And the purpose? – Dubious marketing

I watched the Superbowl, an unexpectedly exciting game for me, and managed to get the NBC high-def feed. So I was able to see all those ads that get talked about every year, the ones buckets of money are spent on. (In Canada, the Superbowl feed has different commercials – for the market.)

I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed by them. Some were clever in a frothy sort of way. And heaven knows, there were loads of quick cuts and peppy music. From a marketing perspective though, I have to wonder about the sense those ads make. It’s a lot of money, but where’s the return?

Other than some questionable bragging rights (“Our ad ran in the Superbowel”), do they have any impact on the numbers? On brand awareness? Is there any data to measure whether its money well spent?

I suspect not. I also suspect they are, like many ad awards, not about effective advertising or marketing but about, frankly, showing off. About clever ads, witty ads, colourful ads, ads with oodles of style … but not about effectiveness.

I don’t follow these things so I wonder if there are some ad/marketing awards that are strictly about measureable results? I know it sounds boring and appears to take the fun out of ads and marketing, but when you look at the cost of something like a Superbowl ad, and the current economy, can anyone afford to pour money into a jazzing up a portfolio (as opposed to getting results)?

I was reminded that I had meant to write this post a few days ago when I came across a post on Seth’s blog that more or less says the same thing. He quite smartly puts it in terms of putting on a show versus telling a story.

And the game? Good as it was, with all those 3rd quarter penalties, not to mention the interception runback to end the first half, I wondered if it was the best bad Superbowl game I’d seen or the worst good game.