Tag: Budweiser

The Super Bowl commercials that I loved.

So the game might not have been as good as people predicted. But the commercials were great. I thought this was one of the best overall crop of Super Bowl commercials since the dot com era when companies were burning money on clapping monkeys.

I know you have work to do today, so let’s get right to the things I loved.

And if you need links to see all the Super Bowl ads you can find them here.

Now, on to the Super Bowl commercials I liked!

Skechers. Martha Stewart Glide Stepping in her Skechers was both funny and surprising. And it’s not just surprising because she once went to jail for glide-stepping past insider trading laws.

YouTube TV: Their spot focused on how we miss important moments when watching sports on TV. Ironically, I had to rewind the commercial twice to hear what it was about because people in my Super Bowl viewing center were being too loud for me to hear. (It has to be annoying to watch the game with someone who is actually studying the commercials and taking notes. Sorry, Fam.)

Pfizer: The boy boxer fighting cancer to L.L. Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ was arresting, interesting, epic and important. The message at the end, that Pfizer is on a mission to cure 8 cancers by the year 2030 was big. Go Pfizer. I hope you win!

T-Mobile: Introducing Starklink for everyone, everywhere was an attention-getting announcement. If I can see the sky, I can connect to the Starlink network. They went big, not funny. And it made me pay attention. Because my travels and adventures take me to the middle of nowhere. Time will tell whether this was an announcement of a huge shift, or a beta max moment.

Little Caesars: The Eyebrow gag was wacky and very in line with the Little Caesars brand I knew in my twenties. I always like it when a brand gets back to what has worked for it in the past. Especially a brand that sells Pizza Pizza.

Homes.com: The 2 spots about their legal inability to claim that they are the best were funny, well-written, well-directed and well-acted. Like Baby Jessica. They did a good job of simply telling us they are the best. (Or that they think they are the best.) I have sat in many meetings with buzz-killing lawyers who were trying to shoot down all of the crafty ways I came up with to write around their objections. So this spot really hit homes.com for me.

Budweiser: The Clydesdales never disappoint. That little fella has a bright future. It was good to see Budweiser doing Budweiser things.

Ray-Ban Meta: The 2 commercials I saw were both really funny and clearly conveyed how the Ray-Ban Meta glasses benefit you. They made me like the idea of the glasses and what they can do for me. Plus, the glasses look like the Ray-Bans I already wear. So I assume they studied me to determine what the world would wear. Which would mean they thought I was the most average human. Hmmm.

IndyCar: was among the very best advertisers of the night. Their interesting, if not over-the-top micro biographies of some of their top drivers was well played. I have spent a lot of time marketing racing. And it is all about the connection to the driver. Formula-1 has done a great job with this. NASCAR has always had an every-man, or every-Danica appeal. Good to see IndyCar figuring out the formula. Because once you know a bit about the drivers you should care about, you find yourself following the storyline of the sport, even casually. Plus, they showed the really, really good looking drivers, that even the ladies who aren’t into racing will find interesting. It’s the law of attractive.

Doritos: Sure, I’m down for aliens and earthlings both loving Doritos and fighting over them in a death match. Plus, the UFO blows up. And that’s good television. When in doubt, lean on extreme consequences.

Mountain Dew Baja Blast: The spot featuring the singer Seal as a real seal was super silly. (But he was not playing the Real Seal that certifies that a product is made with real dairy ingredients.) I loved this commercial. And I love lime. I am big on silly. And this was ridiculously silly. (If you are going silly, go all the way. No one wants somewhat silly, Billy.)

Instacart: This spot was big and entertaining. And I realized I could get all my favorite brands through Instacart. Not to be confused with IndyCar. Although they both have drivers. And milk.

Coors Light: The slothy Case of The Mondays spot was fun to watch. Sloths doing most things that require swift action is funny. And this was done well. And slow. While insightfully reflecting how football fans feel the day after enjoying a lot of NFL football. Especially after watching the Sunday night game from the East Coast. Which is why I live on the Midwest Coast.

Uber Eats: We’ve seen the brand highlight the football and food connection before. But this went deeper, broader and funnier than ever. It was kinda like the 1883 and 1923 of Yellowstone. But funnier. And with less death. Good work Uber Eats and Matthew McAlrightAlrightAlright. You really delivered.

WeatherTech: I love wild older women. And the WeatherTech women were like a pack of wild honey badgers who didn’t give an eff. Because they were using protection. WeatherTech protection.

Google Pixel Gemini: The story of the stay-at-home Dad who had raised his daughter, or daughters, or kids, and was now getting some help interviewing to get back into the outside the home workspace was very touching. Even for this stay-at-work Dad.

Rocket: These people created a great spot selling the importance, value and comfort of home, using John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Road as the songtrack. It was interesting, memorable and emotional. They were smart to focus on the love for home, not on the mortgage rates at a time when all mortgage rates are Rocky Mountain High. But then they took a great spot and improved it by cutting to the entire Superdome singing Take Me Home Country Road, while the Rocket signage lit up the stadium, and the broadcasters called out the fact that this special moment was brought to you by Rocket. They crushed it with the live broadcast integration. Side Note: I couldn’t help but think that song must have been what people were singing at the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina.

He Gets Us/Jesus: This spot was powerful. It was beautiful and human. I loved it. It was very touching. It was one of the top 3 spots I was most jealous of. (I will be attaching this evaluation to the application I submit at the Pearly Gates.)

Liquid Death: I liked this spot with people singing about drinking on the job. It is very in line with the brand. After all, they portray interesting misdirection in everything they do. Because Liquid Death is basically well-marketed water, and a tiny bit of tea. But it sounds badass. So good-on you for leaning into that misdirection on a massive stage and recruiting more pseudo-rebels to the brand.

ChatGPT: This spot was beautiful and intriguing. I loved the graphics and animation. I would need to watch it again to follow the storyline of the evolution of human innovation. I am not sure I could have held out until the last couple of seconds of this 60 second/$16 million spot to reveal my logo.

NFL: The ‘I am Somebody’ spot and the spot about getting flag football for girls into high school sports in all 50 states were interesting and positive, and they shined a very positive light on the NFL. I don’t think they needed Mullet Brad to be the enemy of girls’ flag football. I know several of those guys, and I think they would think it was cool for girls, including their daughters, to play football.

Ram: The Goldilocks spot featuring The Golden Boy Glen Powell was epic, funny and badass. It was a fun twist on a classic story we all know. Not only was it really fun to watch, it highlighted the new products in the Ram lineup, which included a lot of electricity. (I also wish I had created this spot.)

Hellmann’s: The reprisal of the classic fake orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally was fun and funny. And it made a clear point about how Hellmann’s makes a sandwich taste mindblowing. It would have been easy to overdo or underdo this scene. Clearly, they hit the right spot.

Pringles: The flying mustaches delivering Pringles cans to those facing a Pringles outage was interesting and memorable. I don’t love a recipe that includes both hair and food for appetite appeal reasons. But I get that the super stache is part of Pringles’ brand iconography. Plus, it provided for some memorable gags that weren’t related to grossness.

Nike: The Nike women in sports spot was huge. Building on the insight that women often feel as if they can’t win no matter what they do is a strong approach. The line, ‘You can’t win. So win.’ creates a great rallying cry and motivator for female athletes to say screw it, just do it. The spot was beautiful to watch, really well shot, and featured a broad range of world-class athletes. Plus Led Zepplin’s Whole Lotta Love was a killer tune to play under the action.

YourAttentionPlease.com: The focus on the breast was a great attention trap. It got us to lean in and then punched us right in the face with a critical message about the need for more attention to breast care so we can knock out breast cancer and save lives. Great spot!

Angel Soft: Sponsoring the bathroom break was smart, cute and timely. I didn’t go. But I appreciated the moment and the reminder. Plus, I liked the term potty-tunity.

Reese’s: This was a fun spot, full of visual gags and shock. The spot also made me aware that Reese’s has a chocolate lava product. And because of the connection with real volcanic lava in the commercial, I will remember the name when I am at the store. (And I hope I don’t accidentally buy that hard-working man soap.) Good marketing basics, well executed.

Nerds Gummy Clusters: This spot, featuring Shaboozey, was shabeautiful and interesting to watch. It was eye candy for candy. Which I loved.

Lays: The spot with the little girl growing her own potato plant on her family’s potato farm told a beautiful and heartwarming story. It helped position the Lay’s brand as a brand that starts with a wholesome agricultural product grown on family farms for generations. It’s a great way to reposition potato chips. Which are not traditionally seen as healthy or wholesome. So it’s good to get on RFK Jr’s good side.

Taco Bell: I saw the promotional commercials calling for non-famous people to be featured in their Super Bowl commercial. The end result came together really nicely. Plus, it featured famous people, like LeBron James, while saying the spot can’t have famous people. So they played it both ways, and won both ways. Kinda like the Eagles.

Bud Light: The big men of the cul-de-sac spot was my favorite commercial of the Super Bowl. I liked it so much I instantly rewound it to watch it again. The spot, featuring Shane ‘Whatchu Talk’n Bout’ Gillis, Post Malone and the Manning who can’t kick field goals, was great in every way a funny spot can be great. Starting with my favorite line of any commercial during the game, ‘I accidentally threw a lame party.’ Then Malone and Gillis become neighborhood heroes, getting the party started right. There was too much to love to mention it all here. I look forward to watching more from these suburban heroes.

Poppi: I totally relate to the problem raised in this spot. I sometimes want a soda pop, but the sugar can be too much to be worth it. I have tried Poppi and like it as an interesting alternative. And I would order it at a restaurant if it was on the menu. (So get on the menu.)

Stella Artois: The David Beckham twin thing was fun, funny and engaging. Good story telling. Good gags. Good writing. And they both loved the same beer. That’s how you know they were really brothers.

Dove: The little girl running in the spot was a great setup to the real problem of negative female body image issues. Let’s stop that. This was a great example of how a strong, insightful idea doesn’t need a lot of window dressing to be powerful. It just needs to be shared.

Bosch: This was a nice way to make sure people knew about both the great appliances and power tools that Bosch makes. Because if you love one, you will likely love the other too.

Totino Pizza Rolls: This spot was killer. Litterally. They killed an alien. And nobody really felt that bad. Which was both surprising and funny.

GoDaddy: I loved this spot. GoDaddy really does help you when you don’t know what you are doing. They help you look like you do know what you are doing through great website stuff.

Fetch: I liked that they were giving away a ton of money to generate interest and engagement, Mr Beast-style. However, the production value made the brand feel low-rent. So next time, spend a little more on your production value and give a little less away.

Ritz: The saltiness thing played well for me. Good casting. Good insight.

Haagen-Dazs: The Not So Fast, Not So Furious twist was a fun way to remind people to slow down and chill with some super premium ice cream.

Thanks for reading!

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+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

A lesson from the most exciting game I ever played.

When I was in 4th grade I was in a tense floor hockey game in gym class. Yes, we’re talking about floor hockey. In gym class. (Cue the Allen Iverson incredulous stink face.)

In the last game of the 4th-grade gym class floor hockey season, my team was down by 2 goals with under 2-minutes remaining on the clock.

With 1 minute and 45 seconds to go in the game, I scored a goal on a slap shot from 30 feet out. Suddenly, my team was down by just 1 point. And in my head, I started singing ‘Bring out your best, Budweiser Light…’ which was a popular ad campaign jingle from my youth. (Good job appealing to the 10-year olds Budweiser!)

Then, with just 30 seconds left in the game, I assisted on a goal to tie the game up.

We then rotated positions and I played goalie for the final 30 seconds. Suddenly, the DJ in my head faded down the Budweiser jingle and pushed play on Eye Of The Tiger.

With under 10 seconds left in the game, I stopped a shot on goal from one of the 5 Ryans in my class. With a MacGyver-like awareness of the ticking clock, I instantly gathered the puck and shot it from my own goal, across the entire gym floor, past all the defenders, and into the opposing goal to win the game. And I lost my little 4th-grade mind.

Over the next 13 years of my athletic career, I participated in 2 high school state final four football games, 4 high school state track meets, 2 New England high school track championships, 3 Big 10 Conference track and field championships and several track meets with 30,000 to 40,000 spectators. But to this day, that floor hockey game, with that ending, and my role in it, remains one of my favorite and most confidence-inspiring memories of my entire life.

Key Takeaway

It is never too late. There is always a chance. Keep believing. Keep going. Keep trying. Find the soundtrack in your head that ignites you. And believe in miracles. I do. Because I feel like I have helped make them happen. And you can too.

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Why you should embrace the bumps and the resistance.

Humans are full of potential. We are loaded with more energy and ability than you can possibly imagine. Unless maybe you are John Lennon.

Thomas Edison said, “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” It was that type of enlightened thinking that enabled Edison to invent both the modern light bulb and the ‘How many does it take to screw in a light bulb?’ jokes.

As you work to become all that you can be, like the United States Army, you will encounter bumps and resistance along your journey. It is important to recognize the full value they provide. Because humans are like matchsticks. #RobThomas We are meant to be set on fire. It is the bumps and the friction we encounter that create the sparks and the heat that ignite us. It is the adversity and struggle that strengthen us and bring out our best. Like Budweiser in 1984.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the struggle. Value the resistance. Don’t avoid it. Go through it. It helps reveal all that you are capable of.

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***If you think 3 asterisks are too many, you are probably right.

Why Peyton Manning should be in the Marketing Hall of Fame.

 

Super Bowl 50 has come and gone. There were winners and at least one very sore loser. There was the expected halftime Pepsiganza and gonzo commercials. But what was particularly interesting to armchair marketingbacks  were the brands that scored extra points outside the 30 second commercial thanks to Denver Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning.

After a historic career Peyton has an open invitation to the Pro Football Hall of fame. But as the clock counts down on his days playing football Peyton Manning will transition seamlessly into his next chapter. Because Peyton knows marketing. And endorsement. And business. Perhaps better than any other current athlete. My good friends at Nationwide will surely want him to share how their insurance and financial products will help him in retirement. Because those guys are on his side (and your side too). But I believe his actual retirement plan looks like this:

  1. Take a stake in a brand.
  2. Market brand at big moments.
  3. Cash checks.

We got a good look at his playbook during the Super Bowl. Just in case you missed it, here’s a breakdown of three of his scores.

The first came just before kickoff. Because it was Super Bowl 50 it created the perfect opportunity to honor the 49 past Super Bowl MVPs. The NFL invited them all to the game. And one by one they were announced to the crowd, emerged from the tunnel to much applause, and took their place in Canton’s West Coast Exhibit. There was, however, one notable exception. Peyton Manning. When they announced Manning’s name the collective NFL fan base wondered what would happen next. Was he really going to come out and join this elite group? Surely not. Didn’t he have someplace more important to be? I had flashbacks to when the Von Trapp Family Singer’s were announced as the winners of the Nazi talent show in The Sound of Music. So what happened next?

Suddenly the television coverage cuts to a profile shot of Peyton, sitting alone in the locker room. But wait! He was dressed to play, football!?! But he is 39 years old!?! How could he still be playing in the Super Bowl? Nobody this old has ever started at quarterback in the Super Bowl. But the answer was right there too. Because Peyton was seated in front of perfectly positioned pallets of performance-sustaining, career- sustaining, camera-shot-sustaining Gatorade. And if that wasn’t enough, the NFL’s ambassador to AARP was shown contemplatively sipping from his electrolyte-laden fountain of youth. Touchdown for Gatorade. Just another day at the office for this veteran spokesback.

Petyon drinking gatorade

The second marketing score was on a trick play. Just as the clock was ticking to zero and all eyes and cameras were on Peyton he started to jog onto the field. But then he stopped. He turned to his left and obviously saw someone worthy of his attention. So he paused before he ran on to the field to celebrate the biggest and perhaps final moment of his career. But who would warrant a delay at such a moment? Archie Manning? John Elway? Beyonce’? Nope. The next thing we saw on camera was a hearty embrace between Peyton and John ‘Papa John’ Schnatter, The Pizza King of Louisville. Peyton obviously plays starting endorserback for Papa Johns. And he own 21 franchises in Colorado. But I was certainly surprised to see that they were close enough and brand savvy enough to get their pepperoni rally  in front of a world stage.

Peyton and Papa

The final drive was for Budweiser. After Old Man Manning won the Super Bowl the world wanted to know, “Are you going to ride off into the sunset now on your Bronco, or Colt or Buick? We waited with bated breath. But Peyton really wanted to kiss his wife and kids before he got himself a little beer breath. Which is what he said next. But not with just any beer. He said this moment called for the King of Beers, Budweiser. Twice he mentioned that he wanted to drink a bunch of Budweiser. Once in his post game interview and again on stage accepting the Lombardi Trophy. Closer examination reveals that Peyton owns a swig of two Budweiser distributors in Louisiana. Which means Peyton was going to celebrate his win by taking care of a little more business.

As you contemplate your next marketing move consider teaming up with someone who can help your brand move further faster. It doesn’t have to be a household name. Because in the social age important influencers are everywhere. They are key employees, consumers, bloggers, tweeters and YouTube celebrities. They can all be important advocates for your brands, dropping natural endorsements for you at important moments.  And the value you receive from your relationship may far exceed the investment. After all, my best performing blog post was the one Vanilla Ice retweeted. But just imagine if I could get Peyton to mention my blog …