NS’ Top Super Bowl Ads of 2023

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest opportunities for communications professionals to create effective content that tells a story and sticks in the audiences’ minds. An estimated 113 million people tuned in this weekend to watch the Eagles and the Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LVII so making a good impression can lead to serious, long-term brand recognition. 

The game’s highly sought-after commercial breaks often feature advertising campaigns that create an emotional connection between the viewer and the brand, provide opportunities for activation or are just plain funny. For public relations professionals, marketers and communications teams, Super Bowl commercials serve as a great example of how to effectively tell a story and serve as a benchmark for how a general audience takes in the message.

what created emotion

Advertisements can become stories in them themselves. Healthy pet food brand Farmers’ Dog’s commercial titled “Forever” was a tearjerker that covered the life of a woman and her dog growing up. The ad directly appealed to a large audience that cares about their pets and wants them to live long and happy lives. 

“How can you not like this ad and who can’t relate to the passage of time with something or someone we love,” said Ken Nahigian, EVP of Policy and Communications, ” But what makes this ad is that just when you think it’s over it flashes back through the eyes of the dog over the same time period as through the eyes of the owner. Well done.” 

But don’t just take Ken’s word for it. The commercial was rated 6.56 out of 10 by USA Today Ad Meter viewers, which was the highest score out of all 52 commercials rated. This demonstrates the importance of telling an emotional story. 

what activated the audience

Some ads provided opportunities for activation and reflection, like the “He Gets Us” commercials that aimed to get more Americans to connect faith to current political tensions as a unifying force. Nahigian Strategies Founder Keith Nahigian said the commercial was, “Impactful, but I am just not sure it was a good match for a chip and dip crowd.”

what made us laugh out loud

Tubi’s “Interface Interruption” ad spot directly targeted the millions of active users that stream TV shows, movies and, of course, the Super Bowl. By surprising viewers with a pop-up suggesting something was wrong with their remotes and risking their stream of the big game, the commercial became widely shared on social media as people recorded their “freak out” reactions to the “interruption.”

Poll respondents agree that Tubi takes the cake as one of this year’s most creative ads. Ipsos awarded the streaming service the Misfit Award for being the “most polarizing and stand-out” advertisement of the Super Bowl. 

 

Marketers took careful consideration when making their commercials to tie into impactful storytelling, give clear perspectives on activation and be funny (or bizarre) enough to stay in the front of people’s minds long after the game is over. By keeping their messages clear and connecting with their audience, communicators can create powerful and memorable stories that will stick with people long after the game has ended.