Is Social Media Culture Impacting TV Advertising?
Some Superbowl ads that shined bright like a diamond. 💎
It’s no secret that social media is the cooking pot for upcoming culture, so here is the question: in one of the biggest moments of TV advertising, is our good old platform applying the social key elements to their creative?
TikTok screams authenticity. It seems we love watching celebs ‘Being Real’ and acting like normal people in everyday situations on their channels. Well, TV see, TV do. In a Superbowl ad, we see Ben Affleck acting like the average Joe, selling Dunkin Donuts at a drive-through! (JLo didn’t find it that funny though).
The popular Behind The Scenes format is also predominant this year, something that isn’t new for TikTok. This is, for example, in the form of a backstage with multiple Adam Driver(s) for SquareSpace, and a montage of outtakes where Bradley Cooper sells T-Mobile to her mum. In a different but very TikTok manner, Pringles embraces social awkwardness with it happens to the best of us.
Skating on thin ice as always, Pepsi challenges authenticity.
Where are the boundaries between what’s real and looks real? What’s your interpretation of Great Acting or Great Taste? Icons Steve Martin and Ben Stiller ask this in Pepsi Super Bowl’s ad. Answering leads me to either question Pepsi’s flavour or the celebs’ acting skills, and we’re talking about Hollywood actors here. Either way, this approach could perfectly apply to Instagram, exposing the truth behind the perfect-looking pictures: Instagram vs Reality.
But Google Pixel has something to say. Yep, authenticity is key, but who doesn’t get annoyed when someone in the background ruins your fav pic?
Do we still aim for perfect-looking photos that cry for social acceptance? Or does this only apply to millennials on Instagram now?
Magic eraser from new Google pixel / Fixed On Pixel campaign
TikTok can feel like the temple of catchy songs and sounds, and some Super Bowl ads go strongly for memorable tunes. The best one for me is Uber One with Diddy, which looks like an attempt to challenge Snoop Dogg’s Just Eat. They make it playful and bring a variety of popular singers and genres into it, which makes it one of the most fun Super Bowl ads to watch.
U want me to do a jingle?
Musicals shine through in Booking.com and T-mobile adverts. In this last one, John Travolta recreated the famous Grease song. Nostalgia is one of the trends in 2023 and, after Olivia Newton-John passed away last summer, it really kicks in successfully here. Another brand that plays with the 90’s nostalgia is Rakuten through Clueless and its actress who seems to haven’t aged at all (would’ve this worked otherwise?).
I’ll tell you everything, John.
Social is full of fandom communities that have evolved in the last few years, and series and shows play up a massive role in Super Bowl ads. Popcorners brings Walt and Jesse together again. As a Breaking Bad lover, this felt a bit of a treat.
Is Popcorners THE DANGER?
A delight I can’t hide is seeing Silvestre Stallone and Dora The Explorer sharing a scene. LOL. Hats off to Paramount. 🎩 🎩 🎩
Here is another one growing in gen Z and millennials’ minds, the concern for climate change. People are getting tired of greenwashing and emission reduction promises, especially on social. Smart move from General Motors & Netflix, finally a partnership that makes sense and matches the creative idea (happy tears!). They join forces to introduce more electric cars into the platform’s movies & shows. Going for a more subtle ‘tackle food waste’ approach in a weird way is Hellmann’s (I’d have killed to read this creative brief). Yes, we all know everything tastes better with mayo and I get the joke with the names, but are they calling Jon Hamm and Brie Larson leftovers? Or are they promoting using leftovers without any food waste involved? Because it’s just a ham & cheese sandwich? This one makes me confused.
Brie & ham, where are the leftovers?
The icing on the cake to prove the impact of social media culture on TV adverts, is Popeye’s meme kid, Dieunerst Collin, who went from a disoriented boy in a Popeye’s to featuring with puppies as the star of the ad! Just, wow.
From Memes to Dreams, literally.
Would you agree? What is your favourite Super Bowl ad?