Consumers Are Fine With Politics in Super Bowl Ads—But Mass Appeal Matters

2017 is likely considered the watershed moment for brands to take stands in their Super Bowl advertising. The most prominent example was 84 Lumber, a brand that made a bold statement about immigration, seemingly out of nowhere. Airbnb and Coca-Cola promoted diversity and unity, Audi went after the gender pay gap and Kia had a climate message. In the game itself, halftime show star Lady Gaga subverted the performance with a political statement. Even one of America’s most venerable brands, Budweiser, aired an ad that told the story of how immigrants played a critical role in building the country. Roundly panned by xenophobes (to the tune of #BoycottBudweiser), the brand quickly noted that it was not making a political statement. However, with the political climate, as it was when Trump began his first and only term, the outrage (faux or not) was fait accompli. Escapism is out, social justice is in In subsequent years, viewers have been fed a steady diet of comfortable, escapist Super Bowl fare. Last year’s slate of ads, for example, veered far from its 2017 brethren and was a comparatively saccharine exercise in expected commercial entertainment. But here we are in 2021, and the world is a much different place. Last year alone proved that goalposts of decency, care and humanity in the U.S. were prone to move all over the place. First, with the pandemic, then with the killing of George Floyd and others, centrist thought seems a quaint and antiquated notion. Toss in last week’s insurrection at the Capitol, and the idea of brands addressing anything political or issues-based seems a fool’s errand, even as CEOs of major companies weighed in. Yet, December research from data intelligence company Morning Consult paints a different picture. Of those expecting to tune in, 60% of over 1,300 adults likely to watch the Super Bowl said that the game is an appropriate place for brands to promote issues, specifically social justice, in their ads. “It’s easy for people to think ‘I just want three hours of entertainment on a Sunday night’,” said Drew Train, co-founder and president of purpose-led agency Oberland. “But, for generations, we took the easy way out of everything, and that’s what’s gotten us here. Brands need to use their loudest voice to put a stake in the ground.” Read the room According to Michael Serazio, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Boston College department of communication, the Super Bowl is a moment for advertisers to read the room related to culture and the zeitgeist. A few years ago, Serazio and his colleagues did a national survey that found that people didn’t want sports and politics to mix. Yet, more recent research shows that American sports fans are increasingly ok with the two coming together. “There’s a lot of talk from marketers about brands taking a stand,” said Serazio. “But that is cliche and they’re not really interested in taking a position that could potentially alienate half the country. This is a way for brands to generically feel that they’re part of this intense political moment without actually engaging in complicated, divisive politics. I think that’s what you might see in the Super Bowl.” Digging deeper, Morning Consult asked respondents about which topics, messages and issues would result in a favorable opinion of a brand. Black Lives Matter ranked low on the list, at No. 12, just below criminal justice reform and above stricter gun control. Morning Consult “I’m not surprised [at that ranking],” said Kwame Taylor-Hayford, co-founder of purpose-led agency Kin. “There’s a fundamental lack of education and understanding related to issues of Black people, minorities and BIPOC communities. That’s the first thing that needs to be addressed. If you lead with facts and experience, you could probably get people on you side. Because we’re in this shouting match, it’s being drowned out and hard for people to find common ground.” The top 5: keeping it benign The top five topics in the Morning Consult survey—helping veterans, thanking healthcare/essential workers, mask-wearing, national unity and thanking law enforcement—appear to have much more broad appeal. According to Train, he’s encouraged that 60% of people are open to the idea of social justice messaging, but those with the top favorability scores are “relatively benign.” “Thanking frontline workers and veterans is not controversial,” he said. “Thanking law enforcement, considering the context we’re in now, isn’t controversial. But brands have to show some courage and move the market.” “I think that some companies that supported Black Lives Matter realized that some people wouldn’t like it,” added Christopher Boulton, associate professor of communication at the University of Tampa. “But younger consumers especially don’t like the wishy-washy, milquetoast stuff. You can’t be neutral on a moving train like this.” Purposeful, but entertaining In looking at the current list of brands in the Super Bowl, it’s hard to find any that could conceivably make a political statement. It’s not likely that Cheetos, Pringles, M&M’s, Mountain Dew or TurboTax will do much more than try to entertain the masses. “I don’t see a brand that has an obvious purpose history there, and I think they’ll take the easy route,” said Train. “But, I’d love to see a brand surprise us. I think they would reap some long-term rewards.” While not confirmed as of now, traditional Super Bowl advertisers like Anheuser-Busch, Ford and McDonald’s, big-time, iconic American brands, could be the ones to dip their toes in the pool. Moreover, one of those brands’ agencies is Wieden + Kennedy, long known for pushing the limits. “[Brand like this] could benefit from the halo of the notion of America being a powerful and prideful nation and patriotic country,” said Train. “I think that they can defend that and pull us together as part of their marketing responsibility.” Interestingly, and perhaps not thought of as much, is not so much the message but how it’s delivered. Bill Oberlander, co-founder and ecd at Oberland, pointed out recent work from Beats by Dre, starring Naomi Osaka and other athletes and activists as particularly strong. “Who’s to say that purpose-led advertising isn’t entertaining,” he said, also noting that purpose, writ large, can apply to red states just as much as blue. “If you get it right, it’s one part entertaining and one part letting me know that I can vote with my wallet and taking a stand identifies with my own values.” Much like Train and others, Oberlander believes that this year’s Super Bowl advertising may not have a political bite. It’s only one day—a big one—and there are plenty of other things that need to be addressed. “Honestly, I think the world needs to take a deep breath and calm down,” he said. “Hopefully, in a year’s time, we’re in a better place.” For all the latest Super Bowl advertising news—who’s in, who’s out, teasers, full ads and more—check out Adweek’s Super Bowl 2021 Ad Tracker and the rest of our stories about the Big Game. And join us on the evening of Feb. 7 for the best in-game coverage of the commercials anywhere.