The Super Bowl is a day away and while the excitement of the game for sports fans is ever so present, the commercials garner the most attention. Drew Brees or Peyton Manning will be going to Disneyland after the game (Brees he has a stop at Mardi Gras first) but the brand who receives the best spot nod is top dog, if even only for a few days.
The Super Bowl has become a place for advertisers to showcase their best stuff to probably one of the biggest television audiences of the year. Television advertising has taken a bit of a hit with funds being used in social media marketing, DVR’s, internet TV and the inability to really reach your set target market without being noise to others that are not your target. But the Super Bowl is different … What other televised event has people getting together with friends, families and other sports fans/friends for 3+ hours and watch the TV so intently? The talk of the game rolls into an outburst (ohhhh or uuhhhh) for the commercial that just ran and then the comments as to why they liked it or not. This is an advertisers dream. Groups and groups of people not leaving the tube to use the restroom until the halftime show (hence a flushing/water/sewer problem in large cities) so they can watch the commercials. Will they buy? This matters but what matters more is the free media coverage that they get for the days after the game.
With all the greatness surrounding the Super Bowl and the commercials,there is always the ads that do not make it. Booo! CBS has banned spots that they deem not appropriate for game viewers. For some, this is a blessing as the spots are getting more “eyes” time NOW which is taking the focus away from the spots during the game (with the possibility of comparisons) than they would have if they ran during the game. Here are the top 4 ads that were banned.
1. Doritos
A man running over a woman for a bag of Doritos is seen as too violent and thus banned. Domestic violence is very serious and never should be taken lightly but that is not what this ad is really about. While I understand that CBS has to be sure that ads are represent everyone in a positive manner and found this to be too violent, I thought it was funny.
2. GoDaddy
GoDaddy seems to be having a rough time with getting CBS to approve an ad. 5 ads this year were banned. This one does show a woman in the lingerie but it also has the flamboyant Lola who is a lingerie mogul. Not sure even if the scantly clad dressed woman was out that this would have made it. Lola may be too happy for CBS.
3. KGB
KGB is a service where you ask a question via text and get an answer. Paid service. The head in ass is funny. CBS obviously does not agree with me as found this to be offensive.
4. ManCrunch.com
Too much happiness and gayness in this one for CBS for sure. In a statement to Mancrunch, CBS wrote: “CBS Standards and Practices has reviewed your proposed Super Bowl ad and concluded that the creative is not within the Network’s Broadcast Standards for Super Bowl Sunday.” (quote via AgencySpy)
I expect some debate over the banning of this ad will go on as a pro-life spot was approved. Albeit, it was about Tim Tebow who is a football player (tie-in??). Nonetheless, I have to agree with John Ciarallo that the exposure that this ad is receiving from being banned is more than they would have received if it ran during the game.
Thoughts. Do you agree that these should have been banned?
photo credit: taberandrew