Arguably worse than those commercials that are bad and ugly are those that are forgettable. If a commercial airs during the Superbowl and no one remembers it, does it make a sound? (A la, if a tree falls in the forest…)

There were definitely a few forgettable commercials during the Superbowl this year – so forgettable that I either don’t remember seeing them at all, or have only a vague recollection of them after seeing them included on the list of aired spots. Let’s look at a few, and in particular, how they could have been more memorable, and why law firms don’t want to fall into the same quagmire of forgettableness. 

Continue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Forgettable 2013

Now that we’ve looked at what lessons the good commercials had to offer us from the Superbowl, it’s time to look at the bad and the ugly – almost as much fun to review! 

It took me a while to choose which commercials to include in this post because there were FAR too many on my list of bad and ugly. I’ve managed to narrow it down to ten, so let’s do a countdown! 

#10 Volkswagen’s Get Happy

I didn’t like this commercial, but it’s not for the reason you’re thinking…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9H0xPWAtaa8

Continue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Bad & the Ugly – 2013

Yesterday’s post sparked some great conversations on social media with regard to what everyone thought about various commercials – in particular one that I’ve included in today’s "pretty good" category.  It’s been great to hear legal marketers weigh in on these, so let’s keep the conversation going! 

I’ve got five commercials on today’s "pretty good" list, and I’ll both go into why I like them, and why they don’t make it to the "really good" list.Continue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Pretty Good 2013

When you’re not particularly enamored of either team in the Superbowl, and hockey is more your sport anyway, what’s a gal to do when football’s biggest game of the year is on? DVR it so I could watch just the commercials, of course! (And the Sandy Hook Chorus sing "America the Beautiful" – that was not to be missed). 

Though after zipping through the game to catch this year’s ads, I was kind of wishing I’d skipped the whole thing all together – these are some of the most expensive ads to be purchased throughout the year, and for me, there were almost no standouts. Where have all the good marketers gone?

But, since I need to choose *some* good commercials to discuss, here are my top picks for this year – I’ll cover the "really good" today and the "pretty good," the bad and the ugly later in the week. Continue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Really Good 2013

So yesterday, we had the chance to take a look at some of the higlights from the Superbowl commercials of 2012.  Now, it’s time to see which spots failed, why, and what lessons law firms can take from them. 

We’ll start with my pick for the worst commercial of the night…Go Daddy’s Body Painting Commercial (which is pretty much tied with their Cloud commercial for worst in my book).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NG2qU7x4DjoContinue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Bad & The Ugly 2012

While I know that most people watch the Superbowl for the sports (myself included, I do like the game!), the biggest football game of the year is also the Superbowl for marketers – because of the commercials.

I’ve heard mixed reviews of last night’s spots from people via my social networks, but I have to say that unlike recent years, I was very pleased with this year’s ads. As I did last year, I’ll give you my thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly, starting with the good…

Overall, I’d say that humor won out this year. To me, the commercials that did "funny" right were the real winners…and also the most memorable. However, one funny, expensive ad spot doesn’t change a lot, but it’s fun to see where they went right and the lessons that law firms can take from them. 

Continue Reading Are you ready for some FOOTBALL….Commercials? (The Good)

Now that we’ve covered "the good" of the Superbowl commercials, let’s talk about the bad and the ugly…and what can be learned from them.

We’ll start with one of the more controversial series of spots…

Groupon

Save the Whales

This is the less tacky of the spots, though giving the idea that although it’s nice to save the whales, it’s better to save money is still missing the humor mark.  But in the next spot…

Tibet

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vXGYK1eP_wo

Some people seemed to think this one was funny, while others were offended.  I tend not to be too thin-skinned, but I did agree that this was a mistake.  I was surprised that after the Kenneth Cole debacle this week that they decided to go through with these spots, even considering the financial cost of them.  

Now, Groupon did clarify the thought process behind the commercials with this post. And while I think it’s great that they suggest people donate money to the causes they were parodying, the spots were still a tasteless mistake.  The lesson here is that humor is something you have to be careful with – what one person might find funny, a lot of others might not.  You’ve got to know and understand your audience.

Secondarily, I’m not sure how well the ads actually reinforce Groupon’s product.  I’m a big fan of Groupon, but I’ve had a lot of trouble describing to friends and family what they’re all about.  I don’t think I’m the only one.  Their commercials could have broken that down a bit better.  I think they were a fail all around.  

For a great explanation that delves into this a bit further, check out Liz Strauss’ post "Groupon Super Bowl Ad: When Being Clever Offends and How to Win One for Tibet"Continue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Bad & The Ugly – Lessons for Lawyers

Okay, I admit it. I love commercials.  

So much so that when I ordered the DVR service with my cable, I wasn’t sure I would fast forward through them.  (Don’t worry, I do)

Not all commercials, of course.  I just love the well done ones.  Like the Old Spice campaign – but that also combined my love of social media, so I’m a bit biased.

So for me, although I really enjoy football, the Superbowl is really about the commercials – they are the best of the best in advertising – at least, they’re supposed to be.  If you’re paying $3 million for a commercial spot, it should be the best work your company can get.  

What does this have to do with legal marketing? I’m not a huge fan of legal commercials, I must admit.  But I think there are solid marketing lessons to be learned from my favorites.  

And from the bad commercials – let’s be honest, there were more than a couple of those last night!

So without further ado….Continue Reading Superbowl Commercials – The Good – Lessons for Lawyers