by Ben Ehlers Design | JANUARY 29, 2023
Super Bowl LVII - Which Commercial Characters Need to Sit on the Bench This Year?
It's that time of year again... Time to be inundated with silly ads promoting beer, movies, snack items, car manufacturers, insurance companies, and of course Amazon.
We all love Super Bowl ads. However, sometimes their beloved characters are ready to be forced into retirement. Super Bowl advertising is super expensive. National brands need to know when the time is right to walk away from a particular advertising campaign
EXAPMLE #1: Dr. Rick - Progressive Insurance
The initial premise for Dr. Rick was humorous, but extremely limited. New homeowners acting like their parents. Using stereotypical and overly exaggerated examples of 30-somethings acting like baby boomers was funny and relatable at first viewing.
To be fair, I don't believe that Dr. Rick made an appearance in the 2022 Super Bowl advertising blitz, but there was an attempt in 2021. Nevertheless, Progressive is continuing to roll out Dr. Rick ads in 2023, even though it is becoming painfully obvious how difficult it is to write new content for this character.
The latest ad questions a homeowners dedication to cleaning and labeling his curbside trash containers. Funny right? But here is the issue... You don't have to own a home for very long (or at all) before you realize that trash cans can really start to get nasty after a while. Cleaning them from time to time helps keep your property free of unwanted pests, and also is a favor to the hard-working individuals that have to empty your cans each week.
Moreover, if you happen to live somewhere that experiences any level of high winds, then surely you understand the importance of labeling your trash cans. They are expensive, and most everybody's cans look alike. Sorting them out after they are all blown into the street is a real hassle. It is foolish not to label them, in some way.
In my opinion, these ads are bordering on being offensive, and I am not one that is easily offended. However, when you start making fun of someone for being responsible and taking pride in the appearance of their property, then you are crossing the line. As an insurer, you ought to have a great deal of interest in responsible homeowners. Afterall, they are most likely some of your best customers.
Dr. Rick, you can relax this February. Go on a cruise and make fun of guys for asking about the "poop deck".
EXAPMLE #2: Your Cousin From Boston - Samuel Adams
The once unique Sam Adams brand is now swimming in an ever-growing sea of craft, small-batch, and micro-breweries. Back in the day, they could hang their backwards Red Sox hat on the fact that they were little guys chipping away at the titans of the beer brewing industry.
It's hard to maintain that hip and edgy feel of being the underdog. However, with the "Your Cousin... From Boston" campaign, Samuel Adams seemed to regain a little of its lost youth.
Much like Dr. Rick, the first few ads were quite entertaining. Also, just like the Dr. Rick ads, this concept leans heavily on stereotypes. The wedding commercial in particular was an instant classic. After the "smoke show" line, they could have retired the character and he would have been legendary.
Instead, they decided to give us way too much of a good thing and began inserting our “cousin” into every scenario possible where alcohol is consumed. The latest being Groundhog Day, which where I am from at least, is not known as a drinking holiday. In the commercial, the character enters a bar with a 12-pack of Sam Adams, and a live groundhog. I'm not from Boston, but I'm fairly certain that no one brings their own beer or wild animals to a bar, so this really requires viewers to suspend their disbelief.
Sam Adams (and the marketing firm Goodby Silverstiein) should pat themselves on the back though. Sam Adams had been known for years to produce bad commercials like this gem from 2003.
The “cousin” character was well-conceived, and is seemingly loved by many. He represents an archetype that is apparently still open to being portrayed in a humorous and unflattering manner - that's respectable. Something quite rare in modern advertising. However, it's time to move on before this campaign is as stale as an Octoberfest in February.
Thanks for reading, have a great week!
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