14 February 2013
COMMERCIALS: The 2013 Super Bowl seemed to lack its usual sense of comedy.
By Cole Nelson, Staff Writer
It is a well-known fact that each year, the Super Bowl attracts the largest viewing audience in television history. But what is the true reason all those so-called “football fans” huddle around the TV set with a beer in one hand and a remote control in the other, year after year: the game itself, or the short seconds that rest between those quick plays? I, for one, only sit through the largest sporting event in America to view the hilarity of the famous Super Bowl commercials.
These commercials are much more enjoyable than those of any other given time of the year, but why is this exactly? Here is a little background on these 30-second advertisements. Every Super Bowl, while the two opposing football teams repose on the benches, millions of Americans at home watch the television marketing schemes for food products, upcoming movie trailers, cellular devices and, of course, cars. Lots and lots of cars. Therefore, the competition among companies to make their product stand out from the rest is quite fierce. So fierce that for every 30 seconds of air time a product has, CBS is the receiver of roughly 3.2 million dollars from whoever has enough confidence in the marketing of their product the pay them.
Now, imagine this: after an amazing play from either team come, say, five 30-second commercials for five separate products. As a result of these quick laughter-inducing visuals, CBS makes roughly 16 million dollars. Companies rely on the extensive audience of the Super Bowl to at least sit, stare and consider buying their product after viewing their advertisements.
The general tone that companies adopt to appeal to audiences is humor, whether that be with talking babies, personified animals, physical violence or unexpected kissing. Doritos chips is a prime example of a company that, year after year, supplies laughter to a loyal audience. However, with the exception of Doritos and a few other products, the 2013 Super Bowl commercials didn’t carry the usual side-clenching comedy. Instead, the majority of commercials packed a generally higher emotional punch than they have in the past.
Starting with a crazed goat that sought revenge on its owner by trapping him in a room, the commercials slowly drifted from comical to poignant, reaching a point where many viewers teared up when a grown horse recognized its owner and ran to his side. In this sense, I was disappointed with the commercials for the lack of comical relief. However, the companies may have decided, for whatever reason, that employing a poignant tone can attract a larger buying audience than a comedic one, whether it is on television or online (which seems to be the new medium to view Super Bowl commercials).
In the end, I will continue to rely on Doritos to bring that sudden chuckle, even if it is slight.
Photo Courtesy of media.ed.edmunds-media.com