COCA-COLA: Best Family-Friendly Usage of Modern Social Trends
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Coca-Cola is far and away the company I would trust to immerse me in a world of belonging and comfort. In each and every commercial, Coca-Cola knows its brand, knows its values and, most importantly, knows its consumers.
Not many brands have reached this Apple-level of lifestyle brand achievement, but Coca-Cola has set the standard to do so since day one. This Super Bowl 2018 commercial was no different.
As we as a people continue to diversify ourselves with trends, religions, sexuality and identity, Coca-Cola has embraced this seamlessly. We've seen other brands alienate and segregate in the name of reaching new audiences and staying ahead of trends.
However, in this heart-warming "The Wonder of Us" commercial, Coca-Cola reigns supreme once again. It tackles our generation's new sociological landscape with class and unity - showing that not only does Coca-Cola sell a (delicious) beverage, but it sells a lifestyle. A lifestyle of which I want to be a part.
LINDSEY VONN:Best Use of Effective Storytelling
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Watch it and weep.
In just 60 seconds, this masterpiece of a commercial spans 31 of this 33-year-old's life. Set to Alicia Key's This Girl is on Fire couldn't have been a better collision of audio and visual storytelling. From the lyric of "fantasy," "catastrophe," "head in the clouds" and "not backing down," this song choice clearly portrays that Lindsey Vonn is a girl on fire!
The audience feels they know this 33-year-old after a mere 60 seconds of seeing her story play out. We adore seeing a child find her passion, smile as she competes, cringe as she is injured, cheer as she fights back and support her as she moves forward to Olympic greatness.
The difficulty is reviewing this commercial objectively is telling of its phenomenal marriage of visual timing and auditorial enhancement. The art of storytelling has been in the spotlight as a top trend in the marketing industry since 2016.
THIS is how you do it.
PEPSI: Best Monetization of Brand History
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"This is the Pepsi that’s forever fun. This is the Pepsi for every generation."
Beyond its star-studded appeal, Pepsi wisely used numerous former accolades to remind consumers why this is a brand that has stood the test of time. Monetizing accolades long after receiving them is the gold standard of PR, and Pepsi delivered it with a "pop"!
As BuzzFeed reports, "Jimmy Fallon narrates this Pepsi mini-retrospective, which features Cindy Crawford, her model son Presely Gerber, NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, and the DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the Future." Let's not forget Brittney Spears' cameo too.
The only flag I have to thrown down on this play was the phrase:
"This is the Pepsi that's back from the future and back for one last ride.
Love the BFTF/Gordon references here, but not sure the "one LAST ride" resonates with the general viewers. Instead, I found I cringed as to the counterintuitive description of a this long-lasting brand.
AVACADOS FROM MEXICO: Best Utilization of the "Viral Factor" #GuacWorld
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I am admittedly not a fan of this brand's typical marketing.
SPOILER ALERT: I am also not an avocado fan. Yes, you've now met the one and only plain, non-guac chip eater. (Maybe that should be on my Tinder bio..?)
While this commercial may not have sold me on the product, it illustrated the pentacle of the "viral factor". Much like the "it factor," the ability to go viral is not something one can create. It is something one just has.
Even the name of the commercial used a hashtag. #GuacWorld
GROUPON FT. TIFFANY HADDISH: Best Use of Trending Break Out Star as Brand Ambassador
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Known for her comedic role in Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish is arguably the biggest breakout star of 2017. Deemed an official "Super User" on Groupon's site, she has now become its newest brand ambassador.
Groupon's commercial in this year's Super Bowl is its first in years. Strategically, Groupon has dropped a string of H-I-larious Tiffany Haddish-style commercials in this YouTube playlist.
To fully appreciate Groupon's brand savvy decision to recruit Haddish, see Good Morning America's coverage of her true devotion to the brand here.
While we did get a glimmer of that #HaddishHilarity I have to admit to being disappointed in this much-anticipated collaboration. The dramatization with the football players may have been on theme, but was overdone. #HaddishHilarity needs no additives.
AMAZON'S ALEXA: Flag on the Field
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Imagine...8 executives sitting in a war room grappling with how to produce the most effective Super Bowl 2018 commercial when one jumps up shouting, "I've got it! What if Alexa lost her voice?"
At this moment, I'm in love with the idea. My marketing juices are flowing, and I'm feeling the tung of the "viral effect" at our finger tips. This lasts for about 40 seconds into the finished product. At which point, my excitement drains.
I give the concept an A+ with a gold star and an Amazon smile. The execution, however, left a lot to be desired. Our society typically falls into over sexualizing its marketing efforts in an effort to be noticed.
NEWS FLASH: If everyone else is doing it, you're more likely to to be remembered for keeping it classy. "Classy" doesn't mean squeaky clean, but it does mean integrity.
This commercial was a failed attempt at even a field goal because it lacked the integrity and family-friendly value of the brand.
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