Super Bowl #51 ads talk about a country divided, acceptance, and more.
Originally published at linkedin.com on February 6, 2017.
A Powerful Message to a Nation Divided
As has been with the latest Super Bowls, a political standpoint has come to be expected during the half time show and the commercials. It happened the year before, with singer Beyoncé bringing political references to her performance in 2015. It happened two years ago, with Coca-Cola’s “ America The Beautiful,” in 2014. Finally, it happened this year as well. Lady Gaga’s message may have been too hidden, as she sang a verse that was edited out of her Born This Way song to include the LGBTQ community.
Aside from the performances, it was the brands that began the conversations of the timely and controversial topics.
84 Lumber’s “The Entire Journey”
Perhaps the spot most talked about during this Super Bowl was 84 Lumber’s. The American building materials supply company’s ad proved to be controversial, as the audience of people that followed their story to their website was too much for their servers, ultimately crashing their website for a period of time. Their story follows a Mexican mother and daughter as they journey through Northern Mexico to try and cross the border — only to find themselves stopped by a big wall. The topic of the wall, however, proved to be too controversial and instead a shorter version was aired — titled “ The Journey Begins,” leaving out the big wall. The complete spot (see above) concludes with a happy ending: a big open wooden door in the middle of the wall, as a worker drives away with the words “The will to succeed is always welcome here.”
The company’s Twitter feed has been replying to many followers, with thank you’s here and there for praise of their ad, while also explaining their commercial to others. You can see their replies here.
Airbnb’s “#WeAccept”
Airbnb’s #WeAccept came early during the event, but necessary. The spot is topical and quite simple. With Trump’s controversial executive orders from January, tech companies have been in clear opposition of POTUS’s orders, and Airbnb created a timely statement to be broadcast to millions of Americans watching the big game.
The spot reads:
“We believe, no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love, or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept. #weaccept”
The spot was moving and necessary for a nation that is notoriously divided after a few chaotic weeks under the 45th President. #WeAccept has received an overwhelming amount of support on Twitter and other platforms. Celebrities have also joined Airbnb’s touching and powerful movement via Twitter.
Finally, after the spot aired on TV, the founders of Airbnb sent an email that read:
“We believe in a world where anyone can belong. Everyone deserves to belong. But for too many, it’s a dire need. So our five-year goal is to make sure 100,000 people have short-term housing during urgent times. Please join us.”
The full letter is also available on their website.
Audi’s “Daughter”
Another company that has gotten under the radar for having a social standpoint during their Super Bowl commercial was Audi. The spot is the monologue of a father whose daughter is competing in a boxcar race. The father addresses the gender pay equality in society; “What do I tell my daughter? […] Do I tell her that despite her education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she will automatically be valued as less than any man she meets? Or maybe, I will be able to tell her something different.” The spot ends with “Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. Progress is for everyone. #DriveProgress”
The spot was released before its Super Bowl debut, via YouTube. Audi dropped the ad eleven days after the immense 2017 Women’s March on January 21st, an event that boasted three times the attendance of Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to The New York Times.
Budweiser’s “Born The Hard Way”
“You don’t look like you’re from around here.” Budweiser opens their spot as we follow a German immigrant that moved to America. As he gets his passport sealed, the official welcomes him to the new country, but the American crowd in town push and shout “You’re not wanted here! Go back home!” The commercial continues to follow him through his travel amidst many dangers, until he arrives to St. Louis. Here, Busch meets Anheuser over beer talk, illustrating of what became the birth of Budweiser.
The story closes with “When nothing stops your dream, this is the beer we drink.” Recently, the origin story of many American corporations have come to light as not being possible for it had not been for immigrants. Budweiser hints that the company and products were made possible due to immigration flexibility, and that if executive orders (such as Trump’s travel ban) were instead in place, companies like Budweiser might not exist, being absent in making America what it is today.
The spot, however, has created controversy within Twitter, with #Boycottbudwiser [ sic] trending. With (as of the time of writing) under 4,000 tweets, it is unlikely it will gain traction, with most of the tweets poking fun at the misspelling.
It’s A 10 Hair Care’s “Four Years”
Finally, an indie hair care brand, It’s A 10 Hair Care, debuted their Super Bowl spot with a humorous touch. It begins by talking to the audience: “America, we’re in for at least 4 years of awful hair.”
For a YouTube channel with only 295 subscribers, their video has already hit 88,462 views (as of the writing of this article). The commercial provided a comical relief while also taking a jab at the uniqueness and distinguishable characteristics of what Trump’s hair is. While lighthearted, the spot features diverse hair styles and ends with “do your part,” a quick call to action for Americans.
Brands with a Voice
It was inevitable for the Super Bowl to be politically neutral. Given its past trajectory, many were expecting controversial ads and stances, and the people received them. Brands like 84 Lumber, Airbnb, Audi, Budweiser, and It’s A 10 Hair Care did not remain neutral and delivered strong messages to be seen by millions of Americans.
What do you think? Are brands right to use the big game to advocate for values? Leave your comment below.
Got any thoughts to add? Tweet me @juliangumbo or comment below!
Julian Gamboa is a UC Berkeley graduate with a focus on marketing. Julian was selected as a LinkedIn Top Voice for Marketing and #Social Media (2017) and a Course Instructor of the marketing and digital publishing course Digital Marketing Today at the Haas School of Business. He is also the founder of Digiviewpoint, a millennial publishing account.
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