How Oreo Won The Superbowl

During last week's Super Bowl, a thirty-second commercial spot cost an estimated $3.5 million. It sounds outrageous, but every year there is almost as much discussion about the commercials during the game as there is about the game itself. People share their favorite commercials and talk about which ones they thought were the most interesting, clever or just plain funny. Many corporations and advertising agencies compete to come up with the most memorable and talked about advertising of the game.

This year, there were so many great commercials during the game that it's almost impossible to single out just one winner. However, there was one company that used the Super Bowl and social media to reach out to customers during the game that got it right on so many levels. Oreo, a company that has a strong online presence and was early to adopt social media, took advantage of every opportunity to connect with both regular customers and football fans. Although Oreo did have its very own Super Bowl commercial, it was quick to seize the unexpected opportunity that the second half's power outage provided. Oreo tweeted a simple, clever ad that made light of the outage and affirmed their brand. For game watchers, the unexpected delay was the perfect time for them to check their Twitter, their Email or log on to Facebook. The funny message from Oreo captured just as much attention as any paid Super Bowl ad.

Part of the reason for Oreo's Twitter success is great timing. It's difficult for a company to be able to approve new advertising in such a short time. In order to not appear to be late to the party, they have to be able to respond within minutes. For Oreo, it was a mixture of good luck and a flexible approach. According to an article at BuzzFeed, Oreo's brand team and a crew from their creative agency, 360i, were already gathered together to view their paid commercial spots during the game so they were able to quickly create a response that would get noticed.

Although Oreo was the first to capitalize on the power outage, other brands also followed suit, although probably not as memorably. Walgreens, who has a vibrant social presence, tweeted, “We do carry candles #Superbowl.” Tide said, “We can't get your #Blackout but we can get your stains out. #SuperBowl #Tide.”

The big difference between advertising approaches is that while other companies were simply trying to tweet messages that included the trending topics, Oreo went further. It managed to create a graphic advertisement and got it approved and shipped in minutes. It was a gamble that really resonated with viewers: before the power outage was over, the tweet had been shared more than 12,000 times.

These days, companies are trying to use social media to communicate but, unfortunately, most of them are doing a really bad job of it. Companies like Urban Outfitters used Hurricane Sandy to market new sales or to offer free shipping. McDonald's failed at an attempt to get customers to share their favorite #McDStories. It seems that when it comes to how to use social media effectively, some companies are just as in the dark as the people at the Super Dome on game night.

Social media offers companies the opportunity to create their own voice, share their brand identity and reaffirm their corporate culture with the world. Over the next few months and years, the digital divide between companies that understand social media and those who still see it as primarily a marketing tool, will grow even bigger. For a company to survive and stay relevant, a strong social media presence--one that encourages conversation and connects to the audience--will be crucial.

Image Source: Twitter