Plus: Washington Post’s top leader exits days after layoffs; Kroger welcomes new CEO after controversy.
The Super Bowl brought about a deluge of star-studded ads, a big (and controversial halftime show) and, apparently, a football game.
But let’s be honest, we’re only here to talk about the first two.
The commercials, long considered one of the major draws of the big game, are as important for their post-airing discussion as for the actual ads themselves. Long-tail social media conversation and inclusion in “best-of” roundups take these spots from the realm of advertising to the PR side of the equation.
There is no one right way to measure a Super Bowl ad’s efficacy. Some might pop immediately post-event with activations or sales. Some might be longer-term branding plays that lack the instant gratification of customers walking into a Dunkin’ today because Ben Affleck and every ‘90s sitcom star ever told them to last night.
An ad from newcomer AI.com lacked star power, for instance: the commercial is just text, teasing that “AGI is coming” and encouraging users to claim their usernames now. It’s simple, short, but ranked No. 1 for the night on EDO’s TV Outcome Scores, which measures how consumer engagement leads to future buying behavior.
Another big talker of the night was Lay’s, which continued to stress that its chips are made with real, American-grown potatoes. It offered both a tear-jerking story of a retiring potato farmer as well as a simple offer for free chips for the first 100,000 people to scan a QR code. The combination of storytelling and blatant engagement play work together to reinforce the key message and get people interested in interacting with the brand.
In other Super Bowl news, Bad Bunny’s halftime show brought all the dancing, Puerto Rican pride and controversy predicted. The show, which was almost entirely in Spanish, save a few lines from Bad Bunny himself and a brief performance from Lady Gaga, offered no overtly political messages on ICE or immigration, unlike Bad Bunny’s Grammy acceptance speech last week. Instead, the focus was on joy, pride in Puerto Rican culture and pan-American unity, with Bad Bunny declaring “God bless America,” followed by listing every nation in South, Central and North America.
There was expected backlash from conservatives, including President Donald Trump, who decried the use of Spanish and called the dancing “disgusting.” Nonetheless, the NFL clearly took a calculated risk of alienating some of its traditional white audience to court a younger generation, many of whom speak Spanish — or who don’t but enjoy Bad Bunny’s beats anyway. The New York Times detailed how the league and its owners put aside their personal preferences to court performers like Bad Bunny or past Super Bowl performers Kendrick Lamar, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
“I don’t want to pick the music that I listen to ’cause none of you would come to the halftime show,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell half-joked during an October interview.
While the halftime show may have angered some, causing them to turn to an alternative broadcast held by Turning Point USA and featuring Kid Rock, the NFL is betting on a multicultural future with its selection of artists like Bad Bunny.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- Just days after a massive layoff decimated the Washington Post’s editorial ranks, Publisher and Chief Executive Will Lewis announced his departure from the paper after just two years. In an all-newsroom email delivered on a Saturday night with no subject line, Lewis wrote, “During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.” NPR reports that Lewis had been “effectively AWOL” during layoff announcements. Is Lewis serving as an effective scapegoat for the layoffs, paving the way for a new leader who can start with a cleanish slate? Or was he part of the housecleaning efforts? It’s hard to say, but this all casts the future of the Post into further doubt, with current Post CFO Jeff D’Onofrio serving as acting CEO while the paper hunts for someone who can chart a course forward with a drastically reduced newsroom, tarnished reputation and demoralized staff.
- In other CEO news, Kroger has chosen a familiar face for its next leader: Greg Foran, who led Walmart’s U.S. operations for six years. Foran steps into the role a year after the previous CEO, Rodney McMullen, resigned from the company due to “certain personal conduct.” Kroger’s announcement of Foran stresses his retail experience as well as the company’s confidence in its year-long executive search. “Greg is a highly respected operator who knows how to run large-scale retail businesses, strengthen store execution, and lead high-performing teams,” said Ron Sargent, interim CEO. “His leadership style, focus on the customer, commitment to associates, and disciplined approach to execution are the perfect fit for Kroger. The Board is confident Greg is the right leader to guide Kroger into its next chapter.” The statement stresses not only Foran’s experience but also his personal attributes, a quiet yet clear rebuttal to McMullen’s conduct. It’s a savvy statement that nods to concerns of the past without dwelling on them, setting Foran up for a smooth path forward.
- We’re only a few days into the Winter Olympics, and there are already problems with the medals, some of which have fallen from their ribbons while athletes jumped, danced and celebrated their victories. While this is a PR nightmare for the games organizers, who said they’re “paying maximum attention to this matter,” it’s become an opportunity for social media virality among some athletes. German athletes were captured on TV trying to fix a bronze medal during a delirious celebration, while American figure skater Alysa Liu wrote on Instagram that, “my medal don’t need the ribbon” while flashing her gold. Rather than complaining, these athletes chose to celebrate their victories despite the snafus — which can gain more engagement and popularity in the long run.
Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.
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