The Super Bowl, you and brand storytelling
It’s crazy!
I don’t even like, understand or follow American football
or watch the Super Bowl, the final of American football for the year.
I love all the commentary that I read on my social media. Tom Brady certainly seems to be a legend!!
But sport is not my thing.
Brand storytelling most certainly is, though – “my thing.”
I am always fascinated by the ads at the Super Bowl, and the discussion and dissection around them.
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“But what does that have to do with me?” you ask.
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Well, if you are interested in brand storytelling …
in other words, if you need to promote yourself, subtly, powerfully, so that you get that raise, get the promotion, convince the Board to take a course of action,
if you need to stand out from the rest of the service providers, sales people in your field, if you want to grow your business,
if you want to change the world,
you must be interested in brand storytelling
the best way to be seen, be heard and be chosen for what you offer.
And the ads at the Super Bowl were created by
some of the biggest brands with the biggest budgets
which not only makes for great entertainment and a break from life alongside the Super Bowl,
but also gives us an insight into just what is possible with brand storytelling.
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There are so many ads and so many ways of looking at them all. I’ve chosen two to get you and me thinking about what it takes to win brand loyalty
and what we might adopt from those with the dollars to create that.
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Bruce Springsteen for Jeep and Budweiser’s Bud Light Selzer lemonade.
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I’m not a fan of The Boss – just don’t know enough about him.
Watching his ad for Jeep, I was fascinated by the attempt at acknowledging the times (the bigger story) and appealing to unity,
by the appeal, too, to traditional American values of the wild west, national identity and home.
But it felt contrived to me, flat, not what I would expect from a Super Bowl ad that is meant to be a little escapist.
To each his own, of course. It appealed to many.
And Jeep’s branding is aimed at those who choose to go offroad, either metaphorically or physically.
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I was sad there were no Budweiser draft horses. I always love their ads. I guess I just love story!!
And then I discovered the Bud Light lemonade Seltzer creation.
Yes it kept the story of our times front and centre, but added a lightness to it.
Yes it was escapist.
Yes the final conversation echoed most.
If you haven’t watched it, here it is … And then I have a question for you …
Maybe it’s not YOUR favourite..
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The question (or several questions) I have for you – and for us – all of us using brand stories in one way or another is
What is YOUR bigger story?
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Who do you think (from this ad, or maybe already know) is Bud Light’s target market?
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And even more importantly, whether you are in business, have a career or are changing the world,
Who is yours?
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Please feel free to add you answers to the comments below.
If you came here from an email, please go back to the email I sent and share your answers with me.
Either way, I would love to see what you think, what your answers are.
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I will be teaching a new course in brand storytelling, in my Story to Stage Academy, which starts in May, but if you would like some support or coaching around your brand and story, please message me and we can chat.
