Every year I write a blog after the Super Bowl that focuses on marketing. Who got what right. Which brands crashed and burned with their homages to Flashdance. Whose celebrity cameos worked and whose fell just a little short. (Yes Christopher Walken, I’m talking about you.) But this year, after wondering out loud several times what David Ogilvy would think of the commercials that brands spent an estimated $7 million apiece just to air (and countless more millions to produce), I want to talk about what really stole the show this year.
It was the game.
I know. I know. As someone who lives and breathes football, I am one of those few people who watches this game for the game every year.
But this year was different.
This year had a real story behind it that marketers can learn from.
And not just those hyped-up stories that sports journalists work so hard to create. A genuine story. It had two heroes and no real villains (unless you are a diehard fan of either team, in which case, I hear you on that). It had wholesome underdog quarterback Brock Purdy who was picked last – actually dead last – in the draft. A guy who nonetheless rose to the challenge and was leading his team onto the biggest stage in the world to dominate in the first half. It had star quarterback Patrick Mahomes who executed a brilliant overtime victory and was named Super Bowl MVP for a third time on his way to creating a dynasty that some predict will rival Tom Brady.
It had an awesome cast of supporting characters that you genuinely cared about. There was the 49ers kicker Jake Moody who made the longest kick in Super Bowl history (55 yards) but only held the record briefly before the Chiefs' Harrison Butker bested it with a 57-yarder in the third quarter. There was the star running back Christian McCaffrey who fumbled on the fifth play of the game and then got a stunning touchdown off a trick play that hearkened back to the days when the Pittsburgh Steelers were a real football dynasty. And of course, there was Travis Kelce, who may have momentarily stolen the spotlight from his uber famous girlfriend when he confronted coach Andy Reid on the sideline.
Add in an overtime game with lots of outstanding plays on the field and you have a Super Bowl that actually deserved its moniker.
And that is what marketers can learn from this year’s game. That if you give fans (or donors or buyers) actual substance, they will not only watch you, but they’ll also become invested in your organization and actually cheer you on. They will care about the people behind your “team” and be curious about what you do and why you do it. And they will want more.
That’s the kind of marketing that can lead your organization…onward.
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