Microsoft wins 10th annual Kellogg School Super Bowl Ad Review

Microsoft’s ’empowering ad’ wins the 10th annual Kellog Super Bowl advertising review. Other 2014 top-ranked advertisers include Cheerios, Heinz, Volkswagen, Butterfinger and Budweiser, while CarMax, SUBWAY and Audi ranked at the bottom.

Launched in 2005 and now in its tenth year, the Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review is an annual event in which faculty and students from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University gather to evaluate Super Bowl advertising by ranking ads based on a set of strategic criteria.

The Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review ranks ads based on the following six criteria: attention, distinction, positioning, linkage, amplification and net equity. The review panel is comprised of Kellogg Marketing Club students and is led by marketing professors Tim Calkins and Derek Rucker.

“Microsoft not only led the ranking, it also embodied the inspirational tone of many of the ads this year,” said Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “This sentiment was also reflected in the Cheerios and Heinz ads, both of which elicited the basic good feelings consumers associate with the brands.”

Audi finished at the bottom of the ranking, mainly because the ad featured a somewhat disturbing dog character that overwhelmed the brand. Other ads that fell flat include CarMax and SUBWAY; the CarMax ad was slightly confusing and the SUBWAY spot didn’t have the creativity required to break through the clutter.

“Many advertisers this year used emotion in the Super Bowl spots,” said Derek D. Rucker, Sandy & Morton Goldman Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in Marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, who also leads the Review. “In some cases, however, the creative idea overshadowed the brand.”

Unlike other popularity-based reviews, the Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review uses a strategic academic framework known as ADPLAN. The acronym, developed by Kellogg School faculty, instructs viewers to grade ads based on Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net equity.

“The ad series, such as Wonderful Pistachios and Bud Light, grabbed my attention. I thought it was interesting to see how the ads built off one another to tell a story and reinforce the brand and its message,” added Christine Fraser, one of the 50 Kellogg MBA students who participated in the Ad Review panel.

The best 

1. Microsoft 

Microsoft finished at the top of the Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review with an ad that celebrated the power of technology. The ad was emotional; it showed a former NFL player, now battling with ALS, who communicated with Microsoft software.

The ad was particularly notable because it differentiated Microsoft from Apple in a meaningful way. It suggested that while Apple is a cute brand that is good for music and design, Microsoft technology is serious and important.

2. VW

In Volkswagen’s spot, a father celebrates his car reaching 100,000 miles and explains to his daughter that German engineers earn their wings when a car passes that milestone.

The ad was creative and funny. More important, it conveyed a benefit: that VW has reliable cars. This is an example of solid advertising that weds creative and brand strategy.

3. Heinz

Heinz ketchup did well on the Super Bowl with a spot that linked Heinz ketchup with happiness. It was a believable proposition and had very strong branding.

4. Cheerios

General Mills deserves a lot of credit for risking controversy, at least among some consumers, by airing a spot featuring an inter-racial couple. In 2013 General Mills received quite a lot of negative feedback when it ran an ad with the same couple.

The Cheerios Super Bowl ad was charming. It didn’t say anything specific about the product but the branding was solid and the ad built the imagery of the brand.

5. Bud/Bud Light

Budweiser aired two dramatic spots that both worked well. One featured the iconic Clydesdale horses interacting with a puppy. The Bud brand team was clearly trying to repeat its 2013 success with this ad. The other spot was a moving tribute to a war veteran. Horses and veterans are safe and popular creative ideas.

The Bud Light creative was daring. Gone were the silly jokes. Instead, we had a remarkable story about a fellow taken on a crazy adventure, dramatizing the line “for whatever happens next.” The new campaign worked well with the Kellogg panel, getting attention with strong branding. The extended version posted above is astonishing.

The Worst

1. Maserati

Maserati started with an epic build that was so powerful it seemed like a movie trailer.

The young child’s narration was particularly arresting. The problem was that the ultimate reveal did not feel satisfying.

2. Audi

Audi scored at the bottom of the Kellogg rankings this year.

The brand’s Super Bowl spot featured rather disturbing dogs. The point was that compromise is bad and Audi doesn’t compromise. We suspect most people will just remember the disturbing dogs. This is a classic amplification problem.

Hit this link for the complete list and more videos on Kellogg’s website