MSNBC has posted a gallery of the worst Big Game ads ever. Included in this dubious list are Go Daddy’s “shower” spot, Snickers’ “Manly” spot showing two burly guys accidentally kissing while sharing a Snickers, and GM’s suicidal robot.
The lesson for any advertiser? Don’t try so hard. Sure, at $3 million for 30 seconds, it’s a big investment that you want to be sure pays off. However, trying to be too cute, hip or shocking just to be cute, hip or shocking does nothing to enhance your brand, whether you’re in the Big Game or just running on local cable.
Stick to your core brand message in any creative you do. It’s fine to try and grab attention, but when you’re accused of racism, misogyny – or even receive the dreaded “who cares” from your audience – perhaps it wasn’t the best investment after all.
Cindy Harris
