The competition on Super Bowl Sunday goes far beyond the football field. Some fans take commercials just as seriously as the game itself. Does the debate on who had the best TV spot ever really end?

Behavioral economics proves that we are more afraid of losses than we are excited by gains. This “loss aversion” heuristic means we are less open to new opportunities when afraid. Many of your customers are probably afraid in this environment. They may be facing staff layoffs or the possibility of their business closing. Before a customer will be open to a new opportunity, their emotions need to be grounded in something other than fear.

All brands want educated customers – but traditional methods of reaching them may not be effective during lockdown. A fascinating trend emerged during COVID lockdowns that we call “self-work from home.” People are growing, improving, and expressing themselves within their own homes. We’ve seen explosions in DIY hobbies such as gardening, cooking, and online language learning.

How do we celebrate our “new normal,” when there’s so much desire for our old life back? This time of year is especially nostalgic for everyone. Sometimes what makes celebrations special (and marketing break through) isn’t capturing traditional cheer, but a breath of fresh air.

2020 has been hard on all of us.

It’s also been hard on a few key phrases that we’ve all heard over and over and over again, enough that we never want to hear, see or read them again. That’s them above. Phrases that we’ve all used before 2020, words that once carried different baggage, now have regrettable 2020 tattoos where everyone can see them.

What is actually important to your customers, especially during lockdown?

As marketers, we strive to “ladder up” to the right functional and emotional benefits for customers. But as we saw earlier this year, customer priorities can change overnight. The early days of lockdown saw runs on toilet paper, cleaning products, and, of course, alcohol. Essentially, “benefits” consumers needed became lower on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Consumption shifted from the aspirational to the essentials.

Shawn Farrell
Vice President, Group Creative Director

For most of my career, I worked at larger agencies. I’m talking 500-plus people. Many floors. Different departments. A mail room, even.

But twice in my life, I’ve worked at smaller agencies. The first time was when I was about 4 years into my career – still fairly junior and new to the industry. The other time? Now.

Selling marijuana has come a long way from street corner handoffs.

Today, everything is laid out on the table. Business is booming, and there’s little to hide from anymore. Unless, of course, you’re talking about cannabis advertising, a place where there’s still plenty to be coy about.

The statistics are impressive on how consumers interact with promotional messaging, especially videos. Studies have shown that 55% of internet users watch social media videos daily, and videos tend to get three times more interaction and clicks than static text posts. Our brains crave video content because we can process it 60,000 times faster than static posts.

Well the big game has come and gone. The spectacle. The pageantry. And of course, the excess.

Oh yeah… and the heartburn. Ouch.