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The twenty-something girls called from Boston at the end of the game to log in with their commercial picks. They put the cell on speaker and yelled in together: “Universally lame.”
Given that they were Patriot fans, I probed past their disappointment and got admissions that the Clydesdale “Rocky” spot was “cute” as were the screaming animals of Bridgestone. But other than that – not much resonated.
A few young professionals (guys) I know touched base and told me they thought Will Ferrell was funny for Bud Light.
I called my 40-year-old brother in Pittsburgh and asked him what he thought of the spots. “Didn’t see them,” he said. He had his small children in the living room for most of the first half and said they would switch the channel at the break because sometimes the spots are scary or inappropriate.
I wasn’t all that impressed with the bulk of the offerings I saw. In fact, I was struck by how many were narrowly aimed at a specific demographic – young men. At the same time, this event was being watched by far more than young men – hence its designation as a mass media event.
And I started to wonder - in this age of targeted niche, have our creative talent forgotten how to craft a resonating story for the mass audience?
Fox and the NFL started the game portion of their broadcast by having players, former players and coaches read from the Constitution – a document that specifically underlines our commonalities, for goodness sake – and dedicating the game’s broadcast to those serving in our armed forces.
But then they went to break. And when you got to the commercial messages we were pretty much done with common experience and we were mostly talking about a fragmented approach.
I would argue that the mandate of a “mass event” is different. Unlike the internet or niche cable, the mass event demands a larger vision. It requires creative that speaks across demographics to the human experience – a human experience that can be touching or funny or poignant - but an experience that is shared. It can be broad or it can be narrow, but it must get to an underlying human condition and a broader human mythology.
To that end, perhaps the agencies could have taken a page from the candidates. This week, after all, includes two “super” events – the Super Bowl as well as Super Tuesday. For Super Tuesday’s blitz, the candidates will be required to both speak to specific audiences as well as to craft a larger, more universal “story” about themselves. A story fit for a mass audience, but specific to themselves. This is the only way to galvanize mass opinion (and votes).
Is it possible that new creatives, many of whom can’t remember when we all watched broadcast TV together don’t understand the concept of the family room? In fact, the game story – the inspiring, come-from-behind, underdog never-say-die gumption - trumped any of the commercial “stories” that were put forth.
The critical elements of story – universal themes, resonating characters - the ideas that drive classic works of literature, classic sports showdowns and the best movies – were missing from many of the spots. Audi borrowed from Godfather equity – but that’s not quite as powerful as crafting your own brand equity in your own brand voice. Others were simply so narrowly focused on a slice of life or a gag that they fell flat with the broader audience.
It’s entirely possible the Clydesdale “Rocky” spot scores high not because it features animals but because these animals are “characters” and the emotion they draw on is a common one – the underdog wins.
Thanks to digital capabilities and the fragmentation of traditional media, brands are more and more in the position of being able to function as mass media. Their reach is enormous and, with the best brands, their relevance is unparalleled with broad swaths of the public. But to fully take advantage of this opportunity means more than establishing a content-based URL. It means understanding voice and story and the universal themes that drive not some of us, but all of us.
**to read more articles by this author, click on the name under the headline**
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