SUPER BOWL REVIEW: GIVE ME GREENWASHING OVER THIS
In February 2022, the NFL Super Bowl sent marketers into a typing fury: new blockbuster shows from major streaming platforms, inter-device connectivity with exciting “Scan QR code to…!” calls to actions, and of course peak crypto.
Six months later, the government would pass the IRA bill, a transformative piece of legislation injecting capital into a climate tech landscape whose playing field, long slanted towards the fossil fuel industry, needed rebalancing. As a result of this newfound capital (and our proclivity to build hype on America’s biggest stage), one might’ve expected a wave of “eco-friendly” products to greenwash the super bowl ad-scape. Instead, viewers got a giant dose of Fox-licensed series and “traditional” advertisements.
FOX AIRS FOX
Of all ads aired, 38% were for physical goods (majority CPG), 35% of ads were “Entertainment & Streaming,” including promotions for NFL broadcasts, movie trailers and other cable programs, and the rest were mainly a spattering of courier, marketplace, or saas products. A near majority of Entertainment & Streaming ads were Fox-owned or -licensed properties and still brought in a reported $600 million in revenue from the event.
Dual pie chart, the first showing the share of physical goods and entertainment properties that were run at the super bowl, and the second showing the share of entertainment properties that were Fox-owned.
INCREDIBLY DULL AND EXTREMELY SAFE
In the Physical Goods and Courier, Marketplace, SAAS category of ads, a staggering 73% of ads focused on “Core Products,” likely a safe haven for marketers hoping to buttress existing value proposition for consumers. The question of customer acquisition versus retention is likely bouncing around most tech-heavy marketing organizations during a year of tech downsizing and profit reinforcement. It would seem that marketers took the opportunity to focus on “what we do best” on primetime.
Rather than incorporating new products (24%) or tying ads to digital experiences (5%), the Super Bowl was a whirling dervish of celebrities repackaging old movie & cultural references with new ribbon. Sixty percent of ads featured celebrities, many from generations past. Derek Thompson explores this phenomenon in a recent podcast.
Bar Chart showing share of Super Bowl ads with specified traits, highlighting share of electric and eco-products, which only came in around 8%.
Tutorial showing how to click through the Midnight Boys dashboard and also access the longitudinal ratings dashboard by clicking on the button in the bottom right.
THE BURIED LEDE ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Memelord Dieunerst Collin appeared in a Popeye’s ad during the Super Bowl, joking that the Popeye’s ad would “of course” feature an electric vehicle. The rest of the Auto industry got the memo, but it appears they were just about the only ones that did.
Almost all references to electrification or any consumer products targeted at GHG reduction came from perennial advertisers, GM and FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles). Accounting for only 8% of eligible ads, nine EV or PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) models were stuffed into four ads: a GM & Netflix ad, a Jeep ad, a Ram ad, and the aforementioned Popeye’s ad (yes, lol). The only non-auto advertiser in the group, Bass Pro Shops claimed consumers would “Support Conservation when (they) join the club,” but the retailer has not published any clearer goals than that on their website.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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Like the Derek Thompson podcast linked above, this year’s Super Bowl showed our reluctance to break away from recycled celebrity references. It’s safe: most ads referenced people or moments relatable to the wealthiest generation of buyers ever.
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“Environmentally friendly” products hit the mainstage for auto but virtually nothing else. Furthermore, the EV hype this year focused on some of the least efficient EV models to date.
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The effects of the IRA bill will not be seen in other consumer categories for years as major industry is still grappling with supply-side questions.