Superbowl Ads: Ten Rules

It seems that the hype leading up to SuperBowl XL ads is as fabricated as the commercials
themselves. In examining the declared winners of Sunday's Superbowl of advertising, how many will follow USA Today's 10 rules.

..."Make us laugh or we'll kill you.-Jerry Della Femina...

If we see any wardrobe malfunctions, it'll be because advertisers are blaming us for their over the top Push.

"Make us laugh, or we'll kill you," is the [Superbowl] viewer sentiment, says adman Jerry Della Femina, quoted in the article. Really, Jerry? Aren't you being a little melodramatic? Let's take a look at USA Today's "rules to make ads magical".

1. Make 'em laugh out loud.
Alright, I'll buy this. Everyone loves a laugh raucous enough to spray a mouthful of beer.

2. Shock 'em and surprise em.
Most viewers want shock and surprise while watching the game, but not the bathroom breaks in between.

3. Let em see the point.
Can I get a "Duh" on this one? The article continues...
"Complex dialogue is your enemy," warns Jeff Goodby, co-chairman at Goodby Silverstein & Partners. "If your commercial works without sound, all the better."
Goodby, see my post about Nextel's Push It.

4. Let animals be people, too.
This bullet point can also be written as, "When viewers are drunk, resort to slapstick to get some laughs". Bring on the chimps as office workers.

5. Let celebrities be people, too.
Huh?

6. Coin a catchphrase with legs.
In other words, cook up a virulent meme. Remember "I'm going to Disney World."? You get the picture.

7. Make it bigger than TV.
It seems that advertisers are taking this one very seriously and are now attacking our cell phones.

8. Pluck the heartstrings.
All that partying's got to be interrupted by some great emo. Next, men will turn to their buddies crying "I love you, man!".

9. Reflect diversity... smartly.
Uh, yeah. Considering how many football players belong to minority groups this seems like a no brainer, no?

10. Be topical... carefully.
Don't attack social issues, just find the overwhelming sentiment of your audience and gently point to it.

Great insight, Pushers.

Just in case you missed the link to the real article, you can click it again right here.