Super Bowl Ad Lesson in Making the Boring Engaging

Super Bowl Ad Lesson in Making the Boring Engaging

February 7, 2011 by

What do you do when you’re given a title that’s boring?
What do you do when the current sermon series just isn’t grabbing you?
What do you do when the big event isn’t something you’re real excited about?

Do what Bridgestone did. Get over it and find the challenge.

They sell tires. Yawn. Super Bowl is for the funniest commercials, everything is ignored or ridiculed. There’s nothing funny about tires. Right?

Yesterday they rolled out (ha ha…get it?) two of the funniest ads during the Super Bowl. Yes, you read it right, funny ads from a tire company. Take a look.

I’ve said it before, our job isn’t simply to make things look good. We’re communicators, our art can move something from boring and tired to compelling and engaging.

Thanks for the inspiration and reminder Bridgestone.

Also don’t miss a favorite from VW, the one that made me laugh the hardest from Doritos, the one with the most moxy from Chrysler and the one that is getting the most flack from Groupon.

Post By:

Michael Buckingham


With the goal of making the church the most creative place on the planet, Michael founded Holy Cow Creative, the church’s creativity and design studio. He is the former creative director for the Center for Church Communication and Church Marketing Sucks, and is currently the experience pastor at Victory World Church in Atlanta.
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One Response to “Super Bowl Ad Lesson in Making the Boring Engaging”

  • Eric Seiberling
    February 7, 2011

    Michael,

    I think that we as communicators can learn a lot of lessons from Madison Avenue and apply it to trying to reach the people on Main Street. We need to understand our audience, get very clear on the benefit and then look for a “heart or mind opening way” to express it.

    This past Super Bowl (as all the previous ones) had winners and losers in trying to do this. Whether it is using humor (Bridgestone “Carma”), competitive positioning (Motorola “Empower the People”), making an emotional connection (VW “the Force”) or telling a story (Chrysler “Imported From Detroit”), there are many lessons we can learn.

    I spent some time reviewing the top ads and providing a church perspective. Here are my thoughts:
    http://www.flockology.com/2011/02/show-me-the-benefit-the-obligatory-super-bowl-2011-commercial-roundup-and-what-churches-can-learn-fr.html

    Thanks for the thoughts,
    Eric


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