The Super Bowl & Content Marketing: A Twist on Traditional Ads

In my last post, I talked about how content marketing and the city of Cleveland relate. You might have noticed my high hopes for the Cleveland Browns, as they were in 1^st place in the AFC North at the time. Sure that hope was short-lived, as the later half of the season was basically disastrous…but I’ll be back again next year, rooting them on, hoping they get to their end goal. One day they ARE going to make it to the Super Bowl! Until then, let’s take a look at how advertisers for the Super Bowl are getting extra creative this year by utilizing content marketing.

Doritos – A Competition Where Advocates do the Work for You

Frito-Lay has incorporated the best of both worlds by encouraging people to create their own commercials. Not only are they getting great user generated content (for free!), but think of all of the contestants and how proud they are of the commercial they directed, shot and edited. Those people are sharing their version on all of their social channels…a recipe for a viral success to the Doritos brand.

This year, the Grand Prize winner of the “Crash the Super Bowl Dream Job” gets one million dollars, a dream job at Universal, and their ad will air during the Super Bowl (talk about great exposure for an aspiring filmmaker).

Who do you think will win? You can vote here: https://crashthesuperbowl.doritos.com/finalists

Toyota – Online Teasers

The Super Bowl only lasts a few hours; so buying a four million dollar (at least) ad spot during the game might seem pretty short-lived for the money you have to drop. Toyota is taking advantage of content marketing by sharing online teasers leading into their two ad spots that will air during the game this year. This online teaser ad pulls on the heartstrings while professional athletes talk about what it takes to become a good father. At the end of the ad, Toyota asks us to honor our dads by tweeting photos using the hashtag #OneBoldChoice to join in on the big game celebration. Talk about genius!

Buffalo Wild Wings – Not Even Advertising

Buffalo Wild Wings is not even advertising during the game this year, but they are taking full advantage of social media, with a unique twist. The widely known wing, beer, and sports company is asking followers to tweet during the game using their hashtag #BWWPostGame for a chance to be featured in a series of social videos. They are going to post these social videos to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Using social listening tools, they will turn Tweets (including Emojis) into multiple NFL Sportscasts. Watch out Cris Collinsworth! Their first upload to Facebook during playoffs already has over 260,000 views. Who knows, ditching the game day advertising could be a wave of the future.

As you can see, advertising for the Super Bowl continues to evolve, making TV commercials seem pretty old school. Utilizing social media and content marketing is really the way to go for this media-filled event.

I’m looking forward to seeing what some of these other big names have up their sleeves leading into the game this year. Which commercials are you most looking forward to? Are you on Team Seahawks or Team Patriots? Leave a comment below! 

I’ll leave you with one of my ultimate favorite Super Bowl commercials from throughout the years: the Budweiser “Wassup” commercial (from 2006) still gets me every time…and then the kids spoof with milk too - enjoy! 

Read Lauren's previous blog post: "A Lesson in Content Marketing from the City of Cleveland"

Image courtesy of Idea Go via FreeDigitalPhotos.net