In a few words, can you tell us who you are and what your job title is?
My name is Michael Gaizutis. I’m the Founder & CXO of a west coast brand experience and digital design agency named RNO1.
The current price for a 30 second slot is over $5 million. In your opinion is the spend worth it?
Absolutely…and…Absolutely Not. It’s a love/hate relationship. The level of visibility and credibility attached to the Super Bowl is massive. To us, it’s more of a legacy thing, versus a must-have. Some of the best legacy brands (that have been around the block) love to use the Super Bowl to further elevate their level of brand equity in the marketplace. And, in some cases, help catapult the success of a new product, or newer product in the market. We’ve always been big fans of the Super Bowl and it definitely has it’s place. But, there might be a bit of inflation associated with these ad spots nowadays.
Is there a demographic you believe Super Bowl advertisers have failed to target or a business sector that is underrepresented?
Difficult question. I think the audience is so “wide-net” that it reaches just about everyone. There’s tremendous crossover. That’s good and also bad at the same time. It isn’t exactly targeted, but with enough watching, enough of the right audiences will definitely have their heads turned with the right ad campaign. If anything, I think a more design savvy/creative market can usually be ignored…but again, there’s a place for everything.
Who do you think is the ‘brand to watch’ at this year’s Super Bowl?
Squarespace. Over the years, this Technology Platform Brand has had the opportunity to grow and scale organically. They’re highly visible, but yet also very under the radar. With their new Ad Spot this year featuring Keanu Reeves (and his newly launched motorcycle brand) it has the charm and charisma of something you might find from Lincoln with the Matthew McConaughey Ads. Definitely one to watch.
Do you think advertisers can benefit from taking a political/social stance in the Super Bowl?
This go-round, absolutely. Positively. Definitely, yes. With so much buzz around the new administration in the White House, there’s much to talk about, seemingly just about every second of every day. With that in mind, brands can really hone in on their message and reach more of the tribes that follow them, believe in them, and support their views.
Are there any fumbled opportunities that come to mind when you think of past Super Bowl advertising?
Of course…for every 100 ad campaigns we might see, only 1-3% might have a truly amazing response rate. The rest, could totally fumble. And while they fumble, again, the level of awareness might still be very high and yield a solid response. Overall, it might just be a win/win for most brands.
Eagles or Patriots?
Ahhh, if we must…Eagles.
What is your favorite Super Bowl ad of all time?
Definitely “1984” from Apple.