While millions tuned in to watch the stunning spectacle of Super Bowl XXXIV — a close battle between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles — an equally historic war was being fought behind the scenes of the iconic sporting event. In the year since the last Super Bowl, the Federal Communications Commission has launched volley after volley at what it considers indecency on the public airwaves.
Spurred by the Janet Jackson fiasco of last February, groups like the Parents Television Council have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and instituted letter-writing campaigns in order to sway public opinion and influence FCC decisions. And between plays, the results of those campaigns were on display for the whole world to see.
Direct and cute won out against the over-the-top marketing devices that have aired during previous Super Bowls. Decades past seems to have been the theme, with appearances by Burt Reynolds, who was found dancing with a grizzly bear, M.C. Hammer dancing for Frito-Lay’s potato chips, the Muppets sharing a Pizza Hut pizza and a motley assortment of superheroes assisting a Visa customer.
The good
Anheuser Busch came out ahead this year with five ads. While all were genuinely entertaining, playing off the marketing image the company has created over the years, one in particular caught the eye. Two young men are seen sitting in a stadium, attending a game. They express their surprise that a mutual friend gave them tickets. They decide to “hit him up” by taking a picture on their cell phone and sending it to their friend. Cut to an apartment, where the friend responds by taking a picture of the stuff around them. Cut back again to the two at the stadium, as they slowly realize that he’s in one of their apartments, with his Bud Light. And his girlfriend.
FedEx released another hit commercial this year. An interesting take on the advertising frenzy that surrounds the event, the FedEx ad features Burt Reynolds dancing with a grizzly bear. As part of the “10 items needed to finish on top,” the commercial features the dancing duo, a small child with an ice cream cone, a crotch kick (where we discover that the bear can talk), hot cheerleaders and a reference to “Smokey and the Bandit.” It’s an interesting commentary on the way ads are put together.
Pepsi teamed up with iTunes again this year in a 200 million-song giveaway and coupled it with a new advertising campaign. In a pair of spots, Pepsi drinkers open bottles to hear music playing. By putting the cap back on and then taking it off, they discover the music comes from the bottle itself. Interesting, and often embarrassing, situations ensue. The spots feature guest appearances by Gwen Stefani and Eve.
The bad
While their first ad was pulled, GoDaddy.com had enough time to put together a slightly different ad in the same vein. This ad featured a model in front of the “Go Daddy committee” acting ditzy and dancing while asking for a job to promote the registrar. Shocked onlookers gasp as she suffers from a wardrobe malfunction of her own (a broken shoulder strap). Complete with old men on oxygen and the only female committee member asking if the model has considered turtlenecks, it seems woefully uncreative among the more creative commercials.
The perhaps most perplexing commercial comes when credit giant MBNA gets involved in the fracas with an oddball ad featuring soul legend Gladys Knight playing rugby against England. A strange combination, MBNA links the two by the fact that they “have a lot of hits.” Oddly, Ms. Knight’s appearance does nothing to affect the outcome of the rugby game, which had England up 5-0 before the former Billboard star scored her goal.
The ugly
While a number of last year’s ads towed the line when it came to taste, this year’s selection was more subdued. Several ads were pulled prior to game day over concerns of FCC regulation or public outcry.
The first, from Anheuser Busch, purported to tell the story of what really happened to Jackson’s costume. A young man finds Bud Light backstage. Unable to open it himself, he uses the metal rings on Jackson’s costume to open the bottle, inadvertently ripping the breast cup in the process.
A commercial for Airborne Cold Medicine that featured Mickey Rooney’s naked backside was banned by Fox Broadcasting, Inc. for indecency. Sitting in a steam room, Rooney is scared by a woman who coughs behind him. As he runs out of the room, his towel drops, exposing his behind for all the world to see. There has been no comment as to whether it was pulled because of the view of Rooney’s rump or the depiction of men and women together in a steam room.
Another add, promoting Lincoln’s Mark LT truck, was pulled over concern from sex-abuse groups. It showed a priest drooling over a Lincoln Navigator, only to find a little girl had placed her father’s keys in the collection plate. The ad then cuts to the priest adding the final letters to the word “lust” on his sermon board.
Groups involved in the priest-abuse scandals complained the ad too closely played off the pain and suffering of the abused. They argue the presence of a little girl hints at a different interpretation. Ford Motor Company voluntarily pulled the ad prior to air. Since they didn’t have another ad ready, Ford chose to repeat an ad for the new convertible Mustang.
While the effect of the FCC rulings and various public-interest groups is apparent in this year’s Super Bowl ads, what is not clear is the effect the ads will have on the year’s advertising. Typically, advertising for the Super Bowl sets the standard for the remainder of the year. With a toned-down feeling and more product-orientated ads as opposed to brand-oriented ads of the past, pundits disagree whether the ads show a shift in marketing approach or simply temporary restraint due to stricter regulation. Since FCC Chairman Michael Powell is stepping down, the total effect of recent rulings on advertisers is still unknown.
