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Super Bowl Advertising Tag

February 11, 2026
in Uncategorized
by Patricia Uhrich

Why the 2026 Super Bowl Ads Felt Like a Snoozefest

Even with record prices and sky-high demand, originality was scarce. The only thing that that made us yawn more than the first half of the game itself, was the ads. Pepsi coopting the polar bears as icons from Coke? Was that an intern’s idea? I guess when your brand is spending record sums ($10 million for a 30-second spot), you play it safe.   Despite the fully sold-out ad inventory and intense competition for viewer attention (120 million viewers) many commercials felt disappointingly familiar. Brands leaned heavily on safe bets: celebrities, nostalgia, and variations of themes we’ve seen year after year. Even in a media landscape obsessed with AI and newness, the Big Game seriously lacked standout originality.   Where the Ads Fell Short If you were watching the ads with a creative marketer’s eye, a few trends became obvious:   Recycled humor and celebrity formulas proliferated, failing to make memorable, emotional connections.   Safe storytelling over risk-taking....

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February 4, 2025
in Uncategorized
by Patricia Uhrich

How do this year’s Super Bowl ads stand up to an all-time top 10?

First of all, know that this post is not a review of this year’s Super Bowl Ads. We’ll leave the comparing and critiquing up to you. Instead, this is about embracing the originality, creativity and boldness of previous spots which have left a lasting impression.   The latest compilation of this year’s ads, which you can view here, have some standouts for sure with one being Michelob’s The Ultra Hustle. But compared to the classics below, don’t expect to see this year’s crop of ads to show up on a future top 10 list (or even a top 100). Today’s marketers and their agencies should jump into our wayback machine and see what it takes to land a spot in the hall of fame that exists in our collective memories of Super Bowl Ads.   Reminisce with our top 10 favorites in chronological order: Coca-Cola "Mean Joe Greene" (1979) One of the most heartwarming commercials...

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February 14, 2024
in Uncategorized
by Patricia Uhrich

UNCOVERING THE MARKETING POWER OF SWEEPSTAKES

Door Dash “All the Ads” Super Bowl Giveaway   If you caught the post-Super Bowl Late Show, you heard Stephen Colbert joke that, “For the second time in Super Bowl history, we went to extra innings, so I think we all know the real winners were CBS ad sales.” This is in no doubt true with advertisers paying up to $7 million to air a spot. But as curious marketers, we would argue that the real winners were Door Dash’s in-house studio and their agency Wieden+Kennedy Portland who pulled off the biggest Super Bowl giveaway ever.   Announced on January 30th, Door Dash promoted an “All the Ads” sweepstakes that would DoorDash all of the items advertised during the Super Bowl to one lucky winner. You can find the full list of items here. Ahead of the game, the outrageous giveaway gained huge momentum online. This boost in awareness coupled with message of Door...

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February 16, 2022
in Uncategorized
by Patricia Uhrich

What the HEALTH just happened with Super Bowl ads?

If you’re looking for the typical review of the best Super Bowl ads, you can count on AdAge or Adweek for that. They both agree that the Coinbase spot was the most effective. In case you missed it, here it is:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIUD_NE1BDo   $14 million well spent? Well, the bouncing QR code was so effective that it caused Coinbase to crash. Perhaps they took a cue from some of the DRTV spots Direct Choice produced last year?     Anyhow, what struck us about this year was the emergence of health-related ads and the absence of Anheuser-Bush. Super Bowl 2022 ads posed an interesting contrast to the typical fare of chips, dips, pizza and beer.   What’s Gotten Into Lindsay?  Planet Fitness made a good bet that Inquiring minds want to know. They’re also betting that people are ready to get back to the gym, BIG TIME. Love the moment between her and Dennis Rodman which was easily...

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February 10, 2021
in Marketing, Uncategorized
by Patricia Uhrich

Why it was good to see some Big Brands sit out the Super Bowl

For marketers, the Super Bowl traditionally begins in the summer when budgets and creative ideas are set in motion. This year was anything but traditional. Although all 256 regular season games were played, some advertisers chose to sit out the Super Bowl. In fact, it was the first Super Bowl in 37 years without Budweiser airing a spot during the game.   Clydesdales, Mr. Peanut, Korean cars, Mexican avocados and Coca Cola were all conspicuously absent. Whatever their PR people may have said before the game, we know it’s all because most big brands aren’t risk takers and couldn’t handle this year’s uncertainty — but that’s a good thing and below are three reasons why:   1) Budweiser, Kia and Planters diverted money to good causes.   According to Ad Age, Planters is shelling out (ha ha) $5 million to support unsung heroes this year while Kia plans to expand its giving to support America’s youth....

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Direct Choice Inc

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It's about a unique coming together of brand, direct & digital marketing and intelligent data management and analytics in real time.

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Dec 19

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🎄😂 As busy as the holidays can be, we hope you find time to unwind and share some good laughs with friends and family. With that spirit in mind, we created a short video using AI tools to bring some of the best (meaning the worst) Holiday Dad Jokes to life. 🧑‍🎄🤦‍♂️ 💙 And while we’re celebrating, we’re also remembering what this season is truly about. Realizing that our Caribbean neighbors still need support during the holidays and beyond, DCI is making a donation to Team Rubicon in support of Team Rubicon’s Hurricane Melissa response in Jamaica. Laughter, gratitude, and giving — that’s what the season is all about. 🌍✨ #HolidayLaughs #DadJokes #SeasonOfGiving #TeamRubicon #GivingBack #HolidaySpirit #DCICares

🎄😂 As busy as the holidays can be, we hope you find time to unwind and share some good laughs with friends and family.
With that spirit in mind, we created a short video using AI tools to bring some of the best (meaning the worst) Holiday Dad Jokes to life. 🧑‍🎄🤦‍♂️
💙 And while we’re celebrating, we’re also remembering what this season is truly about. Realizing that our Caribbean neighbors still need support during the holidays and beyond, DCI is making a donation to Team Rubicon in support of Team Rubicon’s Hurricane Melissa response in Jamaica.
Laughter, gratitude, and giving — that’s what the season is all about. 🌍✨
#HolidayLaughs #DadJokes #SeasonOfGiving #TeamRubicon
#GivingBack #HolidaySpirit #DCICares ...

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Dec 20

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Direct Choice wishes everyone the happiest of holidays! In the spirit of the season, we are supporting The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, who are continuing to give aid to those affected by Hurricane Helene. https://foodbankcenc.org/ #happyholidays #HurricaneHelene #FoodBanks

Direct Choice wishes everyone the happiest of holidays!
In the spirit of the season, we are supporting The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, who are continuing to give aid to those affected by Hurricane Helene.
https://foodbankcenc.org/

#happyholidays #HurricaneHelene #FoodBanks ...

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Dec 16

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The DCI Team enjoyed a festive holiday luncheon and white elephant gift exchange last week at Trattoria San Nicola. So nice to see everyone IN PERSON! Happy Holidays 🎄!

The DCI Team enjoyed a festive holiday luncheon and white elephant gift exchange last week at Trattoria San Nicola. So nice to see everyone IN PERSON! Happy Holidays 🎄! ...

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Jun 26

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🎉 We are thrilled to announce that Direct Choice, Inc., in partnership with @centercityfilmvideo , won two Telly Awards! 🎥✨ 🥈 Silver Telly in the Insurance category for Jefferson Health Plans' "Reshape Your Medicare" campaign 🥉 Bronze Telly in the Insurance category for Blue Cross NC's "Yes Plan 2" campaign A huge thank you to our incredible team and partners for their dedication and creativity. We couldn't have done it without you! Here's to many more successful campaigns ahead. 🥂 #TellyAwards #DirectChoice #CenterCityFilmAndVideo #BlueCrossNC #JeffersonHealthPlans #AwardWinningCampaign

🎉 We are thrilled to announce that Direct Choice, Inc., in partnership with @centercityfilmvideo , won two Telly Awards! 🎥✨
🥈 Silver Telly in the Insurance category for Jefferson Health Plans` "Reshape Your Medicare" campaign
🥉 Bronze Telly in the Insurance category for Blue Cross NC`s "Yes Plan 2" campaign
A huge thank you to our incredible team and partners for their dedication and creativity. We couldn`t have done it without you! Here`s to many more successful campaigns ahead. 🥂
#TellyAwards #DirectChoice #CenterCityFilmAndVideo #BlueCrossNC #JeffersonHealthPlans #AwardWinningCampaign ...

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Apr 16

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Had a little sprinkle last week for our Production Director, Tom Mellon! He and his wife Marghi are expecting an addition to the family in May. Delicious lunch @whitedogwayne ! Best Wishes Tom and Marghi!!

Had a little sprinkle last week for our Production Director, Tom Mellon! He and his wife Marghi are expecting an addition to the family in May. Delicious lunch @whitedogwayne ! Best Wishes Tom and Marghi!! ...

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Feb 29

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Direct Choice was honored to present this check to Alex Archawski from the Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network (GPVN). GPVN’s mission is making Greater Philadelphia the Best Place For Veterans. #phillyvets #gpvn #communitymatters #givingback

Direct Choice was honored to present this check to Alex Archawski from the Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network (GPVN). GPVN’s mission is making Greater Philadelphia the Best Place For Veterans. #phillyvets #gpvn #communitymatters #givingback ...

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Dec 20

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To celebrate the sentiments of peace, love and understanding, this year we are contributing to the Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network, who work to make our city the best place for Veterans. Happy Holidays from Direct Choice Inc! #Phillyvets #GPVN #HappyHolidays

To celebrate the sentiments of peace, love and understanding, this year we are contributing to the Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network, who work to make our city the best place for Veterans. Happy Holidays from Direct Choice Inc!
#Phillyvets #GPVN #HappyHolidays ...

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Dec 18

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A fun time and great food at our annual holiday luncheon and gift exchange held @autographwayne! Many alcohol-related gifts beginning with the letter “I”! Thanks Nick! (We missed you Beth!) #happyholidays #whiteelephant #funholidaytimes

A fun time and great food at our annual holiday luncheon and gift exchange held @autographwayne! Many alcohol-related gifts beginning with the letter “I”! Thanks Nick! (We missed you Beth!) #happyholidays #whiteelephant #funholidaytimes ...

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Aug 2

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Had a fun and informative time at the @BCAPhilly Hospitality Breakfast last Friday. Speaker @TarynSouthern gave a thought-provoking presentation focused on how AI is changing our world. #ai #aimarketing #bcaphilly

Had a fun and informative time at the @BCAPhilly Hospitality Breakfast last Friday. Speaker @TarynSouthern gave a thought-provoking presentation focused on how AI is changing our world. #ai #aimarketing #bcaphilly ...

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May 19

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Proud to report that Direct Choice picked up 2 Benny Awards last night in the digital/social media marketing categories - Congrats to All!! #pdma #bennyawards #socialmediamarketing #digitalmarketing

Proud to report that Direct Choice picked up 2 Benny Awards last night in the digital/social media marketing categories - Congrats to All!! #pdma #bennyawards #socialmediamarketing #digitalmarketing ...

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Dec 20

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This holiday season, we’re continuing to support @philabundance to help them end hunger in our local communities. Happy Holidays from Direct Choice Inc! #philabundance #happyholidays

This holiday season, we’re continuing to support @philabundance to help them end hunger in our local communities. Happy Holidays from Direct Choice Inc! #philabundance #happyholidays ...

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