Once Upon a Time: How Superbowl Commercials Use Storytelling to Attract Viewers

In recent years, the Super Bowl’s focus has shifted to more than just a football game. Many viewers tune in to the big game just to watch the creative commercials that companies pay millions of dollars to air. With this much money being spent, companies want to create a memorable commercial that will resonate with viewers, which is why many companies try to tell a story with their ads. The question that arises is: are Super Bowl ads more effective if they tell a story?

Beer companies have embraced the use of storytelling to appeal to audiences. Budweiser pulled at heartstrings in their 2013 “Brotherhood” commercial. The ad follows the bond between a man and his horse, and how their relationship remains unbreakable over the years.

The ad’s tone is sentimental and is meant to provoke an emotional response from viewers. Its target audience is pretty wide since it can appeal to almost anyone. Viewers who have experienced a tight bond with an animal would enjoy the commercial most. Budweiser is subtly identified in the first few seconds of the commercial when the man wears a Budweiser cap throughout. However, the brand is prominently displayed when the Budweiser Clydesdale truck is pulling up to the farm to pick up the horse (about 20 seconds in).

The commercial makes fantastic use of storytelling by following the steps of narrative structure. The exposition starts off right away, showing the farm and the strong relationship the man and the horse have built over the years. The rising action is when the horse is sold and the man is visibly missing the horse. Years go by, and he sees that the horse will be in town, so he travels to see the horse. The climax is when the man starts walking away and the horse runs after him down the city street. The resolution is when the man and horse are reunited, and share a hug together.

In 2014, Bud Light produced an “Up for Whatever Happens Next” commercial where a man who supposedly isn’t an actor is thrown into an epic night meeting famous celebrities and attending wild parties.

The target audience is young men aged 21 to 35 who love to party and be spontaneous, and the commercial has a humorous tone. The company is identified about 15 seconds in, when the unsuspected man is approached by a woman who is holding a Bud Light beer bottle.

The commercial somewhat tells a story, although it doesn’t have a clear narrative structure. It has an exposition when they establish that the guy is a normal man off the street who has no idea where the night is going to go. Its rising action is each random event that happens in the commercial (like meeting Don Cheadle with a llama in an elevator, being in a limo with a bachelorette party, playing Arnold Schwarzenegger in table tennis). The climax is pretty unclear, but it could be the moment right before the unsuspected guy beats Schwarzenegger in table tennis. The resolution could be when a wall rises up, and there’s a huge penthouse party going on and he essentially becomes the “man of the party”.

The Budweiser ad definitely presents a stronger narrative. I think it even catches and keeps the attention of viewers more effectively since they appealed to emotions, and viewers become invested in whether the man and horse will reunite. I think more people are likely to share it since it tells such a touching story. While the Bud Light is memorable and people may share it because of its celebrity presence and humor, its story isn’t as compelling.