2023 Super Bowl Sunday: One Company Streaming First-Ever Real-Time Play By Play Of Commercials
The hype for the Super Bowl is getting louder by the minute. Sure, plenty of people are pumped for the the Eagles or the Chiefs, but for a lot of us, it’s all about Rihanna, nachos, and commercials. We’re not alone – the commercials are such a big deal, they even have teaser trailers …ads for ads!
Dissecting commercials the next morning is almost as tradition as watching the game itself. This year, expect Zoom screens and text chains (RIP, water cooler) to light up about a Breaking Bad reunion, Will Ferrell driving an electric truck through a zombie apocalypse or Maya Rudolph replacing the somehow controversial M&M candy mascots. Recent reports have Fox charging up to $5 million for a 30 second spot during the game.
“Super Bowl ads represent a massive amount of a brand’s annual budget as well as a creative team’s time, energy, and effort,” says industry veteran Ian Baer, who recently founded a marketing consultancy called sooth. “They’ve put in as much work as the teams on the field.”
Monday morning quarterbacks will be in large supply this year, given the buzz many brands have built for their commercials. YouTube is already filled with previews, including Melissa McCarthy’s ad for booking.com, David Grohl advertising Crown Royal, and Jack Harlow, Elton John and Missy Elliot playing music for Doritos.
This year people won’t even have to wait until the next day to voice their opinions. Brands expect instant reactions on their social platforms, and one company is even streaming a first-ever real-time play by play of the commercials. “Soothrbowl Sunday” will feature Sooth founder Baer, producer and host David Brody (The Elvis Duran Morning Show, “The Brooklyn Boys” podcast), and marketing expert Meghan Peters (The Idea Integration Company and a former exec for Facebook, Mashable and The Wall Street Journal) giving their analysis of the ads, and letting viewers chime in with their own opinions. “This is the game within the game,” says Baer, whose firm will stream the “Soothrbowl” on Facebook Live, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram, and a roundup on YouTube the next day.
Social media platforms will also be filled with surveys, quizzes, and feedback forums about the commercials. Marketing experts predict a tremendous spike in activity throughout the night into the next morning, and look out for popular media sites to let viewers cast their votes. Early betting favors Uber one, whose commercial features Sean “Diddy” Combs trying to reimagine popular hits like “Milkshake” and “What Does The Fox Say” as a jingle, along with Montell Jordan, Kelis, Donna Lewis and more. But don’t count out Michelob Ultra: they’ve matched Serena Williams and Brian Cox in a round of golf.