Light cans/bottles, stand on a Bud Light podium, and even hold Bud-Light signs. This is a great brand recognition strategy because if a viewer tunes in halfway through, they will know which brand the ad is for. The ad effectively uses brand recall by repeating the Bud Light name and logo. Colgate Unlike Skittles and Bud Light, Colgate uses a serious approach in its Super Bowl advertising. The commercial does not feature any spoken dialogue but rather the sound of a constantly running faucet. The faucet fits into their overall water-saving message. The aim of the campaign is to show that saving water while brushing your teeth is wasteful. The message asks users to turn off the tap to help save water (Colgate, 2016). In terms of brand awareness, Colgate is effectively boosting its recognition by tackling asocial problem and taking corporate social leadership (CSL). Brands often use CSL to build awareness by launching campaigns on social and environmental issues. Hilton (2003) states: “If customers are inspired on a large scale by CSL, it will have a powerful ripple effect on all other target audiences” (p. 372). Colgate is building brand awareness by providing social leadership to help save water. The theme of saving water is linked to their toothpaste product. The downside to this type of advertising is that if a viewer tunes in mid-way through, they won't have a clear idea of what's happening in the commercial. This is ineffective in terms of brand recall because there is no repetition of what the product is. Coca-Cola Unlike Colgate, Coca-Cola uses its own product and dialogue throughout its advertising to build brand awareness. Throughout the commercial, a can of Coca-Cola is the main center of attention. The ad also uses animation, including The Hulk and Ant Man, to tell the story of the last Coke washed away. The message of the ad is that everyone wants a little bit of Coca-Cola. The ad effectively builds brand awareness by using a narrative approach while constantly incorporating the product throughout the ad. The narrative approach is becoming a common way for marketers to promote plot-centered products (Clow and Baack, 2016). Coca-Cola is a well-established brand, so storytelling is an effective way to get consumers interested in watching. Like Coca-Cola, the Apartments.com brand uses a storytelling approach to convey a message of advancement in life. In their ad, the whimsical musical approach of a choir singing Moving On Up shows a man moving into his new apartment. The ad incorporates humor by having the man being brought into his new home by a crane while he plays a grand piano. The song Moving Up relates to the brand's image of growing in life, like growing into a new apartment. Even though the brand name isn't introduced until the end, it's clear that the ad is about moving into a new apartment. The brand effectively strengthens its awareness by including music related to the brand in the advertisement. Studies show that music can change the way the viewer feels when watching advertising (Morris and Boone, 1998). If a viewer experiences positive feelings while watching, this can lead to positive feelings toward the brand. However, you should know that the same goes for negative feelings. If a viewer is unhappy with the music, it can lead to negative feelings. Advertising for Apartments.com could have positive or negative effects on the consumer depending on their musical choice. In terms of brand recall, the ad doesn't effectively restate or repeat who they are. The ad could be improved by incorporating more of their logo throughout the ad to remind consumers who the brand is. Benefits of airing ads during the Super Bowl. A major benefit of running ads during the Super Bowl is the viewership and immediate feedback. Around 110 million viewers watch the game and 73% consider the advertisements as entertainment (Clow & Baack, 2016). The Super Bowl allows businesses to reach a large audience in one go and many are willing to watch the ads. Many businesses view the Super Bowl as an opportunity to build brand awareness. For example, Paul Chibe, vice president of Anheuser-Busch, said a.