Super Bowl 2018 - Some More Gems

This was THE gem of the night!

By now we've talked about this year's Super Bowl advertising probably way too much...but I can't help myself. Even last night in my NYU class we broke down about six of the spots and chatted about brand vs. product advertising. Budweiser Water, if you will, versus Jeep (or was that really product advertising?!?). And I even chatted about the advertising with The Holmes Report for their annual podcast.

But besides all the biggest hits and misses we've been reading about and discussing, there were some other gems that are worth noting even if they didn't make many people's lists.

Coca-Cola. While not their best showing to date, I would like to give Coca-Cola a shout out. Most brands stayed clear of any political messaging, which was quite the opposite of last year's showing. But Coca-Cola did stay true to brand with a message of diversity and inclusion that might not have been as strong as in prior executions, was still worth a smile. "To act the same would be mundane. That's why there's just one me."

T-Mobile. This spot didn't make many people's lists at all, and truthfully it suffered in comparison to its rival's entry from Verizon which made many a top three. And while it never really connected to the brand's reason for being, I have to say that I love the sentiment of the copy. I had kinda forgotten about it to tell you the truth, but when I revisited it in class as an example of a brand trying to elevate its brand equity, and I found new found respect. "New come with open minds and the extinct that we are equal. You are unstoppable."

The NFL. I'd be remiss not to mention most people's top pick from the NFL. It was fun, it was frivolous, and it didn't take itself too seriously. Which at this point in our lives and with this sport, we need a little levity.

Alexa. A final shout-out to Alexa and Amazon and Jeff Bezos (who knew the man could act?!?). This initial spot during The Big Game grabbed our attention but then continued on into the night with additional cuts...the mark of a good campaign. And when Apple started its own HomePod pods, Alexa still kept shining through.

Oh what a night! Sorry, but I'm going to keep talking about it! At least until The Academy Awards (JK).

What's your experience? JIM