The Oatly Super Bowl Commercial Is Actually Pure Genius
Even if you absolutely hated it.
I yelped loudly seconds into the Oatly commercial after realizing that it was an ad for my favorite oat milk brand. I cheered and exclaimed “It’s a vegan commercial during the Super Bowl! We made it!”
Okay, maybe not a “vegan” commercial but just let me have this one.
I was so happy I felt my heart beating out of my chest. Plant-based options have been growing exponentially within the past couple of years, mostly just noticeable in the aisles of a grocery store. But seeing it as an ad during the Super Bowl solidified the rise of popularity for plant-based options even more.
I mean a Super Bowl ad about oat milk promoting a vegan message and it’s getting the attention they wanted?! Amazing! I was ecstatic that this was being shown to so many people across America and hoped that the intro of “It’s like milk but made for humans” sang in a slightly out of tune yet catchy way would make people think “Wait what does he mean?” and then do the research for themselves.
I hoped that it would make people think outside of what they know and realize that milk is for baby cows. As someone who wasn’t always vegan, this is the truth that so few of us don’t realize until someone explicitly tells us. So the fact that this commercial opened by stating exactly that but in a way that didn’t make people turn their heads away was amazing, to say the least.
But there’s a reason this commercial stood out to more than just those who are familiar with Oatly or are vegan. Here’s why their marketing strategy was simply genius.
It Was Classic Oatly Advertising and It Worked
Because I was so distracted and yelling with my hands pumping up into the air, I didn’t notice the part where it said that was the CEO of Oatly singing that oddly catchy song. Being familiar with the unique marketing of Oatly, this was very in character and I was not surprised one bit. I am not ashamed to admit that I really loved the simplicity and lack of celebrities in this commercial, aside from my obvious bias.
It’s lighthearted. It’s silly. It’s weirdly clever and enticing. It was a perfect Oatly-like commercial accurately reflecting their usual demeanor like the ad above. Would people have liked it more if they showed the extreme suffering of cows on a dairy farm? I highly doubt it.
I don’t think it's the commercial that’s the problem. The problem is that they pointed out that milk is indeed not meant for human consumption. Not only that but they also didn’t follow the high expectations people have for a Super Bowl ad. However, it did what it was supposed to do — make you very aware that Oatly exists. I mean that’s what marketing is for right?
They Went Against the Norm Unapologetically
Why does everything have to fit in a box and follow the norm? Amazing ideas come from thinking outside of the box.
A Super Bowl ad with someone singing “Wow. Wow. No cow” and it got the attention that it did? I am utterly impressed.
It’s getting a lot of attention as the worst Super Bowl commercial ever. And it was definitely not unwanted attention. They are totally milking this opportunity (pun intended) by selling free shirts on their website that says “I totally hated that Oatly commercial” along with a graphic of the CEO Toni Petersson wearing a shirt that says “WOW NO COW!” just like the ad. It was said to have sold out in hours. Classic Oatly.
They Stood Out Because They Didn’t Follow the Norm of Super Bowl Ads
Have you ever hated a song so much yet you found it still getting stuck in your head? Oatly intended for people to hate the commercial and now that song is probably stuck in your head. The thing is that you can’t satisfy everyone, so you might as well make it memorable. And that’s exactly what they did. There’s a reason the Oatly ad is making headlines related to everything Super Bowl.
What I don’t think they expected was people to overreact to their commercial and claim to never want to try or drink Oatly ever again. Why do those select people hate it so much? Is it because they don’t like to be told that cow’s milk is for baby cows or because they are actually offended by the lack of celebrities or over the top production? Maybe they actually found it comical and are just being sarcastic. We will never know.
Oatly Will Forever Stand Out to You Now
What is the one commercial that stood out to you during the Super Bowl? I would bet money that Oatly is one of them, if not the only one that is stuck in your head. They had the strongest effect on us by doing so little.
For all the people who weren’t extremely bothered by it like many of those on Twitter, I think I can confidently say that if they didn’t know what Oatly was before, now they do. If the majority of those unbothered people find themselves in a grocery store looking for a plant-based milk option, Oatly will probably be their first choice. We go with what we know and what we are familiar with. It’s as simple as that. After all, it must be good (I can confirm that it is) if they can afford to air a Super Bowl ad. If I was one of those people, I would be intrigued and curious enough to try it myself.
Because of this, I have no doubt in my mind that I will be going to my favorite grocery store and see Oatly sold out (which I already sometimes have a problem with). And if you ever spot Oatly ice cream I highly recommend Oatly coffee ice cream (you’re welcome).
So at the end of the day, the ad worked exactly how it was supposed to. Maybe I’m biased because I’m vegan and I drink Oatly. However, no one can deny that they got the attention they intended to get.
What makes it even better is that this commercial premiered in Sweden years ago. They didn’t even bother filming a new commercial which I think is both hilarious and unapologetic. Again, classic Oatly.
Maybe we can take this as a lesson. Not everything has to be over the top, overflowing with celebrities, or have to tug at our heartstrings. The marketing strategy they used was perfect. They knew it was bad and they are counting on people to acknowledge that.
Why be like everyone else when you can market your own way? That’s what Oatly does everywhere whether it’s on their oat milk carton or on billboards, and now a Super Bowl ad. The thing with marketing is that you have to do something that makes your brand memorable, and they succeeded. We do tend to remember the things that annoy us more than the things that were great but ineffective.
Plus, with all the events that have happened in the past year, why can’t we embrace the obviously comical intentions of this commercial? Not everything has to be treated so seriously. Laughter is what we need in the midst of everything going on in the world right now.
So if you find yourself grabbing Oatly milk during your next grocery trip I’ll be there in spirit whispering “I told you so!”
We don’t all have to fit into a box. Stay true to yourself like Oatly and their CEO did. Be unapologetically you.
