The rise of Internet video should be a major boon for Super Bowl XLVIII advertising.
Because great material can easily be shared with millions of Internet users, the best Super Bowl spots no longer have to rely merely on memory of their initial broadcasts to achieve ubiquity. Viewers—and potential customers—can relive the experiences and repeatedly fall in (or out of) love with the responsible brands.
Value, however, is in the eye of the beholder. Or advertiser.
While one smitten with the traditional Super Bowl broadcast experience might envision viral video as an opportunity to rekindle the magic of the initial viewing, others see it as an opportunity to build anticipation for the Big Game. As a result, many advertisers shared their best spots ahead of Sunday’s showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.
Certain to diminish some of the promotional luster, that strategic transformation is not enough to prevent the cream from rising to the top.
Despite hitting the web several days prior to Sunday’s football game, Budweiser’s "Puppy Love" proved itself to be the most buoyant of such cream. According to the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter, the pre-release did nothing to impact its status as the game’s most acclaimed promotional piece.
The top ten ads, several of which also received advance releases, follow:
Budweiser – Puppy Love – 8.29/10
Doritos – Cowboy Kid – 7.58/10
Budweiser – Hero’s Welcome – 7.21/10
Doritos – Time Machine – 7.13/10
Radio Shack – The Phone Call – 7/10
Hyundai – Dad's Sixth Sense – 6.87/10
Cheerios – Gracie – 6.75/10
Microsoft – Empowering – 6.65/10
Coca Cola – Going All the Way – 6.42/10
Pepsi – Soundcheck – 6.3/10