While we were all busy judging the Super Bowl ads, it turns out the Super Bowl ads were judging us as well.
And what they found is that we long for a lot of humor, a little nostalgia and -- please -- not too much clothing.
Marketing firm Innerscope Research hooked-up 50 ad viewers between the ages of 21 and 35 to a device which measured their body's response to the commercials. Which is great for us and anybody interested in an honest ad response, but maybe less great for any volunteer who wouldn't otherwise admit that they really, really enjoy seeing David Beckham wearing nothing but boxer briefs. There's no hiding from your skyrocketing respiratory rate, gang.
So what did all this cold, hard science reveal about our hot-blooded tendencies? Well Dr. Carl Marci, CEO & co-founder of Innerscope, says three dominant trends emerged.
You ready for this Madison Avenue? Paying attention anybody who ever worked on a single one of those "shocking!" GoDaddy.com commercials?
First up, we love nostalgia. Research volunteers reacted positively to many ads which, according to Dr. Marci, "tugged on the audience's heart strings by stirring up old memories." Think of those Budweiser ads which featured the end of Prohibition and tracked American culture over the course of the last century. Or Honda's "Ferris Bueller" ad. Naturally. Because if you don't grin even a little bit when you hear that "bom-bom... chicka-chick-ah" paired with Broderick's still-boyish grin, well, you probably don't like puppies or rainbows either.
Next -- and prepare to be amazed -- is sex appeal. I know, I know. Breathe easy. It's true: We respond favorably to gorgeous people and suggestive poses, and even more so when the suggestively posed gorgeous person is nearly naked. This year Innerscope found the Toyota Camry/models-on-a-couch and Beckham H&M ads had our pupils dilating and hearts racing. "Sex appeal has always played a role for advertisers during the Super Bowl," says Dr. Marci. "But this year, it wasn't just about 'eye candy for men.'" He points to Oikos yogurt's John Stamos spot as further evidence of that.
The final trend from this year's batch of commercials is what Innerscope refers to as the "second payoff." Basically, the kicker that arrives after the ad appears to be over. "Many of the spots that used humor provided a concluding joke after the branding. Which is not the norm," Dr. Marci told us. "This provided the audience with a second payoff, and it delivered an emotional lift at the end of the spot." Best examples of this? Darth Vader at the end of the Volkswagen ad and a shackled Flavor Flav greeting new dungeon-mate Elton John in a Pepsi ad.
So before a company goes and blows $3.5 million for a 30-second spot that viewers will have completely forgotten by the time the halftime performer rides around on the shoulders of two survivors from some Thunderdome nightclub, Dr. Marci offers this advice on creating the perfect commercial.
"Ads should contain compelling stories, with relatable characters, that take people on an emotional journey that leads to a payoff with the brand, product or service fully integrated into that story," he says. "It really comes down to storytelling."
And perhaps Ferris Bueller driving around shirtless ... before a last-second cameo by Flavor Flav.
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