What can you learn from other companies’ $7 million ads?

Did you watch the Super Bowl this year? Did you watch the ads? If so, which ones did you love the most? And do you remember what products, services or brands those ads were promoting or selling?

Friends and co-workers always "hated me" in the days after the “big game.” They would enjoy talking about the ads they loved. But got frustrated when I always asked them what product or service was being advertised.

See, I’ve loved watching the ads for years. But over the years, I realized that most of the time, people talked about the story in the ad. And, only in rare cases, mentioned the actual brand, product or service.

They might remember it was a car ad. Or a beer ad. Or a snack ad. But only a few remembered the product. Based on this year's price tag, $7 million is a lot of money to spend to air a 30-second advertisement (keeping in mind that doesn't include the additional millions some brands spend on producing the ads or hiring talent).

And, while most of us as small business owners won't be in a position to spend that amount of money, I've wondered what we can learn from the ads ... those that worked and those that didn't.

Now, I didn't see all the ads this year (or the entire game), but I'll highlight a few that stood out to me. And 5 things we can learn from the hits and misses if we want to develop a message or position that people will remember.

#1 Know what you're selling

Squarespace most likely spent a lot of money on the ad they worked with Martin Scorcese to produce. Do you remember it? It told a story of aliens that couldn’t get our attention because we’re always looking down at our phones or glued to a screen.

So, they quickly launch a website (apparently using Squarespace) to interrupt the screens and get people to look up. Cute story. But it didn’t show any potential benefit of using Squarespace as a web platform outside of potentially fast publishing.

And that part was a very small part of the entire ad. People may remember the ad with aliens, or the ad Martin Scorsese created. But I doubt it will lead to more Squarespace websites being created or people even remembering it was a Squarespace ad.

#2 Know who you're selling to

Pluto TV had a great point of difference … free streaming of TV shows and movies. However, I felt like they missed the mark in their ad that features hundreds of couch potato people enjoying different shows.

Do people who want to stream or binge-watch shows want to identify as a couch potato? I may be wrong. Their core audience may relate or identify as a couch potato. And maybe I’m not their audience.

But having heard enough people complain about monthly streaming fees, I might have pursued a storyline that showed people somehow breaking free from the burden of paying monthly fees or being “nickel-and-dimed” to watch their favorite shows.

#3 Lean into a differentiating feature ...

The advertisement for the Google Pixel 8 phone is a great example of how to take a differentiating feature of a product or service and lean into it to communicate a clear benefit.

If you missed it, the ad showcased how the technology in their phone helps people with visual impairments take photos by telling them how many faces were in the frame.

Body Armor Sports Drink also leaned into being made with natural ingredients, instead of being full of fake, artificial ingredients like top brands in the category. From the visuals and voiceover, there was no question they were speaking to athletic people who care about what they are putting in their body.

#4 Experiences can be a differentiating feature too ...

For years, Oreos made a lasting impression by showcasing parents and children enjoying the experience of eating Oreos dunked in a glass of milk. This year, they took a different approach, which may prove to be equally as effective.

They played on the experience of twisting apart the cookie and how one side ends up the filling. And the other side doesn’t.

With a story of how various historical events may have been decided by whether the filling was on the right or left (a heads or tails scenario everyone can relate to), they effectively reminded people of a fun aspect of eating the cookie. And may have inspired people to replace flipping a coin with twisting apart an Oreo.

A few years back, Cheetos successfully leaned into the experience of eating their snack. Anyone other than me still remember the ads that showed people getting caught “orange-fingered” after stealing someone else’s Cheetos.

#5 Build upon something that's already working ...

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups gets a gold star in this category. When announcing their new cups that have caramel on top, they started by announcing there was going to be a big change to the classic cup. And showed potential fan reaction to that announcement.

This immediately grabbed your attention. Then they showed a celebration and changing reactions as people understood the brand was introducing an extension to the line. Finished by reassurance that the original was still here to stay.

The ad was a fun way to grab the attention of people who love their Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. And let them know there was a new way to enjoy them (as well as the classic). They knew their audience. They knew what mattered to them. And they clearly showcased what made this new version different.

Even if I’m not interested in the new flavor, they got me thinking about how good the candy is. And looking forward to the next time I buy one.

One step to take this week

Think about which ads, in your opinion, did a great job selling a product or service? What made them successful to you? Then take a look at your core product or service this week. How could you use one or more of the 5 lessons above to strengthen your marketing efforts or homepage message?