What Makes A Good Super Bowl Ad?

With Super Bowl 50 having just passed, with some memorable ads to say the least, it’s worth asking what makes a Super Bowl ad good? If it’s funny? If it’s weird or off-putting, but definitely stands out? Let’s look at a couple ads from past years, starting with Audi’s “Prom” ad back in 2013:

This ad depicts a boy who is going to prom stag which is a social faux pas, but his dad lets the boy take his Audi to prom — and that’s where things get interesting. With this new-found confidence, our main character rolls up to prom in his Audi, kisses the prom queen, gets then punched by the prom king (although we don’t actually see this), and then drives away with a black eye and the look of success.

I would say the target audience for this particular commercial is certainly young people, or anyone who feels like they need a confidence boost in the form of a high performance car. I wouldn’t say that this is a “humorous” commercial, so much as witty and feel-good. It invokes emotion, but not in the sentimental, grabbing for the tissues way. More like you feel like you just kissed the prom queen and drove away feeling great too, and that’s pretty sweet.

This particular ad follows a certain story structure; with the exposition (boy going to prom alone), rising action (driving the Audi to prom), climax (kiss and punch — though we don’t actually see the punch, but we can infer that it happens), and then falling action/resolution (boy driving away with a black eye and grinning).

The next ad is Taco Bell’s “Viva Young” ad also done in 2013. This one is one of my personal favorites:

In this ad, we see a group of old folks sneaking out of the retirement home for a night of clubs, tattoos, debauchery and Taco Bell. The whole point is to show that these people can still do “young” things; and Taco Bell is what makes it happen.

Although this ad seems like it’s targeted towards older people, I believe it’s really targeted towards anyone who wants to feel young and have a good time. I think this commercial is pretty entertaining and aesthetically pleasing for all ages.

In terms of a traditional story structure — this ad doesn’t really have one, or at least it’s not quite as clear-cut. We see the exposition of the old man in the nursing home, then the rising action of them sneaking out, and I suppose the climax really lasts for most of the ad with them out partying, then ending with the falling action of them returning to the nursing home. The elements are there, just not in the most traditional sense.

I think both of these ads are pretty effective at catching viewers’ attention, but I definitely think the Taco Bell one is more likely to be shared and keep the viewers’ attention. While the Audi commercial is certainly entertaining and fun, it has a more typical narrative that viewers can more or less predict and have closure with. Seeing old people out partying and acting like young people isn’t something we normally see so that makes it more unique, and in an odd way, relatable to young people because it’s our lives — just through older people; which is funny and heart-warming.

I do think narrative structure is important; we as humans enjoy having a beginning, middle and end to stories. But I think in the realm of ads, non-traditional narrative structure can be just as effective for portraying your message and captivating audiences.