Super Bowl Commercials: Marketing Through QR Codes And…Butts?
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest media events of the year, averaging millions of viewers in one night. While many are tuning in to watch the game and halftime show, others are more interested in seeing the newest commercials air. I myself enjoy seeing the newest marketing strategies displayed between plays. Each year, companies are finding more creative techniques to capture our diminishing attention spans, and this year was no different. 2024 was the year of QR codes and notifications.
QR Codes
QR codes originated in 1997 but have not been in commercials until very recently. I first noticed QR codes during the 2023 Super Bowl, but this year they skyrocketed. These codes were displayed on the bottom corners of the screen throughout the commercial to (hopefully) give the consumer enough time to grab their phone and scan it. While people may have not made any purchases or joined any subscriptions in the moment, it was a unique way for the customer to gain curiosity about the code. Where is the code going to take me? What is the company about? How will this entertain me? These thoughts ran through my head as I quickly lunged for my phone to find out. Not only are QR codes interesting, but they keep the audience engaged long enough to remember the brand. One QR code that stood out to me was the NFL’s very own commercial. Their code was in the bottom right corner throughout the ad and it encouraged users to scan to see what benefits awaited them. This is a very efficient strategy to increase site engagement and views, especially during the night of the Super Bowl. While some will argue that they are not effective, I don’t see any reason to not display these codes on the screen. If a company was already planning on paying for commercial time during the Super Bowl, they might as well slap on a QR code to get some extra site visits and potential transactions. This is a win-win situation as far as I’m concerned.
Notifications
While I enjoyed the QR codes, the most unique and creative marketing technique that I noticed this year was by one of the most innovative apps there is in digital marketing currently, Duolingo. For the past 150 days, I have been practicing Italian through Duolingo and use the app every day. I have my notifications turned on, so I am reminded to keep my streak each day of learning the language. During the game, I got a notification from Duolingo that said “Hi, it’s Duo. No buts, do a lesson now!” The notification also had their signature bird mascot showing off its rear end.
I was confused on multiple accounts—why am I receiving this notification after I have already completed my streak for the day? Also, why is the Duolingo bird showing me its butt? I’ve never seen that before. As I was wondering this, the very next commercial on my TV was of the Duolingo bird once again showing me its posterior. I was shocked. Duolingo purposefully planned out the notification to go along with their paid commercial on TV. This was the most brilliant advertising I witnessed all night. Not only did I think it was funny, but I told my friends all about it and will definitely continue to use the app. This light-hearted fun created entertainment for the current users but also the non-users who just enjoyed the comedy and unseriousness of the commercial. I hope that other companies take notes because this was more engaging than any other commercial I’ve seen. After all, half the time now, we are looking at our phones, regardless of whether or not the TV is on.
Another company that utilized notifications tonight was Vivid Seats. During the game, I received a notification from Vivid asking me if I was enjoying the halftime show and inquired if I wanted to see more concerts live. This notification was very strategically brilliant. Sending out this ad directly after the halftime show most likely caught a lot of users’ attention. Personally, after watching Usher perform, I was pumped up from the show and imagined how fun it must have been to see that live. Vivid Seats made me start to think ahead about upcoming concerts that I would want to see, which I would most likely check out on their app, ultimately giving them more engagement and potential sales. While they didn’t have a commercial during the game, just sending out a simple notification during that time was enough to catch my attention. From a business and marketing standpoint, that was an incredibly cost-effective option.
While television ads are not the top form of marketing anymore, I always look forward to when they make their comeback each year during the Super Bowl. There is always something to catch your eye. 2024 has shown us that marketing is still advancing, whether it’s through QR codes, notifications, comedic relief, bold statements, or the occasional Duolingo butt.
