It will be a clash of the Titans.  Everything will be left on the field.  This is for the reigning world championship.  Decades of effort have gone into this single four hour event.  The combatants will be bloodied and bruised.  It is an honor to be included in the game.  Of course, I am talking about the Super Bowl commercial breaks during the typically boring AFC VS NFC championship game.

On Feb 7, at 6:28 the Super Bowl kicks off.  This international event is a double joy for me as a football fan and marketing fanatic.  While the game on the field is sometimes lopsided, the competition between advertisers is always exciting.  I want to share with you my strategy to maximize the fun of watching the commercial breaks.  You get to be the judge!

1. Watch, listen and absorb the complete commercial breakwhich may be 4-7 commercials long.

2. After the break, ask yourself “Which commercials do you remember?”  If you remember them, this means that those commercials connected with you in some emotional way.  They made you laugh, you thought it was cool, or it filled a need for you.

3. Of the commercials that you remember ask yourself “What was the name of the product?”  Just because a spot made you laugh, doesn’t mean that it made a positive brand impression on you.  If you can’t remember the product or the name, what good was the spot?

4. Make special note of the commercials that make no sense to you.  These spots are targeted at a different demographic than you.  If you didn’t get the point, then ask someone younger or older than you or of the opposite gender for insight.

5. Keep a special eye out for the “Stinker Award” nominees.These commercials leave you asking yourself “What were they thinking?”  A great example is the Quiznos Sub commercial from Super Bowl 2002 that shot darts into the neck of customers that chose a Quiznos sub.  The intention was to convey that the competition would have to cheat to get a customer to choose a non-Quiznos sub.  Unfortunately, I was left with the brand impression that my first bite might lead to a severe pain in the neck.  Stinkers are usually quite memorable, just not effective. Watch it.

Be sure to ask your fellow football fans and party goers for their opinions.  Make it fun!

A $2.5 Million Dollar Lesson for Business Owners
At $2.5 million dollars for a 30 second spot, these advertisers are taking their best shot at the market. This judging experience will teach you several lessons about marketing your own business.  You will learn that:

1. There is a lot of commercial noise in the market.

2. It’s not easy to create a message that stands out.

3. Being memorable often requires an emotional connection.

4. Your message might make sense to you, but not to your target market.

5. Companies can spend a ton of money on a commercial and don’t realize that they have a stinker.

Find Your Favorite Super Bowl Spots

Watch your past Super Bowl favorites and stinkers over the last two decades at this NY Times.com site.

1984 Apple's Macintosh Commercial - The spot that launched Super Bowl advertising to the next level.  Watch it.