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Business News/ Industry / Budweiser scores in Super Bowl ad battle
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Budweiser scores in Super Bowl ad battle

Budweiser ads, featuring a labrador pup and the beer maker's famous Clydesdale horses, took the two top spots in online buzz immediately following the game

Budweiser and other brands opted to stir people’s emotions with their ads during the Super Bowl, rather than seek cheap laughs. Photo: Getty ImagesPremium
Budweiser and other brands opted to stir people’s emotions with their ads during the Super Bowl, rather than seek cheap laughs. Photo: Getty Images

New York/Los Angeles: Budweiser commercials about a returning soldier and a love-struck puppy emerged as winners in the high-stakes brand battle during football’s Super Bowl, as advertisers used Hollywood stars and slick cars to woo consumers.

The Budweiser ads took the two top spots in online buzz immediately following the game, according to iSpot, which tracks video views and social media comments. One showed a soldier coming home to a parade, and the other featured a Labrador puppy and the beer maker’s famous Clydesdale horses.

Brands paid $4 million on average for 30 seconds of ad time during the game, seen by an estimated 100 million viewers who annually make it US television’s most-watched event. The Seattle Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos 43-8.

Budweiser, owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, and other brands opted to stir people’s emotions, rather than seek cheap laughs, said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, which annually reviews Super Bowl ads.

“We are seeing companies talk about more inspirational topics," Calkins said. “I think this reflects a little bit how people are feeling in the country. People are feeling a little hopeful."

A Cheerios commercial, featuring parents telling their daughter she will soon have a brother, won high marks from advertising executives and marketing experts. Some complaints appeared online last year when Cheerios used the same couple, a black man and a white woman.

“I liked the Cheerios spot, the bravery of it and the fact they didn’t run from consumers who didn’t like it," said Brett Craig, executive creative director for Deutsch LA.

Companies relied especially heavily on celebrities this year, from Ellen DeGeneres for a new Beats Music app to former quarterback Tim Tebow for T-Mobile US Inc., which played off his free agency to promote their message that consumers shouldn’t need a contract. Tebow was seen in a variety of jobs, including as a rock singer.

Adding star salaries and production costs likely brought the cost of some campaigns to over $10 million, according to advertising executives.

Auto makers dominated the telecast. Chrysler—which scored with a Clint Eastwood pitch in 2012—again stood out, featuring 72-year-old folk singer Bob Dylan in a pitch for the new Chrysler 200 sedan. Dylan’s song Things Have Changed played in the background as the singer appeared on screen to narrate a story that celebrated America and US auto workers.

“It was very skilful and epic," said Andrew Essex, vice-chairman at advertising agency Droga5. Other experts, however, said viewers complained online that Dylan had sold out.

Luxury car maker Maserati, owned by Fiat, surprised with a dramatic 90-second ad starring young actress Quvenzhane Wallis and featuring tornadoes, waves and flocks of flying birds. The ad promoted a new lower-priced Maserati that starts at $67,000.

Jerry Seinfeld reunited with cast members from his hit 1990s sitcom for an episode of his online show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on Sony Corp.s Crackle.com. Part of the episode aired during halftime. Reuters

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Published: 04 Feb 2014, 12:40 AM IST
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