What Super Bowl advertisers can learn from Taylor Swift

Love her or hate her, Taylor Swift has had an outsize effect on this year’s Super Bowl. How many collective hours were wasted last week figuring out which travel itinerary would get her to the game on time? The marketer in me can’t help but think about how brands would covet the degree of affection and mental presence Taylor currently commands around the world. How does she do it? Sure, she’s an amazing entertainer, putting on over-the-top shows, but fan loyalty is mostly due to the relatability of her lyrics. She shares our common, unifying life experiences, not through trite clichés but by expressing deep-seated thoughts often left unspoken. It’s a connection that makes fans feel understood and closer to Taylor. There are lessons here for advertisers striving for Super Bowl success and beyond. Pre-event, brands often obsess over which celebrity they can land, if the production value is high enough, and whether the creative is “disruptive,” “brave” or “bold” enough. While these elements matter, they only make up one side of the equation. According to Ipsos’ creative testing database, the most effective ads balance creative experiences (something that is unique, surprising, entertaining and buzzworthy) with empathy. Empathy in advertising is about providing a familiar touchpoint for viewers, either affirming their understanding of the brand or mirroring truths from their lives. In our research, empathy is defined as what everyday people perceive as either “for them” or is aligned with the brand as they know it. Put simply, it is an agreement that your brand “gets” the viewers, or that they understand your brand better after watching the ad. ‹ › × (Click image to enlarge) Credit: Ipsos Empathy drives effectiveness Good work can make people laugh or be entertained, but great work resonates with viewers’ lives and the brand’s role in them, rather than abstractly promoting the brand. Super Bowl ads are often assumed to be the best of the best, but when comparing Super Bowl creative that Ipsos has tested over the past 5 years, while they surpass “everyday” ads in creative experience by a significant 30%, they fall 2% short in empathy measures. Ipsos polled 1,000 U.S. viewers after Sunday’s game and less than half agreed that “advertisers in the Super Bowl understand me and my life”. (Click image to enlarge) Credit: Ipsos Thus, piling on more glitz and gimmicks will only get advertisers so far because the upside sits on the other side of the equation. Smart brands should focus on building empathy through better creative strategy to enhance effectiveness, for the Super Bowl and beyond. The brands that harnessed empathy this year Let’s now turn the spotlight on three brands that understood that a Super Bowl ad can be more than just a spectacle; it can be a powerful tool for creating meaningful connections with consumers. Dove A girl turns to the mirror, smooths her hands over her swimsuit, and a wave of uncertainty crosses her face. This scene, spotlighted in Dove's Super Bowl ad, is a familiar reality to many women, and to the men in their lives. This moment, underscored by profound silence and sharply juxtaposed with the lively, bloopers filled introduction, ignites a deep emotional resonance with viewers. In our research , the ad outperforms Super Bowl averages for relevance. Dove's unwavering commitment to their brand purpose pays dividends, with viewers finding the ad authentic and congruent with the brand, effectively bridging both aspects of empathy. Reese's Delivering empathy doesn’t have to be a serious matter, as demonstrated by Reese’s. The ad dramatizes potential reactions to hearing about a “big change” to the classic peanut butter cup. The back and forth between announcer and characters anticipates and addresses the audience’s potential questions about the new product. By combining empathy, entertainment, and new product information, this ad is one of the most effective spots in this year’s Super Bowl, according to our research. e.l.f. Some people feel that department store makeup is overpriced, while others assume that they need to pay that price to get the proper coverage. e.l.f. put this consumer insight on trial. The spoof on two culturally relevant shows brought the entertainment factor, while the callouts to lower price, sustainability, and effectiveness allowed viewers to learn more about the brand. This ad had the highest relevance rating of any of the 2024 Super Bowl ads we tested and a creative effectiveness score in the top 5% of the Ipsos database. Fostering meaningful connections Taylor Swift’s advantage lies in her ability to write about her own experiences, a luxury that brands may not possess. Therefore, the most effective way to infuse empathy into advertising is to include your audience in the creative development process. Understanding their motivations, desires and concerns can aid brands in crafting messages that not only entertain but also foster a meaningful connection. Find out more about how Ipsos helps brands do just that and read about more winners from our Super Bowl Ad Awards here. Sources i. Ipsos Fast Facts poll conducted Feb 11-12 among N=1,000 U.S. Adults Age 18-65 who watched at least part of the Super Bowl in 2024. ii. Each Super Bowl ad was tested monadically with N=150 U.S. Adults Age 18-65 through Ipsos' Creative Spark method About Ipsos Ipsos is one of the largest market research companies in the world, present in 90 markets and employing 18,000+. Our Ipsos Creative Excellence team expertly partners with clients through the creative development journey - from upstream insight generation that fuels creative briefs to exploring creative ideas to optimization and post-launch learnings that drive future success. Our focus is on guidance that nurtures and optimizes the creativity that is essential to success. We work with 75% of the top 200 national advertisers. We are proud to partner with Effie®, The ARF, SeeHer and The Female Quotient in our pursuit of effective, inclusive creativity.

What Super Bowl advertisers can learn from Taylor Swift

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