Two stalwart Super Bowl brands and commercial rivals are skipping 2021 game ads.
On February 2nd, amidst a global pandemic and national division, millions will watch Super Bowl LV! The 2020 vs 2019 Champions, Kansas City Chiefs vs Tom Brady…. I mean the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…. will face off with the NFL’s first home field advantage final game. The Super Bowl is frequently the most watched American TV broadcast of the year.
What’s the broad and enduring appeal of the Super Bowl?
For many, especially the younger generations, with ever-shrinking attention spans, football is now likely the nation’s pastime. Average, baseball games last 3 hours and contain 18 minutes of action. Average, football games last 3 hours and 15 minutes with 11 minutes of actual sporting. So why do millions eschew the MLB and flock to the Super Bowl in person or on television or via streaming? It’s what nonprofits call “wrap-around services.” Someone in need may ask for food, but good organizations work to help them with job training, childcare, affordable housing, clothing.
Super Bowl commercials were memes before memes were trendy.
For the biggest spectacle in US sports, that means pre-game shows, team merch, player bios, coaches, and refs, instant replays, slo-mo, music, cheerleaders, celebrities, post-game analysis, and usually intriguing …. COMMERCIALS!
We remember those advertisements long after forgetting specific victors. Coca-Cola’s 1971 “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” was updated twice in future decades. In 1992 Pepsi gave us the gorgeous good-sport Cindy Crawford. Budweiser’s 2015 ads made us fall in love with a man, a dog, a horse, and a beer.
What’s different about Super Bowl 55?
Athletics and Arts – including the art of making the perfect Super Bowl ads, have the power to engage and energize multitudes of diverse individuals. My stroll down commercial memory lane is because 2021 will be very different – and not just the COVID-safe regulations or the smaller in-arena crowd.
Some major consumer brands – including the 3 mentioned above – will not air Super Bowl ads this season . Admittedly, Pepsi is contractually obligated to sponsor the Half-Time Show, so we expect to see other brands they own. To date, joining them are Audi, Avocados from Mexico, Sabra, Hyundai; the list may keep growing. New-comers will fill in: Fiverr, Triller, and Vroom.
Corporate Social Responsibility Takes Precedence in 2021.
Amidst the human and economic stress everyone is experiencing, these companies are shifting the sponsorship and ad development costs to “accelerate COVID recovery.” I’m proud of them, and I expect that they will deliver results – it’s in their own and the world’s best interest.