In a few words, can you tell us who you are and what your job title is?
Domenico Vitale, Founder, People Ideas & Culture (PI&C).
The current price for a 30 second slot is over $5 million. In your opinion is the spend worth it?
Media efficiencies aside, which is not really what the SB should be about (remember Master Lock??), it really depends on what a brand is trying to achieve. I tend to think that big, established brands with big budgets throughout the year, have little to benefit from the SB other than the glitz of it. Unless, of course, they are in a real moment of change, to make a new product intro, or introduce a new campaign. Smaller brands, with smaller budgets, on the other hand, have a lot to benefit from the SB. It can be a crucial part of their communication strategy to establish themselves, benefit from the equity of large advertisers (read credibility), and tell a story that otherwise will not be told with their regular budgets during the year.
Is there a demographic you believe Super Bowl advertisers have failed to target or a business sector that is underrepresented?
I think too much is driven towards the average man. Big football players somehow equate only to male targets. Maybe, this is true during the regular season, but the SB is not a sport event. It’s a cultural moment followed by the entire country. The SB is truly universal in the US and should be a great tool for also women and other demographic groups.
Who do you think is the ‘brand to watch’ at this year’s Super Bowl?
I wish there was a limit on production budgets to see real ideas come through - a real sporting event in its own right. Of course, the big guys will have super produced their work with super celebrities and massive production budgets. Very expected. But, within this current environment, I think Amazon will get the most out of their work and spend.
Do you think advertisers can benefit from taking a political/social stance in the Super Bowl?
What is the point of having such a big platform if we don’t say something that has substance? If we can make a difference and stand for something we believe in why not? The SB is a perfect place to polarize and get a real following. Brands need to feel more responsible for what goes on in the world, and not just try to sell empty rhetoric.
Are there any fumbled opportunities that come to mind when you think of past Super Bowl advertising?
Every year there is someone who completely misses the point of being there. But, I don’t like to talk about what could happen to all of us. The SB is a roulette for any of us. So, I don’t feel like judging what I am sure was a lot of work that just didn’t pan out correctly.
Eagles or Patriots?
May the best team win. I’m a Roma fan.
What is your favorite Super Bowl ad of all time?
I know it’s a cliché, but, there is no other brand or agency that used the SB like Apple and the good people in the binocular building in Venice Beach. We all try to be better than that but it has not happened yet. Not even close.