It’s a phenomenon. The Super bowl that is.

I’m not a sports person, yet I sit with family and friends, eat, and watch the game. From the start to the finish.

OK, I know who is playing (I had to look it up); but ultimately I find the super bowl games rather boring. Sp why do we watch? There’s a social reason. We love to have a “reason” to get together and be unified. And huge ratings say that most people are captivated in front of their TV.

Enter: Commercials. When there’s a captive audience; there’s a great opportunity for ads.

So what makes a good ad? Here’s 3 things that have to be present:

Engaging. Know your audience and give them what they’re looking for. That can mean humor or a dramatic story line.

Branding. If someone doesn’t remember what the brand name is; the ads are simply entertainment. There needs to be a simple brand message that ties the “idea” of the ad to the benefits of the product.

Memorable. We are bombarded with ad images. So many (and increasing) that an ad has to be incredibly “breakthrough”. It has to catch us, keep us, and then stick with us.

I’m looking forward to the game starting in a few minutes. Well, actually for the commercials to start. And I hope people don’t talk through them. I know, I’m hopeless. I love advertising!