Kellogg School Review Used Strategic Academic Framework to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Super Bowl Spots

Amazon was a big winner in strategic ad rankings with its “Alexa Loses Her Voice” ad in the 14th consecutive Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review.

Other brands that earned top marks include Mountain Dew, Doritos, Tide, Avocados from Mexico and Wendy‘s.

On the other hand, Squarespace and T-Mobile received low grades for less effective advertising during this year’s Super Bowl.

“Amazon used a cast of celebrities that focused us on the brand, reinforced the equity in Alexa, and ultimately was fun to discuss and share with those around you. However, Squarespace and T-Mobile both missed the mark with questionable positioning and unclear calls to action,” said Derek D. Rucker, Sandy & Morton Goldman Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Two ongoing trends emerged throughout the Super Bowl game: Competitive angle in many ads and philanthropic efforts.

“As competitive as the game was, the category wars were equally competitive. For example, there was hard hitting competition in the wireless wars with some brands calling one another out.

“Many brands tried to appeal to viewers through philanthropic causes, including Toyota, Ram and Hyundai,” said Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, who co-leads the school’s Ad Review.

The Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review uses a strategic academic framework known as ADPLAN to evaluate the effectiveness of Super Bowl spots.

The acronym instructs viewers to grade ads based on Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net equity.

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