Super Bowl 2012 – Will it make you Blink?


Let’s face it, there are only 2 reasons you would spend over 6 hours watching the Super Bowl.

             One, if you are really into the game.

             And, two, if you are an ad junkie.

I fall into the latter. But it doesn’t really matter what side you are on, because Super Bowl Sunday is surely going to make you blink, wink and think.


Here’s a few sneak previews of the Super Bowl 2012 – video stream via Brand Channel

Samsung Super Bowl Ad Makes Us Wink
Most of us have a soft spot for the underdog. And even though I have an obsessive love for the Apple brand, I can’t help but smile about how smart Samsung has been with it’s marketing strategy in the past year, slowly but decisively planting the seed to go after the #1 position. Avis did it years ago with Hertz, with their brilliant tagline “We are number 2: so we try harder.” It worked.

Personally, I like that Samsung is taking a different approach. Not choosing to play the part of the victim, but rather carving its own identity, confidently owning a space and pitching the benefit of their product over Apple.

Volkswagen Star Wars Super Bowl Spot 
Makes Us Think
Remember the Darth Vader kid from last year’s Super Bowl spot? That was cute and surprising. This year’s spot keeps the same Star Wars theme, making it fresh, intriguing and best of all, cleverly referencing last year’s spot. Brilliant!

Audi’s Truth In Engineering Makes Us Catch a Wink
Now here’s one of my least favourite ads. Check out the Audi video. Don’t get me wrong, for I totally understand the recent obsession with the Twilight saga and vampires being cooler than sliced bread. But seriously, for me, this direction for Audi feels a bit off brand. I’ve always considered Audi chic, sophisticated, mature, stylish. Perhaps they are trying to appeal to the Gen Y demographic, but in my opinion feels like they will lose their current loyal brand followers, like me, who buy an Audi because it stands for something. And that is the truth in advertising.

2 thoughts on “Super Bowl 2012 – Will it make you Blink?

  1. This will arguably be the most highly watched Super Bowl by virtue of the history between these two teams who played –many contend– in the most thrilling championship game with the underdog New York Giants overcoming the till then perfect New England Patriots four years ago?
    If the prognostications for a close game come true then it may be a decent return for the advertisers; I find Samsung most intriguiging thanks to the functionality and form of their smart phones.
    Ultimately, the efficacy of the Super Bowl advertising will be determined by what the end consumer thinks of the product and their aspirational association with it.
    Will Samsung be the New York Giants in that vein and one day upset the reigning, unbeaten alpha male top dog Apple? Audi’s foray into the flavour of the month campaign opens its agency up to the (correct, in my opinion) critique of some advertising shops–not understanding either the company, its clients or potential clients.

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