Today there are two Super Bowls: the one involving football and the one involving the ads crafted by a variety of ad-houses and agencies. Each one can make and break a player or business person's career. Success and you receive everlasting glory...and a chance at big money. Fail...and well ask Pets.com or the Patriots. However, it is important to remember why teams and companies succeed. It isn't because of the flashy star receiver. It's because of the offensive and defensive lines and coaching. In advertising this essentially means your product/business plan.
Budweiser Frogs. The Talking Baby from E-Trade. The now defunct Pets.com puppet. Most recently the Cadbury Eyebrow Dance. What do all these great commercials have in common? A certain weird viral quality. Advertising is a great tool. It can aid in brand construction, recognition and overall "fun" quality to a company. However, none of this awesome advertising and brilliant brand construction counts for anything...unless the company investing the time and money creating these ideals, feelings and identity behind the brand can back it up.
Promises in business are only good if you can deliver. Create an idea that you can do something that you can't or be intentionally misleading within your advertising is asking for trouble. You need to create a clear promise that you CAN deliver. If not you might as well not even use the advertising campaign and instead invest in your business model, product or customer service.
However, genius viral or weird advertising absolutely has a place. It can take a company to the next level and push it to a place that they never even thought possible. It really just depends on the company, product and idea behind the advertising. Advertising is only as strong as the company behind it.
So keep this in mind when you are both watching the Super Bowl: Weird Works - But Business Models Win the Day (otherwise you will end up with the hilarious...but unfortunately useless product that is the below video).
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tagged as Advertising, advertising risks, commercials, Customer Service, super bowl
