Thirty years ago Apple inspired creatives of all kinds with the advent of the Macintosh computer. That same year it turned the biggest football game of the year into an annual display of brand creativity with its groundbreaking spot "1984."
Marketers, and the many creative professionals they work with in the advertising industry, make up one of the most creative industries on the planet. There's no better time than the Super Bowl -- when consumer interest in commercials, and essentially marketing, is at an all-time high -- to lift the veil a bit on what we do.
This year for the first time, Ad Age teamed up with OK! TV to do just that. "Big Game, Big Ads" explores what a big part of the Big Game the ads have truly become. OK! Is a brand known for its coverage of celebrities in the entertainment world. With the level of creativity and production values that go into the campaigns flanking the Super Bowl, it was a nice opportunity for us to showcase the star brands and talent working in advertising today.
"Big Game, Big Ads" highlights some of the Super Bowl's longest running advertisers, like Budweiser, Coca-Cola and GoDaddy, and gives viewers a behind the scenes look at the making of spots from Budweiser and Coke.
Our newly appointed Associate Publisher, Abbey Klaassen, was on the set for the filming of Budweiser's latest Clydesdale commercial, building on the success of last year's "Brotherhood." That spot will be hard to beat, so Budweiser called on some amazingly adorable puppies to help out.
We also see the taping of Coca Cola's spot using regular kids from Ashwaubenon, Wisc., a suburb close to Green Bay's Lambeau Field, to tell a touching story about Coke's connection to people's happiest moments. You can be sure that is one day those kids won't soon forget. Creating special moments for children is a central theme of this year's effort for Coke. The marketer has agreed to donate $50,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of America once its spot hits 10,000 views on YouTube.
The show isn't all kids and puppies, however. "Big Game, Big Ads" also looks behind the numbers to look at what big business this big ad game has become, and Ad Age's Super Bowl ad critic, Ken Wheaton, takes a look at the five best Super Bowl spots of all time.
A project is only as good as the partners you choose. We are thrilled to have had some amazing partners to work with on Ad Age's maiden voyage to television: Budweiser and Coca Cola, our inaugural sponsors, their agency partners at SMG, and ESPN, which came on board to share the sport with visitors to ESPN.com. ESPN's sports business commentator, Darren Rovell, also pitched in on a segment to explore the business side of sports. And, of course, our partners at Unconventional Partners, the producers of OK! TV, who worked tirelessly to bring the project to life.
And now, enjoy the show.
