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What Super Bowl XLV can teach you about modern communication

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Another  year & another Super Bowl (XLV) with all the hype that surrounds it—and I'm just talking about the Super Bowl XLV TV ads, which, it could be argued, has almost eclipsed the game itself. 

The build up to these commercials is as incredible as the price for a :30 spot on Super Bowl XLV, which cost USD 3M. And remember that does not include production costs which can jack the price even higher (I'm talking to you Budweiser). It's no wonder with price tags that look more like small movie budgets, that they now come out with coming attractions for these commercials the week before the "big game." 

People will argue over which commercial was best (I preferred the Chrysler ad featuring Eminem ... "Imported from Detroit," a great line). But what the commercials teach us is that advertising has to be utterly engaging. It either has to be very interesting or very entertaining, or both.

I just read a great article by Joe Frydl entitled Can content win the battle for attention? He writes about how the idea that the best way to capture someone's attention is to be relevant is now passé. Relevant isn't enough anymore, because everyone is relevant. You and six of your competitors are supplying relevant messages to your potential target. You have to do more.

Or as Frydl puts it:

"In a world in which an incomprehensively vast amount of information is consuming human attention, relevant marketing information is no longer enough. Information that also rewards the attention of the recipient in some  (even small) way will be better at capturing attention and turning it into commerce that information that is merely relevant."

We, as marketers, are not just competing with each other anymore. We are also competing against TV shows, streaming content, DVRs, daily chores, parental duties, social media, etc. to grab the very limited and time-constrained attention of the target. All things being equal—i.e., a targeted and relevant message—you must provide value to the person willing to pay attention.

It used to be said that content was king. Then that line was morphed into relevant content is king. Well, it seems that the king is dead, and that the jester is getting all the eyeballs now. We have to stop thinking how are our ads going to be different than the competition and start thinking how is this ad is going to be different, period.

And with that I give you my favorite Super Bowl XLV commercials.

Chrysler Eminem - Imported from Detroit
Made me want to go out and buy a Chrysler tomorrow, pop in an Eminem CD, and cruise by a Mercedes dealership with a smug sneer on my face.

 

Volkswagen Passat - The Force
The reaction of the kid when the car starts is perfect and makes the whole thing work.

 

Volkswagen - Black Beetle
I now have an irrational need to see the new VW Beetle.

 

Groupon - Tibet
The solemn voice of Tim Hutton with the surprise switch got the message across in a memorable way. 

 

Which is your favorite? Vote for your favorite commercials at USA Today.

 

Kevin Duffy is the Creative Director for The Duffy Agency's Boston office.

New report shows the Web hits another major milestone

For all the hype around the Internet and its ubiquitous nature, good old-fashioned TV always reigned supreme when it came to killing time. For years, the average American (and who, exactly,  is that?) would carve out 12-13 hours out of every week and hand it over to the "drug of the nation." No other mind-numbing past time came close.

 

That is, of course, until this year.

According to Forrester's annual survey of 30,000 U.S. consumers, "Understanding The Changing Needs Of The US Online Consumer, 2010" published on Monday, the average American, for the first time in its couch-potato existence, spends as much time online as watching TV offline—roughly about 13 hours a week.

Some might be quick to explain this increase in the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. However, only 35% of people use social networking sites (which is up from 17% in 2007). More specifically, another study came out by the Pew Institute that showed only 8% of adult American actually use Twitter.

What is truly amazing about this is that TV usage hasn't fallen to create this extra time to surf the Web. In fact, channel surfing is up about 5% in the last five years. However, Web surfing is up an astonishing (or maybe not) 121% in that same amount of time. It is important to note that this increase is not exclusively surfing the Web via a browser. On the contrary, a large majority of the time included in this report was devoted to email, which 92% of people use. 60% of people shop online (the second most popular Web activity after email).

So if Internet usage is up and TV usage is up, where are people finding the extra time? They are taking time away from other activities. For example, radio usage over the last 5 years has dropped by 15%. Magazine readership is down 18% (coincidentally 18% of the people surveyed read blogs regularly). And the newspaper industry is bearing the brunt of the exodus with a 26% drop in readership over the last 5 years.

So what does this mean from a marketing perspective? Well, it shows that online is as important as ever and growing in importance everyday when it comes to connecting to consumers. It also shows that although the big three networks have seen their share of revenue dips, TV in general is healthier than ever. In fact, one could argue that online advertising owns a great deal to cable TV in that cable paved the way for the type of market segmentation and demographic focus that is the backbone of Web marketing.

There will be a time in the not too distant future where people reading newspapers or simply listening to the radio will seem odd, much like someone who still uses a rotary dial phone today. But take heart, all these changes mean that we can regale our grandkids with stories of having just three main channels of TV (plus a couple UHF ones). Or how ink would stain our fingers from reading news that was delivered on actual paper. That is if our grandkids can peel their eyes from the holographic, 3D real-time virtual reality worlds and actually want to listen.

Kevin Duffy is the Creative Director for The Duffy Agency's Boston Office.

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Why the Oscars will fail at social media

 

A few years ago, there were two televised events that were guaranteed to be huge audience draws. One was the Super Bowl and the other was the Academy Awards. While the Super Bowl posted record numbers this year, the Academy Awards is having an identity crisis. In 2008, they saw an all-time ratings low and in 2009 there was only a 13% increase in viewership. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can feel their social relevancy slipping and the threat of the Oscars becoming the next Tony Awards scares the hell out of them. 

In an effort to stay more relevant, the Academy increased the Best Picture category from 5 nominees to 10 so that fan favorites like “Avatar,” “District 9,” “Up” and “The Blind Side” could get a best picture nod. The theory is that if you play to a wider audience, you’ll attract a younger, hipper crowd instead of the current median age of 49. 

The Academy launched their Facebook FanPage last week and it’s a good start connecting to the fans. They did a livestream of the Oscar Nominations there, as well as on various news sites. This is the first time they’ve ever allowed the nominations to be broadcast online. There are photos from past events, behind-the-scenes videos from this year’s ceremony and interviews with celebrities. Overall, it’s a good start for the Oscars attempt at using social media. 


To see how the Academy really feels about social media, take a look at the YouTube tab in their Facebook page. The tab links videos on YouTube to appear on Facebook, or it would if embedding of the videos was enabled. This is really where we see the chink in the Academy armor when it comes to social media. They want to appear to be social, but at the same time maintain control of everything. They want to keep tight reigns on all of their assets and, for a traditionally conservative organization, having a YouTube channel and a Facebook account must seem like cutting edge participation. 

When the big day hits, social media will be lacking in their plans. You won’t see a Twitter page where tweets about the presentation will stream, giving fans a chance to talk to each other. You won’t see a sponsored chat room where fans can gather to talk about the presentation. You won’t see the presentation live on their Facebook page. You won’t see an instant poll where the audience can vote before the award is announced, or a million other ideas that would tie in perfectly with the event.  

The Academy does more than just an annual broadcast. They have an education & outreach program, events and exhibitions throughout the year, as well as research and preservation programs. All of these are ripe for social media extensions to increase public outreach. 

People love movies – record breaking box office numbers are a testament to that. If the Academy took themselves a little less seriously and embraced the masses they so desperately desire, the Oscars could once again become the mega event it used to be and gain the popular respect it so dearly wants. 

Do you think they’ll be able to evolve and survive, or will they stagnate and sink? 

The Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads of 2010

The Super Bowl is the time of year when many companies show the world their creative "A-game" and set the tone of their marketing efforts for the rest of year. 2010 showed a surprisingly solid batch of commercials during this year's Super Bowl. We wanted to take a moment to show you the best, the average and the worst ads from the 2010 Super Bowl.

The Best

Home Away Griswalds

The classic 80’s movie National Lampoon's Vacation gets an updating thanks to Homeaway.com. I don’t know what they do, but I want to go to the site to see the rest of the movie.

Coca Cola - Hard Times / Simpsons

Coke and The Simpsons, it’s the best match since The Simpsons and Butterfinger. 

Volkswagen - PunchDub

Volkswagen plays with the slug bug game and gives a great punch line.

Dr Pepper Cherry - Dr Love / Little Kiss

Kiss and little people. What could be better? Nothing, that's what.

Bud Light - Asteroid

Bud Light’s theme for the Super Bowl this year appears to be avoiding disasters through Bud Light. The world’s worst astronomers discover Bud Light makes it all better.

Google - Parisian Love

This ad does a great job of showing how Google is used in life. Surprisingly effective.

McDonald's - Play You For it

McDonalds revisits familiar territory with a new version of the classic Michael Jordan/Larry Bird commercial from the 90’s.

Snickers - The Game

Abe Vigoda and Betty White in the same commercial! Score one for Snickers.

Godaddy - Movies / Danica Patrick

GoDaddy.com doesn’t shy away from the sexist commercials but for once, they don’t just focus on women with large breasts.

Vizio - Beyonce / HDTV 

I don’t know what it will do but I want it.

The Last Airbender

It’s hard to believe that M. Night Shyamalan has a movie that anyone wants to see, but this trailer makes it look very promising.

The Average

Bud Light - Plane Crash

LOST has returned and Bud Light cashes in on the phenomena. 

Boost Mobile - Shuffle

Now here is something I never thought I would see. Mobile Boost dusted off the Bears Super Bowl Shuffle (one of the most embarrassing sports events ever) and made it fun. 

Cars.com - Timothy Richman

Fans of Wes Anderson should enjoy this little slice of life ad.

Teleflora - Valentines day/ Don Rickles talking tulips

Don Rickles makes everything better. 

Denny's - Chicken Warning

Good day to be an American (unless you have cholesterol issues). Bad day to be a chicken.

Doritos - Underdog

Doritors returns with their fan created commercials. Speak boy, speak.

Focus on Family - Pam & Tim Tebow

Anti-abortion group Focus on Family does a surprisingly good ad that isn’t political. It even has a little humor in it.

Shutter Island

Great trailer that reminds us that Scorsese can do horror just as well as gangster films.

Honda Accord Crosstour - Squirrel

I have no idea what this has to do with Honda but it sure is pretty.

EA - Dante's Inferno - Go To hell

Don’t know how the gameplay is, but it looks amazing.

The Worst

Coca Cola  - Sleepwalker 

A sleepwalker risks his life to get a Coke. It felt neither creative nor inventive. Coke has done so many great ads over the year, this one just felt lazy and uninspired.

Michelob Ultra - Lance

Lance Armstrong hawking beer just feels wrong.

Bud Light - Bridge Out 

Bud Light gives us a swing and a miss. There appears to be a small town of highly functioning alcoholics that would risk their lives by forming a human bridge to get beer. Why?

Bridgestone - "Your Tires or Your Life" 

What starts as a nice homage to Mad Max style films ends in a bit of misogyny. Fail.

Dockers - Wear the pants

Free pants not withstanding, watching a bunch of pudgy men walk around in their underwear is not good for anyone.

ETrade - Baby Girlfriend

The Etrade babies have over-stayed their welcome. Time to put them down for a nap.

Bud Light - Light House

I was waiting for that moment when the house crashed down around them because they drank out a retaining wall.

Monster.com - Fiddling Beaver 

I’m not really sure what they where thinking when they created this idea because a beaver that can play the fiddle certainly doesn't need help getting a job. It's pretty amazing all on its own.

Hyundai - Paint

Calling a Hyundai a beautiful work of art is really stretching the meaning of ”art”.

Dodge Charger - Man's Last Stand

I’m not sure if they are saying men are a bunch of slobs or women are shrews. Regardless, the Dodge Charger is here to straighten it all out.

CBS Late Show - Dave 

I don’t know how CBS did it, but having Dave, Oprah and Jay together watching the Super Bowl was comically awkward. For three people that are in front of millions on a daily basis, they couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable in front of the camera.

There you have it. The good, the average and the worst of the 2010 Super Bowl ads. What were your favorites and which did you think were the most ill conceived?

The best Super Bowl ads of the decade

This Sunday is the ad world’s Christmas. The Super Bowl stopped being about football for most of us a long time ago (especially for us working in advertising). But it’s not just about catching the funniest ads during the game, now it’s seeing which gets the most hits on YouTube. 

So we decided to dig up our favorite Super Bowl TV spots on YouTube and get a bit nostalgic. Here are our favorite ads from each of the last ten years. 

2000 – The Cat Herders 

EDS shows us what the wild west would have looked like if it had been settled by a crazy cat lady.

  


2001 – Running of the Squirrels 

EDS claims the first two spots with another bizarre animal themed ad. 
 

2002 – Crazy Legs

Apparently, Levis jeans turn your legs into silly putty. 
 

2003 – Office Linebacker

The violence of football invades the office in this hilarious spot from Reebok. So funny we’ve embedded the long version.

2004 – Alien in the Office

Bloodthirsty aliens prefer FedEx. As if that wasn’t obvious already.

2005 – Fantasy Creatures Invade the Living Room

A father lies to his child so he doesn’t have to share his Emerald Nuts. But she has friends in high places.
 

2006 – The Dragon

A beautifully animated spot from United Airlines about the magic of flight.
 

  

2007 –Learning English

A group of immigrants learn the finer points of regional dialects from a Bud Light spokesman.
 

2008 – Magnetic Attraction 

Not many things are more satisfying than watching Justin Timberlake take a beating…except maybe Adam Sandberg randomly appearing in drag.

2009 – The Evil Plot

Alec Bladwin tells us how Hulu is taking cerebral gelatinizing to the next level. We don’t stand a chance.

Let us know if we missed your favorite. Go to The Duffy Agency website for an early peek at this year’s Super Bowl ads. Stay tuned for Monday’s full review of the highs and lows of Sunday's showing.       

Jason Ross is a copywriter for The Duffy Agency. He loves working on both traditional and social media projects and speculating on the future of the ad industry. 

The Future Is Free

According to Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired Magazine and author of The Long Tail, the future is free, or as Chris calls it “Freeconomics.” It’s no longer about charging for a service but giving the base away and charging for the upgrades and extras. In other words, “giveaway the abundance, sell the scarcity.”

At the Media Evolution in Malmö, Sweden yesterday, Chris spent almost an hour giving us what amounts to basically an outline to his new book, “Free, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love $0.00.” While not groundbreaking, Chris gave an interesting lecture that had some comments that appeared to be a rude wake up for the panel that followed.

Today’s generation expects everything to be free. From games to music to movies, the expectation is it’s out there for the taking and you shouldn’t have to pay for it. That is in direct contrast to older generations where you expect to pay for everything.  The balance falls in-between.  You can see this happening with everything from video games to music sites. You give away the base service and then charge for the add-on or unique version. With Second Life, you get the basic online interaction but if you want house, that’s going to cost you. Spotify allows you to listen to free music all day, but if you want to avoid commercials, that’s going to require a credit card.

Chris has taken this model and applied it to his new book. You can get the mp3, pdf or any other online version for free, but it will cost you $24.95 to buy the hardback version. This is a great model for him because it is a quick and easy way to disseminate his ideas. His publisher thinks it is a horrible concept. Since they are in the market to sell books, just giving it away is not what they want to see.

Publishers of content (music, literature, movies, etc) are not prepared to handle the freeconomy. After Chris’ lecture, there was a panel filled with publishers and it was obvious they weren’t thrilled with Chris’ message. As more and more newspapers and magazines fail, it’s hard to compete with free online news and information. The solution is to build a following with free and then convert them to offline clients with good content. It’s not an easy sell to publishers but you either embrace the future or you fall by the side for those who can.

Overall, I would call the Media Evolution a positive experience. The panel at the end was well organized and it was interesting to hear the concerns of the panelists. Chris is a talented speaker and was able to hold the huge crowd’s attention. In the future, I would like to see it expand to a full day’s conference with a keynote speaker at the end. There are enough people in the Nordic region to fill six hours. For the price, hearing two and half hours worth of material seems a little steep. Sure there were other events (live singer and an after party) but they felt more like padding and didn’t add any real value.  Also, how do you not have free wi-fi at an event that talks about the value of free?

I hope they have more Media Evolutions. It was a good start and I met some interesting people. If you want to see Chris’s lecture and hear the panel, Media Evolutions has the entire event up to view.

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Stefan Halley is the Digital Project Leader for The Duffy Agency. He love to talk about social media and won't shut up about Twitter.

Best and Worst of Super Bowl 2009 Ads

This year’s Super Bowl didn’t disappoint.  It was an intense showdown between the Cardinals and the Steelers.  The other half of the viewing experience is that multimillion dollar ads that companies create.  These are the best and worst of this year’s Super Bowl Ads. What are your favorites? What should have been on added?

Cutest – E-Trade – Baby Broken Wings

Well It Starts Good… Sobe – Lizard Swan Lake

Most Unexpected – Cash4Gold.com – McHammer & Ed McMahon

Funniest – Doritos – Crystal Ball/Snow Globe

Weirdest – Cheetos  - Spoiled Girl

Best Product Re-Positioning – Pepsi Max – I’m Good

Sentimental Favorite – Gatorade -  Talking Heads/Tiger

Evil Aliens Are Taking Over – Hulu.com – Alec Baldwin

Worst – GoDaddy.com – Enhanced Hearing

MVP – Bridgestone – Potatoheads & Hot Item