EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 4, 2018 — Amazon was a big winner in strategic ad rankings with its “Alexa Loses Her Voice” ad in the 14th consecutive Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review. Other brands that earned top marks include Mountain Dew, Doritos, Tide, Avocados from Mexico and Wendy’s. On the flip side, Squarespace and T-Mobile received low grades for less effective advertising during this year’s Super Bowl.
“Amazon used a cast of celebrities that focused us on the brand, reinforced the equity in Alexa, and ultimately was fun to discuss and share with those around you,” said Derek D. Rucker, Sandy & Morton Goldman Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “However, Squarespace and T-Mobile both missed the mark with questionable positioning and unclear calls to action.”
Two ongoing trends emerged throughout the big game – competitive angle in many ads and philanthropic efforts.
“As competitive as the game was, the category wars were equally competitive. For example, there was hard hitting competition in the wireless wars with some brands calling one another out,” said Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, who co-leads the school’s Ad Review. “Many brands tried to appeal to viewers through philanthropic causes, including Toyota, Ram and Hyundai.”
The Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review uses a strategic academic framework known as ADPLAN to evaluate the effectiveness of Super Bowl spots. The acronym instructs viewers to grade ads based on Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net equity.
A full list of the rankings is available here.
To learn more about the Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, visit www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/superbowl/.
For more information about the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, visit www.kellogg.northwestern.edu.
SOURCE Kellogg School of Management
