In the end, it wasn’t a Super Bowl commercial that stole the show on Sunday. It was a post-Super Bowl commercial. Inarguably, the Esurance ad that deliberately ran during the first break AFTER the Super Bowl, starring John Krasinski of “The Office,” is getting the most chatter among marketers today.
The gist is something like this:
Krasinski told viewers that instead of throwing away a million and a half bucks on getting to air a commercial during the Super Bowl, Esurance would prefer to buy a much cheaper post-game commercial and give the money to a lucky tweeter instead. He invited participants to tweet #esurancesave30 through 4 a.m. Tuesday for a chance to win the sweet $1.5M.
By Monday morning, there were already 2.4 million qualifying tweets, and #esurancesave30 was trending on Twitter.
However, there were some top contenders during the actual game that are worth some mention. Even though Budweiser’s new puppy commercial seemed like it would be a clear winner (especially with Budweiser doing the best with audiences last year), it was Microsoft that actually gained the most attention on the big day for its ad titled “Empowering” (according to rankings by Ace Metrix). Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” came in second place. Hyundai, which garners great expectations ever since its hit Darth Vader spoof, was looking at No. 2 before the game and came in at a solid No. 3 for “Dad’s Sixth Sense.”
Other spots that did considerably less well included GoDaddy’s “Bodybuilder” AND “I Quit” commercials in the bottom five, along with unfavorable ads by Bud Light and GoldieBlox.
Of course, it depends who you ask. Some metrics websites also report based on factors like memorability (Budweiser’s “Hero’s Welcome”) and likeability (Radio Shack’s “The Phone Call”), not just the number of viewers reached. One report by BrandAds surveyed audience’s likelihood to purchase, which was won by Hyundai’s spot.
But now it’s time for you to tell us: Which were your favorite commercials from Super Bowl XLVIII?