In the past few years, I have realized the actual National Football League championship game is not the highlight of the event. . .it’s the commercials. Super Bowl commercials are hands down some of the most entertaining :30 second-1:00 minute short pieces made throughout the year. Advertising agencies from across the world spend months and millions of dollars coming up with video pitches in an attempt to convince us to buy their products. Super Bowl commercials work so well, because they appeal to our “Microwave Society.” They are filled with information, but it doesn’t take up a lot of our time. In my opinion, the best commercials are the most relatable.
For instance, the Kevin Hart Hyundai Super Bowl commercial was hilarious.
Why? Because he did some things a father would do when a young male comes to take his daughter out on her first date. Or at least my father would. The commercial showed us, the viewers, an aspect of the overprotective father, the slick young man, and the young girl in love. It had a concrete beginning, middle, and an end. Kevin Hart has a great personality, and was naturally funny. I can totally picture him creeping on his daughter, and hanging out of a helicopter to spy. A few different camera choices were made to enhance the story, such as, the establishing shot of the young man walking up to Kevin Hart’s house, an over-the-shoulder shot was used when the young man realized Kevin was spying on his date in the movie theater, and a birds-eye view of the young man hightailing his date home. Last but not least, “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen was a great addition. This video was well thought out, and the proof is in the details.
There were also some other commercials that stood out like the inspirational “I Can Do That” Pokémon commercial and the down right raunchy “Meat Eater Vs. Vegan” porno PETA put out (viewer discretion is advised. No. . .like really. It was banned from the actual game commercial slots, and I won’t add the link in my post. Just go watch it).
These commercials inspire me to get to the point. Just because something is long, doesn’t make it a better piece. Something can be really short, and be just as effective as a 90-minute documentary.
What was your favorite Super Bowl 2016 commercial?
Thanks for sharing, Sommer. I also am a fan of Kevin Hart’s comedy. This year I didn’t watch the Super Bowl because I was filming for my winter term project, so I can’t say that I have a favorite commercial. However, I find it interesting that even though I didn’t watch the event, I’m aware of some of the commercials that aired. For example, the baby monkey puppy one that went viral. There was a surprising amount of discussion about it on my Facebook news feed. I would guess that its appeal is due to its weirdness, rather than its story. Nonetheless it obviously made an impact.
But speaking of story within the context of sporting events, I’m always intrigued by the way in which professional games are filmed. Of course, the fact that there is a clear beginning, middle, and end means that the game itself is a story. One of competition. But the attention paid to players’ expressions, both on the field and on the sideline, serves to create a deeper narrative for us (the viewers).
When a foul is called, we are not only shown the ref as he/she makes the call, but we’re also shown reactions from coaches, players, and other fans. Special focus is paid to whoever fouled. We want to know: “what does he have to say for himself?!” Like when we watch a film, we’re interested in how each participant (of the story) feels. When watching sporting events, we yearn for a dramatic plot. (Think about all the hubbub surrounding Cam Newton’s post game interview.) We develop favorite players, based on how we perceive their attitudes. Likewise, we decide to dislike others. Then we follow the stories of these characters throughout the season. When a lull occurs, we can count on commentators to provide narration.
I imagine that producing a professional sports telecast can be somewhat similar to producing a documentary… except that it’s done live.
I totally agree, that every year the commercials and halftime show are attracting more audience like me, who aren’t really interested in the actual game. Besides the fact that I have to photograph a guy watching SuperBowl at the Buffalo Wild Wings, I was there waiting to see Beyonce.
And I have to admit that all of the brands are putting much more efforts into their SuperBowl commercial, like Budweiser. I would say the Kevin Hart’s one is my favorite, but till today, I can’t get the picture of Helen Mirren sitting at the booth, with a dim light on her table, where she ordered a classic cheeseburger combo and a bottle of Budweiser. The shot is so simple that it’s just her talking (can’t deny that she is an excellent actress already.) but the entire 1-minute long beer commercial gives me a feeling of watching a live poetry performance, maybe because it’s just so different than the other “happy” & “party” themed commercials.
To answer your question, my favorite commercial was also for Hyundai (Jeez, their budget this year…), but it was the “Ryanville” spot. The premise was that every guy in this town was Ryan Reynolds, to whom the women in the Hyundai were attracted. They got distracted, but the Hyundai’s automatic emergency breaking with pedestrian detection prevented them from running over one of the Ryan’s (who was walking several dogs). The shots were framed so that each new Ryan was a reveal. Pretty fun. Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4VYnbm6Sw
Nice pick! Hyundai wins the best super bowl ad, according to USA Today. It’s not just about commercial advertising. The storytelling is so good! The daughter, boyfriend and overprotective father have very unique character.
Hyundai use the overprotective father and let the audience know their Car finder function.
The film crew pick some specific occasions that people would like to go date, like movie theatre, amusement park and mountain peak. They cover a lot of stuffs within 1 minute. What’s more, Kevin Hart is the key in this ad. His performance made this ad so successful!
BTW, I also like the hot dog ad. So sweet!
Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNN9nL2vppM