The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV program in U.S. history (it drew a whopping 111.5 million views last year) with the adverts generating almost as much interest as the game itself. It’s no surprise, therefore, that advertisers try to pull out all the stops when creating Super Bowl ads.
Music has long played a part in the big game’s activities. As well as the notorious half time show, the songs featured in the ads can generate ridiculous download figures, especially as more and more viewers are equipped with Shazam. We’ve taken a look at some of the most notable Super Bowl syncs of 2015:
1) Sleeping at Last’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” in Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” spot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPKgC8KPBMg
Budweiser returns this year with another ridiculously cute spot about puppy / Clydesdale friendship. The ad is set to a more downtempo version of The Proclaimer’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by Sleeping At Last, which perfectly represents the puppy-horse relationship. Filmed in early December, the ad used eight different puppies, all 11-12 ½ weeks old, and seven Budweiser Clydesdales who underwent three months of training. Check out Billboard’s recent interview with Budweiser VP Brian Perkins who talks about selecting music for the ad.
Agency: Anomaly
2) Hundred Waters’ “Show Me Love” in Coca-Cola’s “Big Game” spot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBz7aGzqU0w
Coca-Cola’s 2015 Super Bowl ad aims to tackle the negativity polluting the Internet by, wait for it, pouring coke onto computers. It might not make an ounce of sense but the sentiment is there, and it’s a nice plug for Hundred Waters whose track “Show Me Love” is placed in the ad.
Let’s just hope no impressionable children saw it…
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
3) Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” in Nissan’s “With Dad” spot
Nissan returns to Super Bowl advertising for the first time in 20 years with this emotional offering. The song, Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” seems a touching choice until you realise that the advert shows a car crash, which is how Chapin lost his life in 1981. Naturally this sparked a fair amount of controversy…
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day
4) Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me” in Turbo Tax’s “Boston Tea Party” spot
This spot might not be historically accurate, but it does provide some light relief from some of the more emotion filled Super Bowl ads. Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me” provides a fitting soundtrack, perhaps best known for its previous use in the opening sequence of The Big Lebowski. Dylan is no stranger to Super Bowl ads, having starred in Chrysler’s 2014 spot.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
5) Jeff Bridges’ “om” chant in Squarespace’s “Power of Om” spot
https://youtu.be/BKIlfLReHyo
Ok so technically this isn’t a song, but we can’t get over how wonderfully mad this collaboration is. The ad showcases The Dude’s latest release entitled Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes, which can be found at dreamingwithjeff.com, a site created on – you guessed it – SquareSpace. All download proceeds go to No Kid Hungry, so it’s probably the most virtuous Super Bowl campaign of them all.
Squarespace chief creative officer David Lee says the company wanted to avoid doing a typical marketing campaign that was a quick hit, and instead create something genuine. “In a sea of loud, obnoxious noise it was something that completely cuts through and stops people in their tracks”, he says.
Time for a nap.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
