Month: February 2016

Superbowl is like Christmas – giving the greatest sporting gift not simply to NFL fans, but also (and more importantly for us!) to advertisers. After dozens of teasers and tasters over the last few weeks, Superbowl night came and went and did not disappoint (at least not for the ads, though more of a disappointment for the Panther fans…) with scores of fantastic adverts running throughout the night.

Though we’re supposed to be giving you our favourite advert of the week. this time we thought we’d give you a rundown of our five favourite ads from this year’s event. Which ones did you like? Why not let us know below.

1) Coke: Ant Man Versus Hulk 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZqBR3yTiw

Given the nature of the Marvel Universe, it is unlikely that we’ll ever get to see Hulk and Ant Man fight it out for real. So Coke gave us the next best thing, and, with the most light hearted of fan services, delivered a fun little battle between a green raging monster and a guy who can shrink down to a tiny size. All in the name of carbonated drinks of course.

2) T-Mobile: Restricted Bling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMWzX0RC7f4

Drake’s Hotline Bling is the marmite of chart-topping tunes, with some loving it and others finding it completely unbearable. T-Mobile, always on the ball, spotted a perfect opportunity to use Hotline Bling’s subject matter to show their no-frills mobile service – a comedic skit from a company who know how to get the big stars for their Super Bowl ads – last year it was Kim Kardashian of course.

3) Hyundia: Ryanville 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4VYnbm6Sw

With Deadpool being released on Friday, the whole world is about to go cray for Ryan Reynolds (Craynolds? Ryan Rey-nia?). Hyundia got ahead of the game with a fantastic advert showing Ryanville – a town entirely populated by copies of the chiseled, stubbled, self deprecating and unnervingly handsome Ryan Reynolds himself. True, it might look like a surreal tribute to The Stepford Wives, but is certainly a fun watch.

4) Kia: The Walken Closet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r0FrXXKeiA

The best of ads can always start with the easiest of gags. Whenever you need socks, why not check your Walken closet? Get it? Walken? Walk-in? Perhaps the biggest triumph in the ad is the fact that the big W himself goes along with the skit, promoting Kia as an edgy, ‘punch-it’ brand suitable for those wanting a thrill. We don’t think we’ll ever un-forget Walken talking to himself through a sock puppet.

5) Heinz: Meet the Family

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNN9nL2vppM

If you want to win Superbowl ad game, there’s always one easy option: pets. Not just any pets: dogs. Not just any dogs: dogs WEARING THINGS. A firm favourite in the LoopMe offices, this ad has the perfect balance of hilariously revamped 80s cheese soundtrack, dogs running in slow motion, and people with funny expressions wearing strange costumes. It really is the perfectly fun Superbowl advert – and a fantastic fit for the Heinz brand. It really does bring tears to the eyes.

 

The use of mobile in the movies was never going to be limited to Liam Neeson’s  unforgettable scene from Taken. Advertisers in the entertainment sector have been waking up to the opportunity that mobile provides – not just as a second screen, but also as a flexible and exciting medium that can engage users in a variety of ways. Watching films and reading up on film news and information has become a cross-screen experience and this gives studios and marketers fresh opportunities to access cinema-goers at home, at work, or on the move.

There has been a massive change in video consumption habits, 2015 was the first year that more digital video content was consumed on mobile than on desktop in Europe. The rise of devices with better screen specifications, faster internet speeds and greater software support means it has become easier and more viable for consumers to watch content on the go. According to eMarketer, the average mobile user now consumers 65 minutes of video on smartphone or tablet per day –only 4 minutes less than time spent watching Live TV.

But treating mobile video and TV as competitors is not very helpful. The two should instead be used in conjunction to broaden awareness and drive incremental reach.  For marketers, a cross-screen campaign has never been more important, especially as users can process content in very different ways across different devices. Research done independently by both Facebook and Twitter has shown that 74% of a mobile video campaign’s value was delivered in the first ten seconds, and that users can recall content at a significantly higher rate when seeing it on mobile as opposed to desktop.  Advertisers should focus on tailoring their campaigns to the devices in question.

An average film-goer may see an ad on TV before checking their phones to see what the reviews are like, or look up the latest film news on their favourite film blog. Moments like this are perfect for placing engaging mobile ads. Using the latest tools in ad tech, like machine learning and location targeting, as well as developments in creative potential with rich media and HTML5, advertisers are able to catch these potential audiences and increase awareness for films or franchises.

We had a few contenders for best video this week – Gerard Depardieu, for instance, had a very morbid time selling watches, while Subaru decided to hand over its car testing to man’s best friend. But one advert stood above all others this week, and it comes from Ellie Kemper, star of The Guardian’s TV Show of 2015, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. With a series of fantastic ads, Kemper has teamed up with Buick to create some short skits for their new range. While Kemper herself is almost a pastiche to her character from the show, the advert is whimsically meta and a nice commentary on our perception of cars, advertising, and stereotypical family values. It’s also incredibly light and quirky, in a way comedic adverts seldom are.

Watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxfXn_vjOe0