Capitol News

The Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious over the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX. However, for faculty members at Michigan State University, the focus was not solely on the game but also on the advertisements aired during the event.

For the 28th consecutive year, faculty from MSU's College of Communication Arts and Sciences evaluated the commercials broadcasted during the Super Bowl. Robert Kolt, professor of practice emeritus in MSU's Department of Advertising and Public Relations and initiator of this ad-watching tradition, explained that ads are assessed based on creative messaging, strategy, production quality, branding, execution, uniqueness, and memorability.

“Most of the ads this year were fun and funny, but there were some good serious spots too,” said Kolt. “There was something in this game for everybody to like.”

The top advertisements according to MSU faculty included:

- Michelob ULTRA: “Pickleball Hustle”

- Mountain Dew: “Seal as a seal”

- WeatherTech: “Grannies”

- Google: “Dream Job”

- Novartis: “Your attention please”

This year saw advertisers spending up to $8 million for 30 seconds of national TV time. The FOX network reported having a waiting list for commercial slots during the game.

“The Super Bowl is the biggest television audience and event every year, and the game has historically been a showcase of top-quality ads for the advertising industry," Kolt noted. "Now, the challenge is to measure if the ads and investment worked. Good ads have to actually make a sale for the advertisers and increase business.”