Post #2

Blog 2

The SuperBowl 2015 Commercials were a medley of laughs, tears, anger, and boredom.  My favorite commercial came from the category of laughs.  The commercial I am referring to is the “Clash of Clans: Revenge” commercial.  The commercial was for Supercell’s mobile video game Clash of Clans, starring Liam Neeson.  What I particularly liked about this commercial is that it was well paced and the jokes were neatly layered in a way that continuously threw punch lines at you without feeling too typical or expected.  Plus I liked Liam Neeson as an actor.  Additionally I felt that the brand story was well communicated through this short piece of storytelling as it incorporated different aspects to make it attracted to a wide range of demographics, yet still keeping it within those who would be interested/able to spend money on a mobile strategy game.

            The commercial was cross-generational in its storytelling, bringing modern day youth and technology together by Liam Nesson, a famous action star with a range in popular cinema that make him iconic and recognizable to multiple generations, and a familiar setting in modern day culture: the café, where many mobile phone users know well, plus the common messing up of one’s name with an order.  It plays off of the current culture and makes it relatable to late teens, twenty and thirty year olds that are the primary target for the product, but also making it accessible to others as well. The story-telling presents itself as modern, present, in-the-know, and fun, as embodied by the light tone of the commercial and the inclusion of the Taken parody speech.  Thus translating the brand’s story in a refreshing, positive way that is both entertaining and persuasive to the audience.

            Overall, the SuperBowl is a highly important advertising medium in the American market.  Its reputation and the expectation placed upon it make the SuperBowl an influential event, and the advertisement throughout is held to a higher standard than that of other mediums.  This opens up the medium to a wide range of criticism and debate and viewership that offers a unique kind of public perception into the medium.  The standards for commercials during the SuperBowl are elevated and studied and shared in a valuable way that is reflective of the cost to simply have/air a commercial during the SuperBowl.  What makes the SuperBowl particularly desirable for advertising is the broad range of generations it reaches and the diverse group of people it can affect.  This extensive audience that specifically has an interest invested in watching commercials (because in any other case, most people will use a commercial break to hurry to the toilet, or to grab more snacks) is a unique opportunity for the showcase of advertising, turning it into more than the act of selling a product/service in the mind of a consumer.  To the audience watching, it becomes more than the usual annoyance and is instead in and of itself fully recognized as entertainment and an art form.

The “Clash of Clans: Revenge” commercial can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC2qk2X3fKA