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I just spent an excessive amount of time doing research for this column. Why? Because I started down the rabbit hole of looking at some of the best Superbowl ads of all time and was reminded of the incredible, time-sucking power of exceptional advertising (go ahead and click on the links in this sentence if you're short on time, I dare you).
Remember these?
The thwarted love between a Budweiser horse and a labrador puppy is overcome with adorable determination
A long-distance romance plays out entirely in Google searches
An older Michael Jordan poignantly plays a pickup game against his younger self thanks to impressive visual effects... and Gatorade
A hammer-wielding woman smashes a propaganda film in a future dystopia to illustrate that, thanks to Apple, "1984 won't be like 1984."
A Star Wars-obsessed kid who dreams of using the force like Darth Vader is frustrated until his father remotely starts his new VW at just the right moment
Always illustrates both sexism and the power of women by contrasting how adults behave when asked to do things "like a girl" and how real girls do them
All of these ads were, at their heart, pure commercial manipulation. But as my morning's YouTube binge illustrates, they're so compelling that a random writer can't tear her eyes away even years or decades after some of the products being advertised were discontinued.
What's the secret of such powerful advertising? A new study from a pair of Boise State marketing professors thinks they've found the secret recipe and it can best be summed up in just one word -- bittersweet.
For their research, professors Niusha Jones and Anne Hamby carefully reviewed 296 recent Super Bowl ads, looking not at things like messaging, visuals, or production but instead at the underlying emotions depicted in the ads. A clear pattern jumped out at the researchers.
"Happiness was the most common emotion portrayed, but we were surprised to learn that 80% of these ads featured at least one negative emotion in addition to happiness," they wrote on The Conversation recently, explaining their results. For some of the most carefully crafted and high-stakes ads, the recipe for success was clear: "take laughter, add tears."
The pair use a spot for the Winter Olympics featuring the challenges and triumphs of skier Lindsey Vonn to illustrate their point, but let's see how this formula compares to some of the most beloved ads ever, which I listed above.
Budweiser's unlikely horse-dog love story, which is mirrored in the suggestive gazes of their respective owners, begins in frustration and struggle (tears) before ending in satisfying reunion (happiness).
Will a relationship kindled on a study abroad trip to France work out? Google milks the subtly implied challenges (tears) and eventual happy ending (happiness) of this love story for all it's worth.
Getting older is a drag even for Michael Jordan (tears), but Gatorade points out that determination, wisdom, and sports drinks can keep us fit and positive despite the passing of the years (happiness).
Technology can be scary and so can progress, as many a sci-fi novel has illustrated (tears), but the right mindset -- Apple has it -- can save us (happiness).
Being small and helpless is frustrating (tears), but love and imagination make childhood magical (happiness).
Sexism is real and it sucks (tears), but times are changing and girls are full of optimism and power (happiness).
Not every iconic Super Bowl ad follows this formula, of course. Cindy Crawford climbing out of a red Lamborghini in a pair of daisy dukes to drink Pepsi is the straight-up thirst trap that it appears to be. Old Spice Guy is all laughter and no tears (unless you count the frustration that your man is not him).
But my trip deep into the archives of beloved Super Bowl ads seems to strongly support Jones and Hamby's thesis -- a huge proportion of the best-loved ads throughout the years feature a mix of emotions that can only be called bittersweet.
If you're a small-business owner, a Super Bowl spot may be stratospherically out of your budget, but the general principle still holds. Whether you're looking to come up with content for your social media channels or a local TV spot, your advertising will likely have the greatest impact if it can manage to mix in both laughter and tears.
A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta
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The Bittersweet Recipe Behind the Most Powerful Super Bowl Ads of All Time, According to New Marketing Research
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16.01.2024
Leadership Worthy of a Legacy: A Blueprint for Today's Leaders, Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.
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After Cookies, Businesses Will Need to Find New Ways to Reach Customers
Amazon Joins the Fit-Tech Frenzy to Curb Returns. Is Now the Time to Give the AI Tools a Try?
5 Documentaries for Business Owners at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
I just spent an excessive amount of time doing research for this column. Why? Because I started down the rabbit hole of looking at some of the best Superbowl ads of all time and was reminded of the incredible, time-sucking power of exceptional advertising (go ahead and click on the links in this sentence if you're short on time, I dare you).
Remember these?
The thwarted love between a Budweiser horse and a labrador puppy is overcome with adorable determination
A long-distance romance plays out entirely in Google searches
An older Michael Jordan poignantly plays a pickup game against his younger self thanks to impressive visual effects... and Gatorade
A hammer-wielding woman smashes a........
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